Manuel de Falla y Matheu (23 November 1876 – 14 November 1946) was a distinguished Spanish composer and one of the most important musicians of the first half of the 20th century. Born in Cádiz, Spain, Falla studied music in Madrid and developed a style influenced by native Andalusian music, which included flamenco, as well as impressionist influences gleaned during his time in Paris (1907–1914), where he was friends with composers like Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.

Falla's music is imbued with the spirit of Spanish folk traditions blended with a modern, sophisticated harmonic language. His defining works include the ballet scores "El amor brujo" (Love, the Magician) with its famous "Ritual Fire Dance," and "El sombrero de tres picos" (The Three-Cornered Hat), as well as the opera "La vida breve" (Life is Short) and the harpsichord concerto. After the Spanish Civil War, he settled in Argentina, where he spent the remainder of his life. There he continued to compose, though his output slowed, potentially due to health concerns and a shift in focus towards research on the music of his homeland. Falla's work has continued to be celebrated and valued for its evocative synthesis of the traditional and the innovative, securing his legacy as a key figure in the national musical identity of Spain.

Genres

Classical

Early Modern Classical

Impressionism

Neoclassicism

Post-romantic Era

Spanish Classical

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Latest Release

The Violin Master

César Franck•

Dmitri Shostakovich•

Franz Schubert•

Giuseppe Tartini•

Johannes Brahms•

Ludwig van Beethoven•

Manuel de Falla•

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky•

Sergei Prokofiev•

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Album - 30 Tracks - Released September 16, 2024