Album insights
Manuel de Falla was born in 1876 in Cadiz, into a wealthy family with a rich musical heritage. The music scene in Cadiz centered around Haydn’s The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross, occasional opera troupes, and folk songs that were an integral part of Spanish daily life. By 1896, the family's fortune had diminished, leading them to move to Madrid. It was there that de Falla attended the conservatory, delving into composing Zarzuelas, which are a Spanish form of operetta. His ambitions were set on Paris, a goal he pursued in 1907, where he forged friendships with Debussy, Ravel, and Dukas.
He had already begun his Cuatro piezas españolas in Madrid, later published by Durand in Paris in 1909 with recommendations from the aforementioned composers. While influenced by Albéniz, de Falla's pieces enthrall listeners with a blend of unique harmonies and elegant counterpoints, avoiding the potential monotony typical of constant Spanish dance rhythms. His melodies, echoing Spanish folk music, feature tone repetitions and close intervals, yet his composition remains more concise than Albéniz’s.
In 1904/05, de Falla created the opera La vida breve, premiering in 1913 with two Spanish dances that were to take on a life of their own. Returning to Madrid just before the war in 1914, he presented the first version of his "gypsy opera" El amor brujo in 1915, with a revised ballet version following a year later. This work portrays the story of a young gypsy, Candela, haunted by her former lover's spirit, disrupting her newfound romantic interest. The ballet suite rearranges the sequences, highlighting the ghost's diminishing power through various musical expressions.
De Falla's Fantasia Baetica, composed in 1919 for Artur Rubinstein, pays homage to Andalusia through guitar figurations adapted to the piano. This piece embodies the essence of Spanish culture, merging Flamenco vocal lines with Andalusian dance gestures, creating a powerful musical portrait. Notably, de Falla emphasized the "inner rhythm" and described harmony as arising from a dynamic equilibrium among its sections. Any attempt to shorten it, as Rubinstein initially desired, would compromise its impact.
In 1920, de Falla relocated to Granada, where the publication Revue musicale commissioned him, along with other composers, to create pieces in honor of Debussy. His composition, Homenaje, reveals influences from Debussy’s works, showcasing a contemplative guitar piece later transcribed for piano. Exploring various cultures and musical traditions during his Paris years, de Falla incorporated these experiences in his compositions, evident in pieces like Canto de los remeros del Volga.
Having met Impresario Sergei Diaghilev during his Parisian period, de Falla engaged in creating music for the productions of Ballets Russes. Initially considering adapting Nights in the Gardens of Spain into a ballet, he ultimately focused on El sombrero de tres picos, which premiered in London in 1919. This ballet revolves around a humorous tale involving an old judge, a miller's wife, and a prank with a distinctive hat, ending in a playful resolution.