The ‘romantic avant-gardism’ of Barcelona-born Leonardo Balada pairs complex techniques with avery direct emotional impact. These characteristics have often been employed in exploring the impactof historical events, none more so than the wars of the 20th century. Symphony No. 6 ‘Symphony ofSorrows’ (Dedicated to the Innocent Victims of the Spanish Civil War) embeds traditional melodic ideasin a coruscating single-movement exploration of the tragedies of war. The Steel Symphony reflects thesonorities – in an abstract, non-programmatic way – of Pittsburgh’s steel foundries, while theConcerto for Three Cellos, inspired by Germany’s recovery after two catastrophic world wars,combines complex techniques in a vivid work of almost surrealistic transformations.
