Alexander Goedicke was a Russian composer known for being skilled and imaginative, but also quite conservative. He worked during the first half of the twentieth century and is better known in Eastern Europe than in other parts of the world. His music did not follow the modern trends of his time, as he chose to keep classical styles alive. Goedicke lived at the same time as the famous composers Rachmaninov and Stravinsky. Unlike Stravinsky, who explored new musical ideas, Goedicke stuck to traditional ways. He also stayed in Russia after the 1917 Bolshevik coup, while Rachmaninov left the country. This choice shaped much of his career and music. He was the son of a piano teacher and became a piano professor himself at the Moscow Conservatory. Goedicke loved studying Bach and focused on keeping classical qualities and clear musical lines in his work. He was respected for supporting the old musical traditions and was an important figure in Eastern European music until his death in 1957. Goedicke also had a family connection to another composer, Nikolai Medtner, who was his first cousin. Goedicke’s father, Fyodor, was Medtner’s mother's brother and helped teach him music. Although Goedicke rarely traveled to the West, he was well known in Eastern Europe as both a performer and composer, continuing to teach until he died.