The Essential Falla - Premium Quality for Everyday Use | Perfect for Home, Office & Travel Accessories

The two CD's of this collection contain some of the better known music by Manuel de Falla (1876-1946), one of the most prominent composers of the 19th century Spanish Renaissance.The works, nine altogether, belong in the classical repertoire. But they are unlike most traditional classical compositions. Although conveyed through the sophisticated sounds of the concert hall, this music is different in that: (1) it is expressed in the Phrygian mode, the sad and somber minor key preferred by many Spanish composers (rather than in the Ionic and Aeolian modes more commonly used in the Western world); and (2) it is often conveyed through typically Spanish instruments such as guitars, castanets and tambourines.These works could be described as classical music used to express the traditions and customs of the Spanish population.The pieces - most of them played in their entirety - are:- La Vida Breve. (1904-1905). Opera in two acts and 4 scenes. "Interludio y Danza" only. Seldom performed in its entirety, this opera is better known for its orchestral sections and particularly for the Interlude and Dance included in the CD. Approximately 7 minutes long. - 4 Piezas Españolas. (1906-1909). Four among the few works that Falla wrote for piano only. When listening to the pieces, titled "Aragonesa," "Cubana," "Montañesa," and "Andaluza", the development of the composer's music is recognizable, as it changes from Romantic tonality to the modalities of Spanish folk sounds. Approximately 16 minutes long.- 7 Canciones Populares Españolas. (1914 - 1915). Based on originals from Murcia, Asturias, Aragon and Andalusia, and delivered by soprano Marylin Horne with piano accompaniment, these songs are a good example of the above mentioned Spanish popular style transformed into concert hall material Approximately 14 minutes long.- El amor Brujo. (1914 - 1916). Symphonic suite/ballet. Distinctively Andalusian in character with the songs delivered in the dialect of the Gypsies by mezzo-soprano Nati Mistral with orchestral accompaniment. Included are the famous "Danza Ritual del Fuego", "Danza del Terror", and "La Cancion del Fuego Fatuo". Approximately 25 minutes long.- Noches en los Jardines de España. (1919). Three nocturnes for piano and orchestra, titled "En el Generalife", "Danza Lejana", and "En los Jardines de la Sierra de Córdoba". Evokes the atmosphere of Moorish Andalusia. Described by Falla himself as "symphonic impressions", this is the composer's most "impressionistic" music work. Approximately 25 minutes long.- El Sombrero de Tres Picos (1919) Ballet music after a novella by Pedro Alarcon, commissioned by famous choreographer Sergei Diaghilev. Version for large orchestra with two songs for soprano. Andalusian folk music. Approximately 38 minutes long.- Homenaje a "Le Tombeau de Claude Debussy". (1920). Composed two years after the French composer's death. Interestingly enough, Falla's only music piece written for the guitar - the most Spanish of musical instruments, in classical music. Approximately 3 minutes long.- Psyche'. (1925). A brief work for soprano and small orchestra (flute, harp, viola and cello). Described by the composer as "a suggestion of Baroque cantata". Falla's last major composition, unfortunately left unfinished. Approximately 6 minutes long.- Concierto para Clavecin (harpsichord) y Cinco Instrumentos. (1923 - 1926). A concert in three movements, this is Falla's masterwork of the postwar years. The full title stresses the equal importance of all playing instruments, that is the harpsichord, flute, harp, violin , viola and cello. Derived from the fusion together of different types of ancient Spanish music: courtly, religious and popular. The last of Falla's completed major works. Approximately 13 minutes long.The works are not in the chronological order used above, but - if played that way - the listener will recognize the development of Falla's style from:- Romantic - in La Vida Breve; to:- The "Cante Jondo", the Flamenco music and songs typical of Andalusia - with guitars, castanets, tambourines, in addition to the more traditional instruments of the symphony orchestra - in Cuatro Piezas Espanolas; then developing through:- Several forms of Popular Song and Dance from the different regions of Spain - in Siete Canciones Populares Espanolas and other works composed during the same period; to:- Baroque Sounding Music - in Psyche`; eventually to:- Religious and Mystical - in the Concierto para Clavecin y Cinco Instrumentos.The artists - major figures in Spanish, as well as world classical music - contribute to the high quality of the music. Among them are: Alicia de la Rocha (1923 - 2009), one of the great piano legends of the 20th century; soprano Marilyn Horne (1934 - ); classical guitarist Eduardo Fernandez (1952 -); and conductors Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos (1933- ), Charles Dutoit (1936-), and Simon Rattle (1955 -).The accompanying booklet includes - in addition to the usual comments on the composer and his works - the libretto in Spanish and English for the Siete Canciones, El Amor Brujo, and El Sombrero de Tres Picos; and the libretto in French and English for Psyche'.The price for the two CD's is more than right.A great buy!!!