Balada, Leonardo
Balada, Leonardo
Balada, Leonardo, Spanish-American composer and teacher; b. Barcelona, Sept. 22, 1933. He studied piano at the Barcelona Cons., and went to N.Y. and pursued studies at the N.Y. Coll. of Music (1956–57), the Juilliard School of Music (1958–60), and the Mannes Coll. of Music (1961–62). His principal mentors in composition were Copland, Tansman, and Persichetti. He also studied conducting with Markevitch. He taught at the United Nations International School (1963–70), and then joined the faculty of Carnegie-Mellon Univ. in Pittsburgh in 1970, where he served as a prof. from 1975. In his works, Balada has utilized both constructionist and expressionist elements. Since 1968 he has blended ethnic and traditional elements with avant- garde procedures.
Works
DRAMATIC: Opera: Hangman, Hangman!, chamber opera (Barcelona, Oct. 10, 1982); Zapata! (1982); Crist´obal Colón (1987; Barcelona, Sept. 24, 1989); Death of Columbus (1994); The Town of Greed, chamber opera (1999). ORCH.: Musica tranquila for Strings (1960); 3 piano concertos: No. 1 (1964), No. 2 (Pittsburgh, April 15, 1974), and No. 3 (1999; Berlin, Feb. 12, 2000); Guitar Concerto (1965; Madrid, Oct. 21, 1967); Guernica (1966; New Orleans, April 25, 1967); 4 syms: No. 1, Sinfonia en negro, homage to Martin Luther King Jr. (1968; Madrid, June 21, 1969), No. 2, Cumbres, for Band (Pittsburgh, April 18, 1971), No. 3, Steel Symphony (1972; Pittsburgh, Jan. 12, 1973), and No. 4, Lausanne, for Chamber Orch. (Lausanne, Dec. 7, 1992); Bandoneon Concerto (1970); Persistences, sinfonia concertante for Guitar and Orch. (1972; Madrid, Jan. 9, 1987); Aurons (1973; Madrid, Jan. 25, 1974); Ponce de Leon for Narrator and Orch. (New Orleans, Oct. 9, 1973); Homage to Casals (1975; Pittsburgh, May 7, 1976); Homage to Sarasate (1975; Pittsburgh, May 7, 1976); Concerto for 4 Guitars and Orch. (1976; Barcelona, Dec. 17, 1977); 3 Anecdotes, concertino for Castanets or Wood Percussion and Chamber Orch. (1977; first perf. with wood percussion, Pittsburgh, Nov. 8, 1978, and with castanets, Santander, Aug. 28, 1980); Sardana (1979; Pittsburgh, Oct. 21, 1982); Quasi un pasodoble (1981; N.Y., Nov. 24, 1982); Violin Concerto (N.Y., Nov. 11, 1982); Fantasias sonoras (Pittsburgh, Oct. 4, 1987); Zapata: Images (1987; Madrid, March 18, 1988); Alegrías for Flute and Strings (1988; N.Y., Feb. 16, 1989); Music for Flute and Strings (1988; also for Flute and String Quartet); Divertimento for Strings (Girona, Spain, Aug. 14, 1991); Columbus: Images (1991; Madrid, Jan. 10, 1992); Celebration (Barcelona, Nov. 19, 1992); Music (Lament from the Cradle of the Earth) for Oboe and Orch. (Pittsburgh, Nov. 5, 1993); Shadows (1994; Cincinnati, March 31, 1995); Morning Music for Flute and Chamber Orch. (1994; Pittsburgh, March 12, 1995); Echoes (Dublin, May 14, 1999); Concierto Magico (1997; Cincinnati, March 13, 1998); Line and Thunder (Pittsburgh, Feb. 20, 1998); Folk Dreams (1998; Dublin, May 14, 1999). band:Quasi Adelita for Symphonic Wind Ensemble (1981; Washington, Pa., May 14, 1982); Song and Dance for Wind Ensemble (1992; Pittsburgh, Feb. 18, 1994); Union of the Oceans (Aviles, Spain, Sept. 29, 1993). CHAMBER: Violin Sonata (1960); Concerto for Cello and 9 Players (1962); Geometrias No. 1 for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Trumpet, and Percussion (1966) and No. 2 for String Quartet (1967); Cuatris for Instrumental Ensemble (1969); Mosaico for Brass Quintet (1970); Tresis for Flute, Guitar, and Cello (1973); Apuntes for Guitar Quartet (1974); Sonata for 10 Winds (1980); Music for Flute and String Quintet (1988; also for Flute and String Orch.); Diary of Dreams for Piano, Violin, and Cello (1995); guitar music; piano pieces. VOCAL: Maria Sabina for Narrators, Chorus, and Orch. (1969; N.Y., April 17, 1970); Las moradas for Chorus and Instrumental Ensemble (1970); No-Res, cantata (1974; Barcelona, Oct. 18, 1997); Torquemada, cantata (1980); En la era for Voice and Piano (1989); Thunderous Scenes, cantata for Soloists, Chorus, and Orch. (Alicante, Spain, Sept. 24, 1992); Oratorio (1997).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire