Background
Moyzes was born into a musical family in 1906 at Kláštor pod Znievom in present Slovakia. His father was the composer and educator Mikuláš Moyzes.
Moyzes was born into a musical family in 1906 at Kláštor pod Znievom in present Slovakia. His father was the composer and educator Mikuláš Moyzes.
After earlier technical studies, in 1925 he entered the Prague Conservatory, where he studied organ, conducting and composition. He graduated in 1929 and went on to study in the master class of Vítězslav Novák, from which he graduated in the following year with his Overture for Orchestra, Opus 10.
lieutenant was Novák who directed his attention to Slovak music, the source of his inspiration. In 1929, Moyzes was appointed to the teaching staff of the Music and Drama Academy for Slovakia in Bratislava. He became professor of composition at the Bratislava Conservatory in 1941 and spent a number of years as principal music advisor to Radio Bratislava, until compelled to resign in 1948.
On its foundation he was appointed professor of composition at the Bratislava Music Academy, where he taught no less than three generations of Slovak composers.
He headed the Academy as Rector from 1965 until 1971, and over the years undertook many important functions in the musical life of his country. He died in Bratislava.
With Eugen Suchoň and Ján Cikker, Alexander Moyzes is considered one of the three leading composers of his generation in Slovakia. He succeeded in creating a style of composition that was thoroughly Slovak in inspiration, yet nevertheless took account of contemporary trends in European music, a synthesis that he was to consolidate in his later years.
Orchestra
Down the River Váh, Operation
26 (1935)
Pohronie Dances, Op 43 (1950)
Gemer Dances, Operation 51 (1956)
Violin Concerto, Operation 53
Symphony Number. 1 in Doctorate major, Operation
31 (1929, rev 1937)
Symphony Number.
2 in A minor, Operation 16 (1932)
Symphony Number. 3 in B flat major, Operation
18 (1942)
Symphony Number. 4 in East flat major, Operation
38 (1947, rev 1957)
Symphony Number.
5 in F major, Operation 39 (1947-1948)
Symphony Number. 6 in East major, Operation 44 (1951)
Symphony Number.
7, Operation 50 (1954-1955)
Flute Concerto, Operation
61
Symphony Number. 8, Operation 64 (1968-1969)
Symphony Number. 9, Operation 69 (1971)
Symphony Number.
10, Operation
77 (1977-1978)
Symphony Number. 11, Operation 79
Symphony Number. 12, Operation 83
Chamber
Four String Quartets (Op 8, 66, 83 and WOop?).