Manuel de Falla y Matheu
- Born:
- November 23, 1876, Cádiz, Spain
- Died:
- November 14, 1946, Alta Gracia, Argentina
- Nationality:
- Spanish
- Profession(s):
- Composer, Pianist
Early Life and Education
- Born Manuel María de los Dolores Falla y Matheu in Cádiz.
- Early musical instruction from his mother and grandmother.
- Began piano lessons at age nine.
- Studied piano with José Tragó and composition with Felipe Pedrell at the Madrid Royal Conservatory.
Career and Major Achievements
- Early works influenced by Spanish folklore and nationalism.
- Won a prize from the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando for his opera La vida breve (1913).
- Moved to Paris (1907-1914), where he met and was influenced by composers such as Debussy, Ravel, and Dukas.
- Returned to Spain during World War I and developed a more refined and neo-classical style.
- Commissioned to write the ballet El amor brujo (1915).
- Composed El sombrero de tres picos (The Three-Cornered Hat) for Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes (1919).
- Left Spain in 1939 following the Spanish Civil War and moved to Argentina.
Notable Works
- La vida breve (Opera, 1913)
- El amor brujo (Ballet, 1915)
- El sombrero de tres picos (Ballet, 1919)
- Noches en los jardines de España (Symphonic Impressions for Piano and Orchestra, 1915)
- Concerto for Harpsichord, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Violin and Cello (1926)
- Psyché (1924)
- Siete canciones populares españolas (Seven Spanish Folksongs)
Legacy and Impact
Manuel de Falla is considered Spain's most important composer of the 20th century. He successfully blended Spanish folk music elements with sophisticated compositional techniques, creating a uniquely nationalistic yet universally appealing style. His influence on subsequent generations of composers is undeniable. Any serious study focusing on the great Spanish composers will inevitably cover a manuel de falla biography sampler to understand his life, work, and lasting impact.