Luis de Pablo Costales (28 January 1930 – 10 October 2021) was a Spanish composer belonging to the generation that

Cristóbal Halffter Cristóbal Halffter Jiménez-Encina (24 March 1930 – 23 May 2021) was a Spanish classical composer. He was the nephew of two other composers, Rodolfo and Ernesto Halffter and is regarded as the most important Spanish composer of the gene ...

named ''the

Generación del 51 Generación del 51 is a designation for one of a series of "generations" of Spanish composers, identifying a group born between 1924 and 1938. Members of this group of composers from the Basque and Castilian-speaking regions of Spain include: ...

''. Mostly self-taught as a composer and influenced by Maurice Ohana and

Max Deutsch Max Deutsch (17 November 1892 – 22 November 1982) was an Austrian-French composer, conductor, and academic teacher. He studied with Arnold Schönberg and was his assistant. Teaching at the Sorbonne and the École Normale de Musique de Paris, he ...

, he co-founded ensembles for contemporary music, and organised concert series for it in Madrid. He published translations of notable texts about composers of the

Second Viennese School The Second Viennese School (german: Zweite Wiener Schule, Neue Wiener Schule) was the group of composers that comprised Arnold Schoenberg and his pupils, particularly Alban Berg and Anton Webern, and close associates in early 20th-century Vienna. ...

, such as

Hans Heinz Stuckenschmidt Hans Heinz Stuckenschmidt (1 November 1901 – 15 August 1988) was a German composer, musicologist, and historian and critic of music. Life Stuckenschmidt was born in Strasbourg. At as early an age as 19, he was the Berlin-based music criti ...

's biography of

Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (, ; ; 13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian-American composer, music theorist, teacher, writer, and painter. He is widely considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. He was as ...

and the publications of

Anton Webern Anton Friedrich Wilhelm von Webern (3 December 188315 September 1945), better known as Anton Webern (), was an Austrian composer and conductor whose music was among the most radical of its milieu in its sheer concision, even aphorism, and stea ...

. He wrote music in many genres, including film scores such as Erice's ''

The Spirit of the Beehive ''The Spirit of the Beehive'' (Spanish: ''El espíritu de la colmena'') is a 1973 Spanish drama film directed by Víctor Erice. The film was Erice's debut and is considered a masterpiece of Spanish cinema. The film focuses on a young girl named ...

'', and operas including ''La señorita Cristina''. He taught composition not only in Spain, but also in the U.S. and Canada. Among his awards is the

Premio Nacional de Música The National Music Award ( es, Premio Nacional de Música, links=no) is one of Spain's annual National Awards by the Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: * Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) *Mini ...

Life

Luis de Pablo was born in

Bilbao ) , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = 275 px , map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao , pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe , pushpin_map_caption ...

. After losing his father in the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

, he went with his mother and siblings to live in Madrid from age six. Although he started to compose at the age of 12, his circumstances made it impossible to consider an artistic career, and so he studied law at the

Complutense University of Madrid The Complutense University of Madrid ( es, Universidad Complutense de Madrid; UCM, links=no, ''Universidad de Madrid'', ''Universidad Central de Madrid''; la, Universitas Complutensis Matritensis, links=no) is a public research university loca ...

. For a short time after graduating in 1952, he was employed as legal advisor to

Iberia Airlines Iberia (), legally incorporated as ''Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España, S.A. Operadora, Sociedad Unipersonal'', is the flag carrier airline of Spain. Founded in 1927 and based in Madrid, it operates an international network of services from i ...

, but soon resigned this post in order to pursue a career in music. As a composer, he was essentially an autodidact. He travelled to the

Darmstädter Ferienkurse Darmstädter Ferienkurse ("Darmstadt Summer Course") is a regular summer event of contemporary classical music in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany. It was founded in 1946, under the name "Ferienkurse für Internationale Neue Musik Darmstadt" (Vacation Cou ...

in the 1960s, where he met

Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 1925 – 5 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war Western classical music. Born in Mont ...

György Ligeti György Sándor Ligeti (; ; 28 May 1923 – 12 June 2006) was a Hungarian-Austrian composer of contemporary classical music. He has been described as "one of the most important avant-garde composers in the latter half of the twentieth century" ...

Bruno Maderna Bruno Maderna (21 April 1920 – 13 November 1973) was an Italian conductor and composer. Life Maderna was born Bruno Grossato in Venice but later decided to take the name of his mother, Caterina Carolina Maderna.Interview with Maderna‘s th ...

and

Karlheinz Stockhausen Karlheinz Stockhausen (; 22 August 1928 – 5 December 2007) was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. He is known for his groun ...

. In Paris, he studied with

and Maurice Ohana. His participation at the Darmstädter Ferienkurse in 1959 led to the performance of some of his works under

Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 1925 – 5 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war Western classical music. Born in Mon ...

and Maderna. De Pablo and

are regarded as key members of a group called

, formed by young composers at the time they finished their studies, with a mission to connect music in Spain to musical developments in Europe after the Civil War. De Pablo adapted

atonalism Atonality in its broadest sense is music that lacks a tonal center, or key. ''Atonality'', in this sense, usually describes compositions written from about the early 20th-century to the present day, where a hierarchy of harmonies focusing on a ...

serialism In music, serialism is a method of Musical composition, composition using series of pitches, rhythms, dynamics, timbres or other elements of music, musical elements. Serialism began primarily with Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique, thou ...

, aleatory forms, use of

electronics The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...

and graphic notation. In 1958, he co-founded the group Grupo Nueva Musica, and in 1959, Tiempo y Musica. He organised several contemporary music concert series, for example the Forum Musical and Bienal de Música Contemporánea de Madrid. He was particularly concerned with promoting appreciation in Spain of the

, publishing translations of

's biography of

in 1961, and texts by

in 1963. In 1965, he founded the first studio for electronic music in Spain, with the group Alea. He founded a festival, ''Rencontres de Pampelune'', for music, theatre, film and the arts in 1972. He was accused of giving too much prominence to "left-wing art" by the

Franco regime Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Spai ...

, but also of being a supporter of that regime by

ETA Eta (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἦτα ''ē̂ta'' or ell, ήτα ''ita'' ) is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the close front unrounded vowel . Originally denoting the voiceless glottal fricative in most dialects, ...

. When one of the festival's patrons was kidnapped by ETA, the event was cancelled, and De Pablo went into exile in the U.S. and Canada, returning only after Franco's death. Luis de Pablo en Madrid 5mr14

De Pablo composed film scores, collaborating with directors such as

Víctor Erice Víctor Erice Aras (; born 30 June 1940) is a Spanish film director. He is best known for his two feature fiction films, ''The Spirit of the Beehive'' (1973), which many regard as one of the greatest Spanish films ever made, and '' El Sur'' (1983 ...

(''

'') and

Carlos Saura Carlos Saura Atarés (born 4 January 1932) is a Spanish film director, photographer and writer. Along with Luis Buñuel and Pedro Almodóvar, he is considered to be one of Spain’s most renowned filmmakers. He has a long and prolific career th ...

('' The Hunt''). His opera ''Kiu'' is based on

Alfonso Vallejo Alfonso Rodríguez Vallejo (19 August 1943 – 3 December 2021) was a Spanish playwright, poet, Painting, painter and neurologist. He had published 34 plays and 25 poetry books. Vallejo was awarded the Lope de Vega prize in 1976 for his play "E ...

's farce ''Zero Temperature''. The world premiere of his opera ''La señorita Cristina'' (Miss Cristina), based on a novel by

Mircea Eliade Mircea Eliade (; – April 22, 1986) was a Romanians, Romanian History of religion, historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. He was a leading interpreter of religious experience, who establ ...

, with a stage design by José Hernández, took place in 2001 at the

Teatro Real The Teatro Real (Royal Theatre) is an opera house in Madrid, Spain. Located at the Plaza de Oriente, opposite the Royal Palace of Madrid, Royal Palace, and known colloquially as ''El Real'', it is considered the top institution of the performing a ...

in Madrid. De Pablo began teaching at the

Madrid Conservatory The Madrid Royal Conservatory ( es, Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid) is a music college in Madrid, Spain. History The Royal Conservatory of Music was founded on July 15, 1830, by royal decree, and was originally located in Mosten ...

in 1971. In exile, he lectured at the

University of Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 18 ...

, and later at the

University of Ottawa The University of Ottawa (french: Université d'Ottawa), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ottawa ...

and the

University of Montreal A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

. He resumed teaching in Spain upon his return. De Pablo was awarded Spain's

for composition in 1991, among many other awards. De Pablo died in Madrid on 10 October 2021, aged 91.

Compositions

Luis de Pablo Costales has more than 143 works among which are: * 1953 – ''Gárgolas'' * 1954 – ''Coral eucarístico'' * 1954 – ''Sinfonías'' * 1954–66 – ''Sinfonías'' * 1955 – ''Invenciones'' * 1956 – ''Concierto para clavicémbalo'' * 1956 – ''Misa Pax humilium,'' * 1956 – ''Elegía'' * 1956 – ''Tres Piezas para guitarra'' * 1956 – ''Comentarios a dos'' * 1957 – ''Móvil I'' * 1957 – ''Cinco Invenciones'' * 1958 – ''Sonata para piano'' * 1958 – ''Cuarteto nº 1'' * 1959 – ''Progressus'' * 1959–67 – ''Móvil II'' * 1960 – ''Radial'' * 1961 – ''Glosa'' * 1961–62 – ''Polar'' * 1961–62 – ''Libro para el pianista'' * 1962 – ''Condicionado'' * 1962 – ''Prosodia'' * 1962–63 – ''Tombeau'' * 1963 – ''Recíproco'' * 1963 – ''Cesuras'' * 1964 – ''Escena'' * 1964–65 – ''Módulos I'' * 1965 – ''Ein Wort'' * 1965 – ''Mitología I'' * 1965–67 – ''Módulos IV'' * 1965–66 – ''Iniciativas'' * 1966 – ''Módulos II'' * 1967 – ''Imaginario I'' * 1967 – ''Módulos III'' * 1967 – ''Imaginario II'' * 1967 – ''Módulos V'' * 1968 – ''Protocolo'' * 1968 – ''Paráfrasis'' * 1969 – ''Cuatro Invenciones'' * 1969 – ''Quasi une fantasia'' * 1969 – ''Por diversos motivos'' Chamber music * ''Anatomías'' for viola solo, two clarinets, horn, trombone and harp (2005–2007) * ''Ex voto'' for violin and viola (1995) * ''Monólogo'' for viola solo (1990–1992) ' Choral music * ''Yo Lo Vi'' for 12 voices (1970) * ''Passio'' (2006) Orchestral music * ''Las Orillas'' (1990) Operas * ''Kiu'' (1983) * ''El viajero indiscreto'' (1990) * ''La señorita Cristina'' (2000) Film music * ''

La Caza ''The Hunt'' (in Spanish ''La Caza'') is a 1966 Spanish film directed by Carlos Saura. The film is a psychological thriller about three veterans of the Spanish Civil War who meet to go rabbit hunting. It was Saura's first international success, wi ...

'' (''The Hunt''), Carlos Saura (1966) * '' El jardín de las delicias'' (''The Garden of Delights''), Carlos Saura (1970) * ''

El Espíritu de la Colmena ''The Spirit of the Beehive'' (Spanish: ''El espíritu de la colmena'') is a 1973 Spanish drama film directed by Víctor Erice. The film was Erice's debut and is considered a masterpiece of Spanish cinema. The film focuses on a young girl named ...

'' (''The Spirit of the Beehive''), Victor Erice (1973)

Recordings

Recordings by de Pablo include: * ''Libro de imágenes, Segunda Lectura, Metáforas''. Stradivarius * ''Senderos del aire'' and works for flute. Col Legno * ''Dibujos'', fragments from ''Kiu'', Chamber Concerto et al. ADDA * ''Tarde de Poetas''. Harmonia Mundi * Piano Trio. Ermitage ERM 413 * ''Visto de Cerca, para 3 músicos y cinta; Chaman, obra electronica''. Hispavox LP (30) 130 202 * ''Al Son que Tocan, Homenaje an Antonio Machado''. RCA LP SRL2-2444

Writings

* ''Aproximación a una estética de la música contemporánea'', in: ''Los complementarios'', ''Editorial Ciencia Nueva'', 1968 * ''Lo que sabemos de música'', ''Gregorio del Toro'', 1968Bibliografia de Luis de Pablo
(in Spanish) cervantes.es 2015

Awards

De Pablo received awards including: * Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts (1986) *

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...

(1986) *

(1991) * Madrid Region Culture Award (2001) * Guerrero Foundation Music Prize (2004) * Gold Medal of

Círculo de Bellas Artes The Círculo de Bellas Artes is a private, non-profit, cultural organization that was founded in 1880. Its building, located in Madrid, Spain, was declared ''Bien de Interés Cultural'' in 1981. The CBA is a major multidisciplinary centre with one ...

(2005) * (2009) * Golden Lion at the

Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...

(2020) * Prix Honegger de la Fondation de France * Prix de Composition Musicale de la Fondation Prince Pierre de Monaco * Prix de la Fondation Jacinto Guerrero

References

Notes

Cited sources

* * * * * * * *

External links

* *
Luis de Pablo Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2020) {{DEFAULTSORT:Pablo, Luis de 1930 births 2021 deaths Madrid Royal Conservatory alumni Male film score composers People from Bilbao Spanish classical composers Spanish exiles Spanish film score composers Spanish male classical composers