Manuel de Falla's phrygian masterclass

Follow us for a weekly analysis of some of our favourite musical moments. PATREON:   / momentsmusicaux   YOUTUBE:    / @-momentsmusicaux-   The Three-Cornered Hat (El sombrero de tres picos, 1919) is among Manuel de Falla’s most celebrated orchestral works and a landmark of twentieth-century Spanish music. Composed for Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, with choreography by Léonide Massine and sets and costumes by Pablo Picasso, it was an instant success. This particular tableau is a masterclass in Phrygian composition. Its duality operates not only between major and minor but also between tonic and dominant. It is at times lyrical and at others primitive, rhythmic, and raw—in a distinctly Stravinskian manner. Manuel de Falla (1876 - 1946) El sombrero de tres picos Performance: Mahler Chamber Orchestra conducted by Pablo Heras-Casado Further reading: Hess, Carol A. Sacred Passions: The Life and Music of Manuel de Falla. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. Thanks to our Patrons: Joachim Winter Raphael Fabisiewicz Sal Leggio Gianni Veronesi Donald McDonnell מתנאל גורודניצקי Auke J Carla Ragazzi Video made by #MomentsMusicaux.