Cantor Alter was born in Poland, the youngest son of a distinguished rabbinic family. Steeped in Talmudic scholarship and Chassidic piety he studied music in Vienna.
He officiated as cantor in Hanover, Germany and Johannesburg, South Africa before immigrating to the USA in 1961. Through his countless performances in synagogues and concert halls, as well as his recordings and printed compositions, he became known as one of the great names of the Cantorate.
As a faculty member at the School of Sacred Music of the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in NYC he was responsible for notating the complete musical settings for the Sabbath, festivals and Holy Days as published by the Cantors Assembly. He considered this achievement the fulfillment of a 50-year-old promise to make the notes of chaza-nut available to young cantorial students.
Cantor Alter's recording career began in 1926 when he recorded a number of liturgical selections for the Carl Lindstrom Company in Hanover. The recordings, originally issued on the Parlophon label, disappeared completely during the Hitler era. Fortunately a stash of metal masters were discovered after the war leading to their reissue by EMI in England and by Collectors Guild in the USA.
This online music collection of the recordings of Cantor Israel Alter is due to the kind cooperation of Collectors Guild, Musique Internationale and the family of the late Cantor Israel Alter.Cantor Alter was born in Poland, the youngest son of a distinguished rabbinic family. Steeped in Talmudic scholarship and Chassidic piety he studied music in Vienna.
He officiated as cantor in Hanover, Germany and Johannesburg, South Africa before immigrating to the USA in 1961. Through his countless performances in synagogues and concert halls, as well as his recordings and printed compositions, he became known as one of the great names of the Cantorate.
As a faculty member at the School of Sacred Music of the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in NYC he was responsible for notating the complete musical settings for the Sabbath, festivals and Holy Days as published by the Cantors Assembly. He considered this achievement the fulfillment of a 50-year-old promise to make the notes of chaza-nut available to young cantorial students.
Cantor Alter's recording career began in 1926 when he recorded a number of liturgical selections for the Carl Lindstrom Company in Hanover. The recordings, originally issued on the Parlophon label, disappeared completely during the Hitler era. Fortunately a stash of metal masters were discovered after the war leading to their reissue by EMI in England and by Collectors Guild in the USA.
This online music collection of the recordings of Cantor Israel Alter is due to the kind cooperation of Collectors Guild, Musique Internationale and the family of the late Cantor Israel Alter.
