Nights
in the Gardens of Spain and The Three-Cornered Hat
Beginning in the waning years of the 19th century, Spanish composers turned to the rich tradition of Spanish
folk music for materials and inspiration, and in doing so imbued their compositions with a colorful national character. The
most brilliant of those composers was Manuel de Falla. Fusing the rhythms and melodic traits of Spanish folk music with a
modern palette of harmonies and instrumentation, Falla created music with the sophistication of Debussy, Ravel, or Stravinsky,
but audibly rooted in the folkloric soil of Spain. It is music that blends bright energy and languorous sensuality, strong
rhythms and deep lyricism, qualities that have always been part of the mysterious Spanish soul.
