Manuel de Falla: La Vida Breve (Danza Española No. 1)

We frequently hear about starving composers, but here’s a composer with his own currency. Manuel de Falla (1876-1946) often ranks as Spain’s most important 20th-Century composer.

His one-act opera La Vida Breva features a lot of instrumental music, including the Spanish Dance in the video featured below. The dance has become a popular show piece and been transcribed for a variety of instruments.

Guitarist Edson Lopes is fun to watch not just because of his mastery of the instrument and musicality, but because he conveys how much he enjoys the music he performs. He has posted quite a few videos. If you like classical guitar, you might want to spend some time on his YouTube channel listening to his interpretations across various styles. Falla’s Danza Española No. 1 is a good place to start.

Image: Jolle (CC BY-SA 3.0)