FALLA Manuel de (F-4)

Andalusian Spanish composer and pianist. Along with Isaac Albéniz, Francisco Tárrega, and Enrique Granados, he was one of Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20th century. In 1893, after hearing Grieg's music at a concert in Cadiz, he decided to become a composer. In the period from 1897 to 1904 he wrote pieces for piano and 5 zarzuelas. From 1889 to 1895 he studied piano with Jose Trago in Madrid. In 1896 he wrote his first pieces, including for chamber and instrumental ensemble [8]. In 1896 he entered the Madrid Conservatory, where he also studied harmony and counterpoint. His main teacher was Felipe Pedrel (1902-1904), one of the main figures of the Spanish cultural renaissance — Renascimiento, who instilled in him a love of musical folklore (flamenco). As a result, the first significant work appeared — the opera "Short Life" (1905). After the defeat of the Republic in 1939, he lived in Argentina, where he died.