''No-res, a Symphonic Tragedy in Two Parts'' (

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

: Nothing, una tragèdia simfònica en dues parts), also known as ''No-res, an Agnostic Requiem'' (Catalan: ''Nothing, un rèquiem agnòstic'') is a

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning of ...

for

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

, narrator and

magnetic tape Magnetic tape is a medium for magnetic storage made of a thin, magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip of plastic film. It was developed in Germany in 1928, based on the earlier magnetic wire recording from Denmark. Devices that use magne ...

by Barcelonan composer

Leonardo Balada Leonardo Balada Ibáñez (born September 22, 1933) is a Catalan American classical composer, who is noted for his operas and orchestral works. Life Balada was born in Barcelona, Spain. After studying piano at the Conservatori Superior de Mús ...

. This work was finished on 1974 and represents a soundscape in which the composer recreates the relationship between himself and his mother when the latter was dying, to whom the work is dedicated. The lyrics were written exclusively for this composition by French poet Jean Paris. This is one of the most relevant works from the avant-garde period of Balada. This work was premiered on 1997 in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

by the

Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra The Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and National Orchestra of Catalonia ( ca, Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya, OBC; ) is a symphony orchestra based in Barcelona, Spain. Since April 1999, the Orchestra has had its headquart ...

, together with the Coro Nacional de España, and conducted by Lawrence Foster.

Structure

This work is written in two parts, which represent the only two movements of this piece. A typical performance of this work should last for about 40 minutes. * Part I * Part II In the first movement, the narrator describes

death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

, not only from its tragic side, but also from a metaphysical point of view. The text contains quotes by many authors around the world, in different languages, such as Catalan, Spanish,

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, and Italian, with the purpose of stating that death is universal. At the very beginning of the first part, the composer uses the tape of a

wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...

howling, while the choir tries to imitate its sound. All along the first movement, the author creates a mixture between tonal fragments and atonal fragments, with the intention of representing death in its bleakest aspect, that is to say, death is unavoidable, and there is no hope for us to dodge it. Then he randomly plays sounds of smashing glass, trees swaying and other types of sounds made by animals. According to Balada: "un sinnúmero de animales contribuyen con sus ruidos innatos a la sensación de absurdidad que es el fatal curso de nuestra existencia" (a great number of animals contribute with their innate sounds to the sensation of absurdity that is the fatal course of our existence). Towards the end of the first part, everybody on the stage should remain still, which symbolizes the end in all of its dimensions. The second part of this piece is entirely written by Paris in English, though it is indicated that the text should be translated to the native language of the place where this piece is going to be played. In general terms, the same techniques are used, although the temperament of this movement is much more defiant and bright. The composer tries to represent the everlasting struggle against the undeniable truth, as well as he questions the existence of God or the fairness thereof.

References

{{Leonardo Balada Compositions by Leonardo Balada 1974 compositions Compositions with a narrator Cantatas Contemporary classical compositions