Jesús Bal y Gay facts for kids

Jesús Bal y Gay (born June 23, 1905 – died March 3, 1993) was a talented Spanish musician. He was a composer, someone who writes music. He was also a music critic, meaning he wrote reviews about music. And he was a musicologist, a person who studies music history and theory.

He was part of two important groups of artists in Spain. One was called the Generation of '27. The other was the Group of Eight. This second group included other famous composers like Julián Bautista and the brothers Ernesto Halffter and Rodolfo. Other members were Juan José Mantecón, Fernando Remacha, Rosa García Ascot, Salvador Bacarisse, and Gustavo Pittaluga. Jesús Bal y Gay married Rosa García Ascot in 1933.

Early Life and Music Journey

Jesús Bal y Gay was born in Lugo, a city in Spain. This is where he first started learning about music. In Lugo, he connected with a group that published a magazine called Ronsel. He wrote an article for them in 1924 called Hacia el ballet gallego. This article was about creating Galician ballet. It was his first step into a professional writing career.

He later moved to Santiago de Compostela to study medicine. However, he decided to leave his medical studies. Instead, he moved to Madrid in 1924. There, he joined a special place called the Residencia de Estudiantes. This was a famous student residence where many important artists and thinkers lived and worked.

His Most Famous Work

Jesús Bal y Gay worked on a very big project with Eduardo Martinez Torner. This project was called the Galician Songbook. It took many trips and a lot of time to complete. He finally finished this important work in 1974. The Galician Songbook became his most well-known and celebrated creation.

Jesús Bal y Gay passed away in Torrelaguna, Spain.