Alexander Raychev (Bulgarian: Александър Райчев; ISO-9: Aleksandăr Rajčev) was a bulgarian composer. He is brother of Victor Raychev, composer as well. He started studying music since early childhood. He studied with Assen Karastoyanov and Parashkev Hadjiev; in 1934 he was private student of Composition of Pancho Vladigerov. He graduated from the State Academy of Music in 1947 majoring in Piano and Composition under Professor Pancho Vladigerov. He specialised in Composition with Ianos Viski and Zoltan Kodaly, and Conducting with Ianos Ferencik at the Liszt Music Academy in Budapest (1949-50). During his study he worked at the Music Section of Radio Sofia, later he conducted the orchestra of the National Youth Theatre. In 1950 he joined the staff of the State Academy of Music as lecturer in Harmony and later became full professor of Harmony (1962) and Composition. Notable students include Rosica Petkova. He was its Rector (1972-79). Since 1971 he was elected Member of Parliament in four Bulgarian Parliaments. From 1980 to 1990 he chaired the Union of Bulgarian Composers. He was also member of the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers. In 1990 he was elected Honorary Member-Academician of the Royal Academy of Science and Fine Arts in Brussels, as well as Honorary Member of the International Society for Contemporary Music in Baden-Baden, Germany.
He was one of the most prominent representatives of the Bulgarian music and music culture. He wrote three operas and a radio opera; two ballets; an opera-review; children’s operettas and music fairytales, six oratorios; three cantatas and a liturgy; six symphonies; five overtures, concertos and other works for symphony, chamber and string orchestra; chamber works; over 30 songs for voice and piano; over 600 choral and children’s songs; theatre and film music, etc. His work was prize-winning on many occasions; he was awarded orders, medals, honorary distinctions, etc. As Professor of Composition, Alexander Raychev created his own composition school. The active social involvement and optimistic pathos as witnessed by his work reflects characteristic features of the Bulgarian music after the 1950s. During the 1990s particularly remarkable by its philosophical expressiveness is his Symphony N. 6 Liturgical.
The image before (and after) the music is Decor with Birds (1923) by Ivan Milev, chosen by D. T. for this video.
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