Rewarding discovery Listening to symphonies by Alexander Moyzes - with PATRIC STANDFORD 'Technically this is a bright and clean recording with excellent wind playing ...'

A rewarding discovery is that of the late romantic music of a composer born in northwest Slovakia who began studies at the Prague Conservatory at the age of 19 in 1925, and produced nine symphonies between 1929 and 1971. The first of these significantly began a new era for Slovak music between the wars, drawing on Slovakian folk music and absorbing it into a bold symphonic architecture that followed in the footsteps of, and was markedly influenced by, Richard Strauss, Mahler and the German romantic spirit of the time. He was appointed as composition teacher at the Bratislava Academy in 1929 and became professor at the Conservatory and chief music adviser to Bratislava Radio in the 1940s. Most of the mid-20th century Slovak composers were his pupils. At his death in 1984 he had attained the highest rank among national artists.

Continue >>

For help listening to the sound extracts here, please refer to our questions & answers page.