Balakauskas Osvaldas, *19 December 1937 Miliūnai (near Ukmergė), Lithuanian composer. From 1957 to 1961, he studied at the music department of the pedagogical institute in Vilnius, from 1964 to 1968 he studied composition with Boris Lyatoshinsky, and in 1969 with M. Skoryk at the conservatory in Kiev. Since 1972, he has lived in Vilnius, where he lectures in composition and heads the composition department at the Academy of Music. Between 1988 and 1992, as a member of the Sajudis council, he was politically active in the fight for Lithuanian independence. Between 1992 and 1994, he was Lithuanian ambassador to France, Spain and Portugal (based in Paris). In 1996, he received the Lithuanian National Award.
Balakauskas’s constructivist sensibility and consistent work on creating his own musical system have resulted in his compositions being characterised by an individual compositional style, which is distinguished by: discipline of means and form, controlled expression, and logical structure. The artist’s personality was shaped by his years of study in Kiev, during which he became acquainted with the work of representatives of the Ukrainian avant-garde of the time: V. Silvestrov and L. Hrabovsky. He was also inspired by the music of Stockhausen, Boulez, Xenakis, Messiaen and, in particular, Webern. Balakauskas’s constructivism can be traced back to Weberian structuralism. In his search for rules for organising pitch material and experimenting with a 12-tone base (the starting point was the dodecaphonic technique), Balakauskas arrived at his own theory of harmony called dodecatonicism, based on the “quint projection method”. The author does not reject existing systems; rather, by constructing supra-heptatonic models (breaking away from the typical seven-note structure of the major–minor functional system), he reveals the possibility of a broader understanding of diatonicism. Balakauskas’s output is characterised by a diversity of genres and styles: from quasi-Baroque (Sinfonia concertante, Bachjahr), through neo-impressionist (Kalnų sonata), to postmodern (Alla Turca Once More, Chopin–Hauer).
Literature: M. Janicka-Słysz Osvaldas Balakauskas “Deszcz dla Krakowa”, in: Muzyka, słowo, sens, commemorative book for M. Tomaszewski, ed. A. Oberc, Krakow 1994; D. Mirka Piękno dodekatoniki, in: W kręgu muzyki litewskiej, collective work, ed. K. Droba, Krakow 1997.
Compositions:
Instrumental:
Piano Suite, 1960
3 capriccios for piano, 1964
10 works for piano, 1964
Impresonata for flute and piano, 1964
Šokių siuita (Dance Suite) for string orchestra, 1964; 2nd version for violin and piano, 1965
Sonata No. 1 for organ, 1965
Concertino for piano and string orchestra, 1966
Variations for flute, oboe, and bassoon, 1966
Kaskada I for piano, 1967
Aerofonia for flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon, 1968
Sonata for violin and piano, 1969
Quartetto concertante for flute, violin, cello and piano, 1970
String Quartet No. 1, 1971
String Quartet No. 2, 1971
Ludus modorum for cello, harpsichord or synthesiser and piano, 1972
Sonatina for violin and piano, 1972
Studi sonori for 2 pianos, 1972
Symphony No. 1, 1973
Devyni šaltiniai (“Nine Springs”), for various instrumental versions, 1974
Fugue for violin and piano, 1974
Gaublio siuita (“Suite of the Globe”) for piano, 1974
Retrospective I for violin and piano, 1974
Kaip marių bangos prisilietimas (“Like the Touch of the Sea’s Waves”) for violin and piano, 1975
Kalnų sonata (“Mountain Sonata”) for piano and orchestra, 1975
…ad astra for orchestra, 1976
Medis ir paukštė (“The Tree and the Bird”) for viola and piano, 1976
Symphony No. 2, 1979
Heterophony for electric cello, 1979
Orgia-Katharsis for electric cello and tape, 1979
Passio strumentale for string quartet and orchestra, 1980
Sonata No. 2 “Enneatonika” for organ, 1980
Albertiana for flute, violin, cello and piano, 1981
Concerto for oboe, harpsichord and string orchestra, 1981
Movimenti for 2 pianos, 1981
Raštai (“Ornaments”) for flute, violin, cello and piano with tape, 1981
“Sinfonia concertante” No. 3 for violin, piano and orchestra, 1982
Do nata for viola or cello with tape, 1982
Gaida for piano with tape, 1983
Auletika-2 for 3 flutes and harpsichord, 1984
Auletika-3 na 3 flutes and bells with tape, 1984
Claqua for clarinet, 2 violins, viola and cello, 1984
Spengla-ūla for string orchestra, 1984
Bachjahr for flute, harpsichord and string orchestra, 1985
Kaskada II for piano, 1986
Alla Turca Once More for 4 pianists, 1987
Opera strumentale for orchestra, 1987
Ostrobothnian Symphony for string orchestra, 1989
Veda-seka-budi for 5 percussionists, 1990
Lietus Krokuvai (“Rain for Krakow”) for violin and piano, 1991
Polilogas for alto saxophone and string orchestra, 1991
Maggiore-minore for alto saxophone and piano; 2nd version for violin and piano, 1994
Meridionale – hommage à Witold Lutosławski for chamber orchestra, 1994, performed at Warszawska Jesień 1994
Retrospective II for cello and piano, 1994
Betsafta for solo cello, piano, 2 violins, viola and cello, 1995
Bop-art for trombone and piano, 1995
Solža-gala for electric cello and tape, 1995
Erasmus for trumpet and trombone with tape, 1996
Concerto RK (dedicated to R. Katilius) for violin and chamber orchestra, 1997
La Valse for violin, 1997
Vocal-instrumental:
Prie mėlynos gėlės (“By the Blue Flower”) for mixed choir, flute, oboe, violin, viola, cello and piano, words by L. Gutauskas, 1976
Daugybė Pravirų Šulinių (“A Multitude of Half-open Wells”) for soprano, trombone (or cello) and piano, words by L. Gutauskas, 1979
5 songs for 2 voices and piano, words by V. Mykolaitis-Putinas, 1981
Dada-Concerto for soprano, tenor, 2 basses and instrumental ensemble, words by L. Gutauskas, 1982
Tyla – Le silence, cantata for soprano, mezzosoprano, tenor, baritone, piano and chamber orchestra, words by O. Miłosz, 1986, performed in Poland at Warszawska Jesień 1987
Chopin-Hauer for soprano, tenor, vocal ensemble, 2 pianos, viola and tape, words by A. Schopenhauer, 1990
Requiem in memoriam Stasys Lozoraitis for mezzosoprano, mixed choir, synthesiser and string orchestra, 1995
Stage:
Macbeth, ballet, libretto by J. Smoriginas after W. Shakespeare, 1988
music to the ballet film Zodiak
Electronic:
Tranquillo for tape, 1985
Synthphonia for tape, 1989
Writings:
Dodekatonika, Part 1, in: W kręgu muzyki litewskiej, collective work, ed. K. Droba, Krakow 1997
