Spanish Dance No. 1 La Vida Breve

Manuel de Falla's Spanish Dance from the opera "La Vida Breve" always has captivated musicians all over the world. It has been arranged for solo guitar, guitar duo, solo piano, piano duo, and violin and piano. The opera was a turning point for classical music in Spain; for the first time, Falla sought to bring elements of Spanish folk music, flamenco, and especially the gypsy 'cante jondo', or 'deep song', to the classical stage. "La Vida Breve" won first prize in a competition for Spanish opera sponsored by the Royal Academy in 1905.

In this arrangement guitar and piano are not "ranked" as soloist and accompanist. Both instruments are interwoven, just as in flamenco, where the singer, dancer, and guitarist interact in passionate expression.

The piano part took an arrangement for solo piano as its starting point. Harmonies and textures were expanded to provide more colorful instrumentation. Idiomatic chord voicings and guitar techniques from the world of flamenco were also added to the guitar part.

SPACE