Juraj Lexmann

Prof. PhDr. Juraj Lexmann, ArtD. was a Slovak composer, music and film theorist, director of musical documentary films and television works, and a pedagogue. His research focused on film music and liturgical music.

In the early 1980s, he compiled Liturgický spevník I (Liturgical Hymnal I), which was officially published in 1990 but had already been used since 1985. He later prepared Liturgický spevník II (Liturgical Hymnal II) and Liturgický spevník III - spevy na Popolcovú stredu, Svätý týždeň a Veľkú noc (Liturgical Hymnal III – Hymns for Ash Wednesday, Holy Week and Easter, 1993). He also compiled the Liturgický spevník pre tretie tisícročie (Liturgical Hymnal for the Third Millennium, 2000), which was a major contribution to liturgical renewal in Slovakia. Juraj Lexmann trained several experts who continue the work in the field of liturgical music (Dr. R. Podpera, Dr. S. Šurin and others).

Juraj Lexmann contributed to the development of the theory of both film and liturgical music. He authored the monographs Teória liturgickej hudby (Theory of Liturgical Music, 2015), Audiovizuálne médiá a hudobná kultúra (Audiovisual Media and Musical Culture, 2009, 2002), Slovenská televízia a jej perspektívy (Slovak Television and Its Perspectives, 2007), Teória filmovej hudby (Theory of Film Music, 2006, 1981), and Slovenská filmová hudba 1896 – 1996 (Slovak Film Music 1896–1996, 1996). He also contributed entries to the Encyklopédie dramatických umení Slovenska (Encyclopedias of Dramatic Arts of Slovakia, 1989, 1990).

He was the author of music for more than 120 films, and he often collaborated with director Viktor Kubal. This body of work includes, for example, the films Zbojník Jurko (1976) and Krvavá pani (1980). He also composed music for SĽUK’s stage productions (e.g., Slnovrat), as well as liturgical music, chamber pieces, and songs.

As an author and director, Juraj Lexmann participated in the creation of musical documentary films and television programs (e.g., Filozofia hudby – Philosophy of Music, the series Deti hudobníci – Children Musicians). He created editing and musical dramaturgy for approximately 1,400 news, documentary, and animated films.

“By using traditional instruments of the classical orchestra as well as synthetic, electroacoustic music and new compositional techniques, he achieves an interesting sonority (popular-science films about technology and ecology). He has a specific ability to express comedy and grotesque effects, and through instrumentation and the use of various genres (traditional jazz music, etc.) to capture satirical moments (The Devil’s Revenge, 1971).” (Encyclopedia of Dramatic Arts of Slovakia, 1989, p. 670)

He was a member of the International Cooperative in Systematic and Comparative Musicology.

During his career, Lexmann received several awards, including the Peter Mihálik Award for lifetime contribution to Slovak film scholarship in 2017, the Andrej Radlinský Award in 2014 for lifetime contribution, and in the same year he became the first person in Slovakia to receive the Order of St. Sylvester, second class “Knight Commander.” This honor is awarded to Catholics who actively engage in church life and contribute to the development of the Church through their professional expertise.