10 Questions
Where was Manuel de Falla born?
Cádiz
Who was Manuel de Falla's first teacher?
His mother
What did Falla prefer, composition or writing?
Composition
What was Falla's opinion of zarzuela?
He disliked it
Which of Falla's works was turned into a ballet by Diaghilev and Picasso?
El sombrero de tres picos
Who did Falla become friends with in Granada?
Federico García Lorca
What did Falla refuse from Franco?
An offer to be the director of the Instituto de España
Where did Falla go into exile after the Spanish Civil War?
Argentina
What is Falla known for in terms of his musical style?
Spanish nationalist
What was Falla's most important work?
Atlántida
Study Notes
- Manuel de Falla was born in Cádiz and died in Alta Gracia, Argentina at the age of 69.
- His father was a Valencian who inherited shares in the Bank of Cádiz, and his mother was a Catalan piano player who was his first teacher.
- Falla was raised by Ana "la Morilla" who exposed him to songs, dances, and stories.
- Falla preferred composition over writing and studied at the Conservatory in Madrid, finishing in 1899 with a first prize for piano.
- Falla disliked zarzuela, a popular form of musical theater in Madrid, and composed only one moderately successful zarzuela called "Los amores de la Inés".
- Falla was a hypochondriac and had several manias, including a dislike of dust, wind, and flies, and an obsession with hygiene and the number seven.
- Falla composed his opera La vida breve at the age of 28, inspired by Granada, which he had not yet visited.
- Falla premiered El amor brujo in 1915 and El sombrero de tres picos in 1919, which was turned into a ballet by Diaghilev and Picasso.
- Falla moved to Granada in 1921 and became friends with Federico García Lorca, trying to recover the primitive Andalusian singing in his work.
- Falla refused an offer from Franco to be the director of the Instituto de España and considered exile due to increasing nervous breakdowns and the assassination of Lorca.
- Manuel de Falla was a Spanish composer.
- He went into exile in Argentina with his sister after the Spanish Civil War.
- He lived in poor health at the age of 65.
- He died of a heart attack at the age of 70.
- He is considered a non-conformist and perfectionist composer.
- He is known for his Spanish nationalist style.
- He was part of the homage to Góngora in 1927.
- His most important work was the cantata Atlántida.
- He spent the last 20 years of his life composing and retouching it.
- He died before finishing it, and his pupil Ernesto Halffter finished it.
Test your knowledge on the life and work of Manuel de Falla, the Spanish nationalist composer known for his perfectionism and non-conformist style. Learn about his upbringing, education, and career, including his most famous works such as La vida breve, El amor brujo, and El sombrero de tres picos. Discover his manias and obsessions, and his friendship with Federico García Lorca. See if you know about his refusal to work for Franco and his eventual exile to Argentina
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