HIGH FIDELITY DISCOGRAPHY No. 34

A Selective Discography of Manuel de Falla

by ROBERT CHARLES MARSH

Manuel de Falla was a perfectionist. What he feared was not that he would fail to write enough music to insure his reputation but that he uould allow himself to publish a composition he would later regard as below his standards of excellence. Such an attitude does not make for a prolific output. All of Falla's mature works could be issued on about eight long -play records. What is important about Falla is not the volume of his scores but the artistry they represent. His is not that of an unsophisticated painter of exotic tiens, for his vision and technique received their final polish during seven years in Paris. Yet Falla's Spain is in many ways the purest, the truest given us in music. Spurning local color and the clichés of national style, he takes us at once to the Iberian essence.- The discography that follows is selective in that it discusses, for the most part, only records of particular interest or merit currently avail- able, rather than giving a comprehensive view of the recording history of the .

OPERAS stature once acknowledged, to find a stag- required it is completely secure. Halfter Falla wrote five works in operatic form. ing. Submitted in 1909 in a competition conducts an excellent orchestra; the many The first, a entitled Los Amores held by the Madrid Academy of Fine Arts, choral passages are beautifully sung; and it promptly de la Ines, was produced in 1902 and won first prize - and then its central role is exquisitely projected by failed rather spectacularly. La Casa de just as promptly sank into oblivion. When the sensitive artistry of Victoria de los Falla tócame Roque might have had a greater left for Paris in 1907, the score was Angeles. success, but Falla did not permit its pro- still unperformed and seemed likely to Anyone who enjoys ought to find duction. His fourth opera, Fuego Fatuo, remain so indefinitely. Fame came to the the personal discovery of based on music of Chopin, was unpublished composer in Paris through his Four Spanish most rewarding. Pieces; and remains unperformed. His third and his circle of friends widened into - Victoria de los Angeles (s); Rosario the fifth operatic scores, La rida breve and most influential groups in the French Gomez (ms); Pablo Civil (t); Emilio El capital; but La rida breve remained retablo de Maese Pedro, are usually in Payá (b) ; and others. Capilla Clásica wraps. Finally in 191 3 regarded as the whole of his output in - eight years after Polifúnica and Orquesta Sinfonica de la that medium. it had been heralded as the "best de Barcelona, Ernesto Halfter cond. lyric drama" - it was produced at Nice. Two 12 -in. RCA VICTOR LM 6017 (with Later that year it was heard in LA VIDA BREVE [Life is Short) Paris. Even recital of Spanish songs). 57.96. so its place in the repertory has been Bearing this for the first time, one is likely insecure. The RCA Victor recording - to exclaim: "But EL RETABLO DE MAESE PEDRO why is this never per- made by HMV in Barcelona - is the first [Master formed?" The first one to ask that question, of its complete score. Peter's Puppet Show] I have no doubt, was the composer. No The cast is not all up to the same level, Best characterized as "a chamber opera," fine score ever had to wait longer, its but it is capable, and where strength is this short work in one act is a dramatic

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