Balada, Leonardo

(b Barcelona, 22 Sept 1933). American composer of Spanish birth.

After studying at the Barcelona conservatory, he won a scholarship
(1956) to study at the New York College of Music; he graduated from
the Juilliard School in 1960. His composition teachers included Aaron
Copland, Alexandre Tansman and Vincent Persichetti. He taught at
the United Nations International School (196370) and at CarnegieMellon University, where he became a professor in 1975.
Many of Balada's melodies have a Spanish flavour; although his
works are primarily based on triadic harmonies, they are freely
coloured by tone clusters, dense overlapping textures and other
constructionist features. From around 1966 his experimentation with
these techniques dominated his music, almost to the exclusion of
melody (Cuatris, 1969; Cumbres, 1971). The two orchestral Homages
(1975), to Casals and Sarasate, marked a return to a nationalistic
melodic style. Bright colours and aggressive rhythms are
characteristic. Whether scored for the piano, tuned percussion,
pizzicato strings or staccato brass, hard-edged tones are typical. In
the early stage works (Maria Sabina, 1969; No-Res, 1974) human
speech is also treated percussively. Later operatic ventures,
beginning with Hangman! Hangman! (1982), a satire set in America's
Old West, make liberal use of folk melodies. A more traditionally
operatic vocal style is used in Zapata (19824) and especially in
Cristbal Coln (1989), composed for the 500th anniversary of
Columbus's voyage to America, which also incorporates folk music
and dissonant orchestral colours. Balada has cited the influence of
Salvador Dali, with whom he collaborated; his presentation of familiar
melodies in distorted surroundings often recalls Ives.
WORKS
Stage: Maria Sabina (C.J. Cela), nars, chorus, orch, 1969; No-Res (J. Paris), nars,
chorus, orch, 1974, rev. 1997; Hangman! Hangman! (chbr op, 1, Balada), 1982;
Zapata (op, 2, T. Capobianco and G. Roepke), 19824; Cristbal Coln (grand op,
2, A. Gala), 1989; Thunderous Scenes (Balada), cant., 1v, chorus, orch, 1992;
Thunderous Scenes (cant., Balada), solo vv, chorus, orch, 1992; Death of
Columbus (op, 2, Balada), 1996; The Town of Greed (chbr op, 1, Balada), 1997
Orch: Musica tranquila, str, 1960; Pf Conc. no.1, 1964; Gui Conc. no.1, 1965;
Guernica, 1966; Sinfonia en negro: Homage to Martin Luther King, 1968;
Bandoneon Conc., 1970; Cumbres, band, 1972; Persistencies (Sinfonia
concertante), gui, orch, 1972; Steel Stym., 1972; Auroris, 1973; Ponce de Leon, nar,
orch, 1973; Conc. no.2, pf, wind, perc, 1974; Homage to Casals, 1975; Homage to
Sarasate, 1975; Conc., 4 gui, orch, 1976; 3 Anecdotes, castanets/wood perc, orch,
1977; Sardana: Dance of Catalonia, 1979; Quasi un pasodoble, 1981; Quasi
Adelita, wind band, 1982; Vn Conc., 1982; Zapata: Images for Orch, 1987;
Fantasias sonoras, 1987; Alegrias, 1987; Divertimentos, str, 1991; Columbus:
Images for Orch, 1991; Celebration, 1992; Sym. no.4 Lausanne, chbr orch, 1992;
Song and Dance, wind ens, 1992; Music for Ob and Orch (Lament from the Cradle
of Earth), 1993; Union of the Oceans, band, 1993; Morning Music, fl, orch, 1994;

Concierto magico (Conc. no.2), gui, orch, 1997; Folk Dreams, suite, 19958;
Shadows, Line and Thunder, Echoes; Reflejos, fo, str, 1999 [from chbr work]; Pf
Conc. no.2, 1999; Passacaglia, 2000; Music for Fl and Orch, 2000
Vocal: 4 canciones de la Provincia de Madrid, song cycle, 1v, pf, 1962; 3
Cervantinas, song cycle, 1v, pf, 1967; 3 epitafios de Quevedo, song cycle, 1v, pf,
1967; Las moradas (S. Teresa de Avila), chorus, 7 insts, 1970; Voices no.1, 1972;
Torquemada (Balada), B/Bar, 14 insts, chorus, 1980; En la era, song cycle, 1v, pf,
1989
Chbr and solo inst: Musica en 4 tiempos, pf, 1959; Sonata, vn, pf, 1960; Conc., vc,
9 insts, 1962; The Seven Last Words, org, 1963; Geometrias: no.1, fl, ob, cl, bn, tpt,
perc, 1966; no.2, str qt, 1967; no.3, bandoneon, 1968; Cuatris, 4 insts, 1969; Minis,
bandoneon, 1969; End and beginning, rock ens, 1970; Mosaico, brass qnt, 1970;
Elementalis, org, 1972; Tresis, fl/vn, gui, vc, 1973; 3 Transparencies of a Bach
Prelude, vc, pf, 1976; Transparency of Chopin's First Ballade, pf, 1977;
Persistencies, pf, 1978; Preludis obstinants, pf, 1979; Sonata, 10 wind, 1980;
Reflejos, fl, str, insts, 1987; Diary of Dreams, vn, vc, pf, 1995
Gui: Lento with Variation, 1960; Suite no.1, 1961; 3 Divagaciones, 1962; Analogias,
1967; Apuntes (Sketches), 4 gui, 1974; Minis, 1975; 4 Catalan Melodies, 1978;
Persistencies, 1979
Principal publishers: Belwin-Mills, Beteca Music, General, G. Schirmer

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Leonardo Balada (Pittsburgh, 1982) [brochure of Carnegie-Mellon
University]
P.E. Stone: He Writes for the Audience, but on his own Terms, New
York Times (21 Nov 1982)
P.E. Stone: Leonardo Balada's First Half Century, Symphony,
xxxiv/3 (1983), 85
DAVID WRIGHT