Amando Blanquer Ponsoda (Composer)

Born: February 5, 1935 – Alcoy, Spain
Died: July 7, 2005 - Valencia, Spain

The Spanish composer and music pedagogue, Amando Blanquer Ponsoda, was born into a poor family. As a child he suffered a long illness linked to the hardships of war and its aftermath made him an introvert who channeled his hobbies of reading and music. He was part of the Banda Primitiva de Alcoy and horn player. His musical talents attracted the attention of various private and institutional benefactors who helped him in his career. He studied at the Conservatorio de Valencia with Miquel Asins Arbó and Manuel Palau. His first work was released is the Suite Blanca (White Suite), 1956. He then moved to Paris, where he studied with Olivier Messiaen. He also studied in Rome with Goffredo Petrassi.

Amando Blanquer Ponsoda devoted himself to teaching at the Conservatorio de Valencia, where he held the chairs of counterpoint and composition (music) and management (1971-1976). He had also noteworthy contribution in the area of the bands.

Devotion to the wind ensembles is evident in his work, leaving a number of compositions for both band and smaller ensembles of wind instruments. His work encompasses all genres and has received a significant spread in both the Valencia and the rest of Spain and other countries.

Among other awards Amando Blanquer Ponsoda received the Distinction of the Generalitat Valenciana Cultural Merit, the Medal of Fine Arts and the National Music Award, and the International Award for Unicef. After his death one of the recent awards was the Medal of the Polytechnic University of Valencia.

Works

Orchestra:
Concert de cambra, for chamber orchestra (1974)
Homenaje a Juan Ramón Jiménez, for guitar and orchestra (1975)
Breves reencuentros, for two flutes and string orchestra (1991)
Concerto for 4 trumpets & orchestra (1991)
Ausiàs March en Concert
Concerto for bassoon and orchestra
Concerto for horn and orchestra
Sinfonietta
Oda a Manuel de Falla, for string orchestra, a key (or piano) and percussion
Tríptic Orquestral: Preludi, Coral, Toccata

Band:
Al·leluia, Marcha Cristiana (1958)
Salm, Marcha Cristiana (1962)
Tres Dances Valencianes: Dansa Característica, Ball de Vellas, Jota (1962)
Concert para banda: Allegro, Adagio - Andante- Adagio, Tempo de Marcia (1973)
Iridiscencias Sinfónicas: Hoqueto: Allegro non tanto: Allegretto grazioso - Allegro vivace, Intermedio, Ricercar: Moderato - Allegretto grazioso (1985)
La Romana (1990)
Gloses II: Moderato, Mosso, Moderato, Mosso, con certo vivacita, Allegro jubiloso (1991)
Tarde de Abril - Abencerrajes, Marcha Mora (2000)
Entornos - Sinfonía para instrumentos de viento: Allegro Grazioso, Lento, Fanfarria y Coral (2001)
Rituals i Dances d´Algemesí, suite simfónica para banda (2003)
Aguiles i Cadenes, Marcha Cristiana, Any d'alferis, Marcha Mora
Elda, Marcha Mora
El petit Adolfín Bernabéu, pasodoble
El Somni, Marcha Mora
Invencions per a banda
Julio Pastor
La Torre és Cristiana
La Torre és Mora
L'Ambaixador, Marcha Mora
Les noces de llibertat
Maria Rosa, pasodoble
Marxa del centenari
Moment de Festa
Musical Apolo, pasodoble
Paco Verdú, Marcha Mora
Tino Herrera, Marcha Cristiana
Tríptic per a Banda

Vocal:
Ariettas becquerianas, for soprano and piano - text: Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer (1994)
Canciones Marineras, for singer & piano - text: Rafael Alberti (1996)
Impromptus a María Luisa, for soprano and orchestra - Text: Adrián Miró (1995)
L´Infant de les quatre estacions, for singer & piano - text: Maria Beneyto

Choral:
Tres Cançons Sentimentals, - texto: Joan Valls Jordà (1975)
Tonada de joventut
Cançoneta del foc secret
La viudeta
A Betlem m’en vaig
Airecillos de Belén
Exultate Deo, for chorus and organ
Tríptic Nadalenc

Cantatas:
Quasi oliva speciosa, cantata a la Mare de Déu de l'Olivar, d'Alaquàs, for chorus and orchestra – text: Antoni Ferrer i Perales|

Theatre:
Tríptic de Tirant lo Blanc, scenic cantata (1990)
El triomf de Tirant, opera, 2 acts- libretto: Josep Lluís Sirera y Rodolf Sirera sobre "Tirant lo Blanc", de Joanot Martorell y Martí Joan de Galba, premiered in Valencia (1992)

Chamber:
Sonatina, for violin and piano (1970)
Divertimento Giocoso, for wind quintet: Serenade, Intermezzo, Burlesque, Round (1972)
Cuaderno de Monóvar, for string quartet (1973)
Fantasía, for guitar, violin and piano: Exaltación (1976)
Sonatina Jovenívola, for flute and piano (also for saxophone and piano) (1976)
Suite Litúrgica, for wind and percussion (1979)
Epifonias, seven pieces for flute and piano (1985)
L'ós hispànic, for double bass and piano (also for tuba and piano) (1990)
Tema i Variacions, for wind quintet (1994)
Celístia, for violin, cello and piano (2000)
Tres Peces Breus, for flute, clarinet and bassoon: Rondino, Cantinela, Marxa, Abracadabra (1979)
Breves Reencuentros, for two flutes
Breves Reencuentros, for string quintet
Dédalo, for clarinet and piano
Homenatge a Béla Bartók
Improvisación en trío, for violin, trumpet and piano
Ofrena a Petrassi
Peces heràldiques, for two horns and piano
Sonata for cello & piano
Sonata for horn & piano
Tres Interludis, for three horns

Piano:
Piezas Breves (1960)
Variaciones for piano (1963)
Quatre preludis for piano (1975)
Homenajes (1984)
Una página para Rubinstein (1987)
Sonatina Naïf

Guitar:
Homenaje a Johann Sebastian Bach, preludio y fuga sobre B-A-C-H (1989)
Sonatina
Suite Galaica

Source: Spanish Wikipedia Website (May 2010), English translation by Aryeh Oron (August 2011)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (August 2011)

Amando Blanquer Ponsoda: Short Biography | Arrangements/Transcriptions: Works | Recordings

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