Manuel de Falla

Manuel de Falla (1876–1946) was the greatest Spanish composer of the twentieth century, the figure who brought Spanish music to the centre of the European stage. Born in Cádiz, he spent formative years in Paris (where he absorbed the influence of Debussy, Ravel and Dukas) before returning to Spain and forging a style that fused the idioms of Spanish folk and flamenco music (Andalusian song, guitar figuration, dance rhythms) with the refinement and brilliant orchestration of the French school. His masterpieces include the ballets El amor brujo and The Three-Cornered Hat, the symphonic impressions Nights in the Gardens of Spain, and the puppet opera Master Peter’s Puppet Show. A meticulous perfectionist who left a relatively small output, he distilled the essence of Spain into music of extraordinary colour, rhythm and atmosphere. He died in exile in Argentina after the Spanish Civil War.