Alexander Goldscheider

Last updated

Alexander Goldscheider
Odysseus.jpg
SP front cover of "A Robot is Talking to You"
Background information
Born (1950-06-22) 22 June 1950 (age 75)
Origin Prague, Czechoslovakia
Genres Electronic music, Classical music, instrumental music
OccupationsComposer, producer,
writer, computer specialist, photographer
InstrumentsSynthesizer, piano, computers
Years active1968–present
Labels Romantic Robot, Supraphon, Panton Records
Website www.romantic-robot.com

Alexander Goldscheider (born 22 June 1950) is a Czech-born British composer, music producer, writer, computer specialist and photographer.

Contents

Life and career

He read music at Charles University in Prague, and received a PhD for his analysis of the music of The Beatles in 1975. [1] Initially a music writer, critic, and radio/club DJ (1968–73), he moved into songwriting and music production, becoming a staff producer at Supraphon (1976–79), where he produced a number of pop, rock, and jazz LPs of Czech singers and bands. He pioneered the use of synthesizers in Czechoslovakia and his music was released by Panton Records and Supraphon, [2] [3] used on TV and in films.

He moved to London in 1981, recorded two solo albums (Themes for a One-Man-Band Vol. 1 & 2), [4] [5] and in 1983 worked at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop producing his own music for radio, TV, and films. Goldscheider then co-founded a music and computer company Romantic Robot, [6] which initially designed and sold hardware (Multiprint, Videoface, Multifaces 1, 2, 3, 128 and ST) and published software (Music Typewriter, Trans-Express, Genie, Wriggler) for ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, and Atari ST computers.

Romantic Robot [7] became a recording label in 1991, when Goldscheider produced and released a 2-CD set of music written and performed in a Czech concentration camp Terezín: The Music 1941-44 . The set included children's opera Brundibár by Hans Krása, which has since been staged, recorded, and filmed all over the world. In addition to producing another CD (An American in Prague – Aaron Copland conducts the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra), [8] Goldscheider has since concentrated on writing, performing, and producing his own compositions, recording classical singers, large choruses, and the Romantic Robot Orchestra on CDs such as Stabat Mater and The Song of Songs , with occasional detours into web design. [9] In June 2018, British record company Little Beat Different released his eponymous vinyl LP Alexander Goldscheider. [10] The first part of his memoirs Intended Coincidences was published in Prague in July 2020. He also released two audiobooks, Písně pro jiné i pro mne in 2023 and French Poetry in Chansons in 2025. There are over 200 of his music videos on YouTube [11] . Czech radio station Vltava broadcast in August 2025 five hours of his memoirs [12] .

Alexander Goldscheider's grandson Ben Goldscheider is also a musician. He won the Brass Category Final of the 2016 BBC Young Musician competition, playing the French horn. [13] [14] [15]

Discography and Books

Notes

  1. "Acta Universitatis, Page 193, No. 76 (Goldscheider, Alexander: Problematika hudební formy v populární hudbě, 1975. PhDr.)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  2. a.s, SUPRAPHON. "Alexander Goldscheider – Všechna alba". Supraphonline.cz. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  3. "Panton". Discogs. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  4. "Alexander Goldscheider". Discogs. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  5. "Alexander Goldscheider – MusicBrainz". musicbrainz.org. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  6. "Romantic Robot UK Ltd – World of Spectrum". www.worldofspectrum.org. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  7. "Romantic Robot – MusicBrainz". musicbrainz.org. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  8. "An American in Prague". 27 May 1973. Retrieved 27 May 2019 via Amazon.
  9. "Jiri Belohlavek – Conductor". www.jiribelohlavek.com. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  10. "Alexander Goldscheider – LBDISSUES002, by Little Beat Different". Little Beat Different. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  11. "Alexander Goldscheider – Romantic Robot" . Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  12. "Osudy Alexandera Goldscheidera – rozhlasové vzpomínání publicisty a skladatele" . Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  13. "Ben Goldscheider". Verbier Festival. Fondation du Verbier Festival. Archived from the original on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  14. "Praise from Barenboim delights young musician – and his grandfather". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  15. "Ben Goldscheider". Askonas Holt. Askonas Holt. Retrieved 4 August 2024.

References