Balakauskas, Osvaldus

Balakauskas, Osvaldus, Lithuanian composer and teacher; b. Ukmerge, Dec. 19, 1937. He studied at the Vilnius State Pedagogical Inst. (graduated, 1961) and with Boris Liatoshinsky (composition) at the Kiev Cons. (1964–69). From 1972 to 1985 he was advisor to the Union of Lithuanian Composers. Since 1985 he has taught at the Lithuanian Academy of Music, with the exception of a period from 1992 to 1994 when he served as the Lithuanian ambassador in France, Spain, and Portugal. In 1996 he was awarded the Lithuanian National Prize for his music.

Works

DRAMATIC: We, the Sparrows, puppet opera (1983); Macbeth, ballet (1988). ORCH.: Piano Concertino (1966); Ludus modorum, cello concerto (1972; also for Amplified Cello, Flute, Violin, Piano, and Tape, 1982); 2 syms. (1973, 1979); The Mountain Sonata for Piano and Orch. (1975); Ad astra (1976); Passio strumentale for String Quartet and Orch. (1980); Concerto for Oboe, Harpsichord, and Strings (1981); Sinfonia concertante for Violin, Piano, and Orch. (1982); Spengla Ula for Strings (1984); Bachjahr for Flute and Chamber Orch. (1985); Opera strumentale, 5 fragments (1987); Ostrobothnian Symphony for 20 Strings (1989); Polilogas for Saxophone and 20 Strings (1992); Meridionale (Hommage à Witold Lutostawski) for Chamber Orch. (1994). CHAMBER: Dance Suite for Violin and Piano (1964); Variations for Flute, Oboe, and Bassoon (1965); Suite for Cello and Piano (1965); Auletika for Flute and Oboe (1966); Extrema for 7 Instruments (1966); Aerophonia for Wind Quintet (1968); Violin Sonata (1969); Quartetto concertante for Flute, Violin, Cello, and Piano (1970); 2 string quartets (1971, 1971); Les musiques, chamber sym. for Cello and Wind Quintet (1972; also for Flute, Violin, Amplified Cello, Piano, and Tape, 1982); Violin Sonatina (1972); 9 Sources for Oboe and Harpsichord (1974); Retrospective I (1974) and II (1994) for Cello and Piano; Like a Touch of a Sea Wave for Violin and Piano (1975); A Tree and a Bird, viola sonata (1976); Orgy-Catharsis for Electric Cello and Tape (1979); Hetero-phony for Electric Cello and Tape (1980); Tracery, chamber sym. for Flute, Violin, Cello, Piano, and Tape (1981); Veda-Seka-Budi for 5 Percussionists (1990); Rain for Kraków for Violin and Piano (1991); Maggiore-minore for Viola, Saxophone, and Piano (1994); Bop-Art for Trombone and Piano (1995); Betsatta for Cello, Piano, and String Quartet (1995); Erasmus for Trumpet, Trombone, and Tape (1996). keyboard: piano: 3 Caprices (1964); Cascades, sonata (1967); Studi sonori for 2 Pianos (1971); Cascades 2 (1986); Once More for 2 Pianos (1987). Organ: Sonata (1973); Enneatonic (1980). VOCAL: Dada Concerto for 4 Voices and Instrumental Ensemble (1982); Tyla-Le Silence for 4 Voices and Chamber Orch. (1986); Chopin-Hauer for Soprano, Tenor, 2 Pianos, Viola, Actors, and Tape (1990); Requiem for Mezzo-soprano, Chamber Chorus, and String Orch. (1995).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire