Episodes
| Series | Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 01 | A Single Sheet Of Notepaper | 20141124 | Born on Cadiz in Andalucia in 1876, Manuel de Falla was a diffident and reserved figure. Over the course of his long life - seven decades - he composed relatively little: one of his biographers points out that the entire list of his compositions could be written on a single sheet of note paper. He reached his artistic maturity at the time of Spain's so-called 'Silver Age', with the emergence of Lorca, Bunuel, Miro and Dali, when artists were fully engaged in a debate over national identity. Manuel de Falla sustained this debate in his music and can be seen as the pre-eminent Spanish composer of the 20th Century. In this programme Donald Macleod explores Manuel de Falla's early work, until his departure for Paris in 1907. Donald Macleod explores Falla's early work, before his departure for Paris in 1907. | |
| 2014 | 02 | An Extension Of My Home Country | 20141125 | Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Spanish composer Manuel de Falla. In 1907 Falla moved to Paris, with a promise of a concert tour that in the end never materialised. He managed to gather together enough pupils to be able to afford stay on, and lived there for the next seven years. He said he found in Paris 'what became an extension of my home country.' It was in France that Falla's opera La Vida Breve first found success, after which it seems that he was intending to settle permanently in Paris. He hoped his parents and his sister would be able to join him: 'not in Paris but a healthy quiet village, cheerful and picturesque, within an hour of the Gare Saint-Lazare.' However, very soon afterwards he found Paris mobilising for WW1 and, in common with thousands of other foreigners, left the city, and he returned to neutral Spain. Donald Macleod focuses on Falla's move to Paris in 1907. | |
| 2014 | 03 | Battles With The Muscovite Theatre | 20141126 | Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Spanish composer Manuel de Falla. In later life Manuel de Falla made considerable efforts to distance himself from politics, but while World War One was raging, he put his name to a manifesto which had been prepared by the philosopher, Jose Ortega y Gasset. This document decried Spain's neutrality in the light of what it called Germany's 'fermenting of egotism, of domination and of shameless violence.' Spain's neutral position led a number of prominent artists to visit the country, including Diaghilev and his famous Ballet Russes company. Ever the shrewd businessman, Diaghilev realised that they could really ingratiate themselves with audiences in Spain if they gave them a Spanish ballet. Manuel de Falla was prompted to turn his pantomime The Magistrate and the Miller's Wife into the ballet The Three-Cornered Hat, staged with sets by Pablo Picasso. Donald Macleod continues an exploration of Falla's life and work. | |
| 2014 | 04 | Music Is A Thing Of Mystery | 20141127 | In the autumn of 1920, Manuel de Falla moved to Granada with his sister Maria del Carmen. The house in which they lived, from 1920-1939, in a little alley in the old Moorish quarter of Granada, overlooked by the Alhambra palace, is now the Manuel de Falla House-Museum. Living in Granada was the realisation of a dream for Falla. He now had a refuge from the public world of concert tours. He told one newspaperman: 'I am absolutely dedicated to music, and music must be lived, must be inside you; it must be formed naturally. Music is a thing of mystery!' Donald Macleod celebrates Falla's exploratory music from this settled period. Donald Macleod on Falla's exploratory music from a settled period between 1920 and 1939. | |
| 2014 | 05 LAST | A Deeper, More Noble Revolution? | 20141128 | Donald Macleod explores Manuel de Falla's final years. In the late spring of 1936, the newspaper El Sol informed its readers: 'Spain... exudes an atmosphere of civil war.' Manuel de Falla's position on the political tensions which were threatening to tear Spain apart was somewhat ambivalent. Both sides - the Republicans and the extreme Right Wing - tried to woo him to their cause. He didn't sign up with either but made this statement: 'The French Revolution was not fundamentally the work of writers and philosophers, but rather the result of the fact that Catholics had forgotten their principles of justice and love... which are essential to Christian belief... the only solution for this is not a conservative counter-revolution... but rather another deeper and more noble revolution, guided by the love of God.' His memories of the civil war seem to have left such deep scars that he no longer felt at home in Granada, and shortly after Franco's nationalists had ousted the government in Madrid, Falla and his sister left for Argentina, where he had accepted a conducting engagement from the Buenos Aires Cultural Institute. Donald Macleod focuses on Falla's final years and his move to Argentina. | |
| 2021 | 01 | New City, New Start | 20210712 | 20230612 (R3) | A diffident young man arrives in the culture capital of Europe, determined to meet his idols and take his place among them. Presented by Donald Macleod. Manuel de Falla was not well suited to the role of national musical icon. He was at his happiest, living a simple, monkish existence in his spartan Granada villa; fussing over his music in pleasant isolation or enjoying the company of a few close friends. He was generous but withdrawn, quietly and devotedly religious, and had a horror of being dragged into the violent political conflicts that wracked Spain during the first half of the 20th century. Falla's enormous talent and unique musical voice meant he was thrust into the very centre of cultural life, despite himself. He was compelled to navigate his way alongside some of music's most colourful and potent characters, and through momentous historical events. Today, we meet the young Falla just as he decides to abandon his home in Madrid and seek his fortune among the musical giants of Paris. La Vida breve (Intermezzo from Act 1) RTVE Symphony Chorus BBC Philharmonic; conducted by Juanjo Mena Allegro de concierto Miguel Baselga, piano Siete canciones populares espaကolas No 7 Polo Teresa Berganza, mezzo-soprano Juan Antonio @lvarez Parejo, piano La Vida Breve (Act 2) Nancy Fabiola Herrera, mezzo-soprano (Salud) Cristina Faus, mezzo-soprano (La Abuela) Aquiles Machado, tenor (Paco) Jos退 Antonio L pez, baritone (T퀀o Sarvaor) Raquel Lojendio, soprano (Carmela) Josep Miquel Ramon, baritone (Manuel) Sequndo Falc n, flamenco (El Cantaor) Gustavo Peကa, tenor (Una voz en la fraqua) Vicente Coves, guitar A young musician arrives in Paris in search of work and inspiration. With Donald Macleod. |
| 2021 | 02 | A Theatrical Threesome | 20210713 | 20230613 (R3) | Donald Macleod views Falla through the eyes of two theatrical collaborators and sees how working with the composer could be both hugely enriching and deeply frustrating. Manuel de Falla was not well suited to the role of national musical icon. He was at his happiest, living a simple, monkish existence in his spartan Granada villa; fussing over his music in pleasant isolation or enjoying the company of a few close friends. He was generous but withdrawn, quietly and devotedly religious, and had a horror of being dragged into the violent political conflicts that wracked Spain during the first half of the 20th century. Falla's enormous talent and unique musical voice meant he was thrust into the very centre of cultural life, despite himself. He was compelled to navigate his way alongside some of music's most colourful and potent characters, and through momentous historical events. Today, we follow Falla's fruitful partnership with Gregorio and Mar퀀a Mart퀀nez Sierra, the husband and wife team who helped the composer establish himself as a successful theatre composer and who got to know Falla as well as anyone in the years following the outbreak of World War I. El Amor Brujo: Ritual Fire Dance (arr. Falla for piano) Andor Foldes, piano El pan de Ronda que sabe a verdad Bernada Fink, soprano Anthony Spiri, piano Oraci n de las madres que tienen a sus hijos en brazos Merlyn Quaife, soprano Len Vorster, piano El corregidor y la molinera (extract) Orquestra de Cambra Teatre Lliure, conducted by Josep Pons El Amor Brujo (complete) Martha Senn, mezzo-soprano Sim n Bol퀀var Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela; conducted by Eduardo Mata Noches en los jardines des Espaကa, III. En los jardines de la Sierra de Cordoba Margrit Weber, piano Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Rafael Kubel퀀k Donald Macleod views Falla through the eyes of two of his early collaborators. |
| 2021 | 03 | Costumes And Castanets | 20210714 | 20230614 (R3) | Falla is delighted to welcome some old friends to his city, but struggles to keep up with the revelries that ensue. Presented by Donald Macleod. Manuel de Falla was not well suited to the role of national musical icon. He was at his happiest, living a simple, monkish existence in his spartan Granada villa; fussing over his music in pleasant isolation or enjoying the company of a few close friends. He was generous but withdrawn, quietly and devotedly religious, and had a horror of being dragged into the violent political conflicts that wracked Spain during the first half of the 20th century. Falla's enormous talent and unique musical voice meant he was thrust into the very centre of cultural life, despite himself. He was compelled to navigate his way alongside some of music's most colourful and potent characters, and through momentous historical events. Today, the flamboyant Russians of the Ballet Russe arrive in Madrid and turn to Falla to supply their next big hit. Can the timid composer find it within himself to produce what's needed? Siete canciones populares espaကolas: No 1 El paကo moruno Teresa Berganza, mezzo-soprano Juan Antonio @lvarez Parejo, piano Noches en los jardines des Espaကa, I. En el Generalife Javier Perianes, piano BBC Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Josep Pons Fantasia B退tica Martin Jones, piano El sombrero de tres picos (Part II) L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; conducted by Ernest Ansermet Falla is delighted to welcome some old friends to his city. Presented by Donald Macleod. |
| 2021 | 04 | A Simpler Life | 20210715 | 20230615 (R3) | Falla decides it's time for a dramatic change, in his life and in his music too. Presented by Donald Macleod. Manuel de Falla was not well suited to the role of national musical icon. He was at his happiest, living a simple, monkish existence in his spartan Granada villa; fussing over his music in pleasant isolation or enjoying the company of a few close friends. He was generous but withdrawn, quietly and devotedly religious, and had a horror of being dragged into the violent political conflicts that wracked Spain during the first half of the 20th century. Falla's enormous talent and unique musical voice meant he was thrust into the very centre of cultural life, despite himself. He was compelled to navigate his way alongside some of music's most colourful and potent characters, and through momentous historical events. In today's episode, Falla finally tires of living in the Spanish capital, Madrid, and the constant distractions that plague him there. He and his sister head back to their native Andaluc퀀a, in search of a fresh start. His music becomes increasingly spare and astringent. Harpsichord Concerto John Constable, harpsichord London Sinfonietta, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle Soneto a C rdoba Victoria de los @ngeles, soprano Annie Challan, harp El retablo de maese Pedro Jennifer Zetlan, soprano Jorge Garza, tenor Alfredo Garc퀀a, baritone Perspectives Ensemble Angel Gil-Ord ကez, conductor Psyche Jean-Claude G退rard, flute G退rard Jarry (violin) Serge Collot, viola Michel Tournus, cello Falla decides it's time for a change, in his life and his music. With Donald Macleod. |
| 2021 | 05 LAST | Strife And Struggle | 20210716 | 20230616 (R3) | Falla's peaceful life is plunged into uncertainty as Spanish society is upended by civil war. Presented by Donald Macleod. Manuel de Falla was not well suited to the role of national musical icon. He was at his happiest, living a simple, monkish existence in his spartan Granada villa; fussing over his music in pleasant isolation or enjoying the company of a few close friends. He was generous but withdrawn, quietly and devotedly religious, and had a horror of being dragged into the violent political conflicts that wracked Spain during the first half of the 20th century. Falla's enormous talent and unique musical voice meant he was thrust into the very centre of cultural life, despite himself. He was compelled to navigate his way alongside some of music's most colourful and potent characters, and through momentous historical events. Today, revolution and violence erupts across Spain, resulting in a terrible personal loss for Falla. His inspiration begins to falter as he struggles to complete his final great work. Homenaje `Le tombeau de Debussy` Andr退s Segovia Balada de Mallorca Coro Cervantes, conducted by Carlos Aransay Atlကntida: La Salve en el Mar Pequenos Cantores de Valencia Orfeon Universitario Simon Bolivar Coral Universitat de les Illes Balears Coro Polifonico de la Universidad de La Laguna Orfeon Navarro Reverter National Youth Orchestra of Spain; conducted by Edmon Colomer Homenajes Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Jesús L pez Cobos El sombrero de tres picos (Part I) L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; conducted by Ernest Ansermet Falla's peaceful life is plunged into uncertainty as civil war looms. With Donald Macleod. |