A young Alexander first came into contact with music at the age of four. His father's subtenant, a family friend, brought his piano into the house. This allowed his son to give piano lessons and also allowed Alexander to participate in the lessons. Due to his advanced learning and progress, Alexander soon got his own teacher and became encouraged. In 1881, at the age of ten, he was inducted into the newly founded temple choir of the Sephardic community. Three years later, his voice changed and he accompanied the choir rehearsals and recieved an allowance for his organ playing in the synagogue. Musically, the spiritual sephardic music influenced him only slightly. He grew up with the music of Mozart and quickly discovered Brahms and Wagner. Only a motet composed by him,with the title "Hochzeitsgesang" for the marriage of the daughter of the cantor in 1896, is documented.