Manuel de Falla

Lore & Background

Falla was born Manuel María de los Dolores Falla y Matheu in Cádiz. He studied piano with José Tragó and composition with Felip Pedrell in Madrid. In 1899 he won first prize in a piano competition and began using 'de' in his name. His early works included zarzuelas and chamber pieces. In 1905 his one-act opera La vida breve won a prize but was not staged until 1913 in Nice. His remains were returned to Spain in 1947 and entombed in Cádiz Cathedral.

Reader's Guide

Manuel de Falla is regarded as one of Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20th century, with a claim to being its greatest 20th-century composer despite a modest output. His music is strongly influenced by Andalusian flamenco, particularly cante jondo, which he studied under Felip Pedrell. His mature works, such as the ballet El amor brujo and the orchestral piece Noches en los jardines de España, blend Spanish folk elements with modernist techniques learned in Paris. Later works like El retablo de maese Pedro and the Harpsichord Concerto show a turn toward Stravinskian neoclassicism. Falla never married and had no children. His home in Granada is preserved as a biographical museum, and the Auditorio Manuel de Falla was built in the 1970s. His legacy includes the Manuel de Falla Chair of Music at Complutense University of Madrid.

Did You Know?

• Falla won first prize in a piano competition in 1899 by unanimous vote.
• He began using 'de' in his name in 1899; when only the surname is used, the 'de' is omitted.
• His puppet opera El retablo de maese Pedro marked the first time he included the harpsichord in his orchestra.
• He refused a large pension from Franco's government to return to Spain.