Alexander Moyzes (1906-1984), one of the leading Slovakian composers of his generation, created a nationally inspired style that also assimilated trends aligning his music with contemporaries such as Shostakovich. The Eleventh Symphony builds on the success of the Tenth (8573654), intensifying its emotional impact and developing sophisticated cycles of transformation and variation. Simpler and more concise than preceding works, the Twelfth Symphony was Moyzes’ final orchestral statement and his ‘diary in music’. He said it ‘also seeks to express my attitude to life. …we have to take life as it is, with all its digressions, demands and haste.’

Alexander Moyzes is probably best known for his symphonies, this is volume six in a series of re-issues from the Marco Polo label. These releases remain as the only easily accessible reference, and with recordings and performances that still sound fresh and invigorating we felt it was time for a revival.

Reviewing the original release, David Barker of MusicWeb International stated: ‘this is such interesting music from a little known figure of the twentieth century … I have certainly enjoyed what I’ve heard…’