Noches en los jardines de España
The Noches en los jardines de España with the subtitle Symphonic Impressions for piano and orchestra are an orchestral work by Manuel de Falla in three movements , which were composed between 1909 and 1916. It is one of the most distinctive impressionist compositions by de Falla. The Noches en los jardines de España are also known in German-speaking countries under the title Nights in Spanish Gardens .
Sentence sequence
- En el Generalife (In the Generalife)
- Danza lejana (Distant Dance)
- En los jardines de la Sierra de Córdoba (in the gardens of the mountains of Córdoba)
| Work data | |
|---|---|
| Time of origin | 1909 to 1916 |
| Date and place of the premiere | April 9, 1916, Madrid Royal Opera |
| Genre | Symphonic poem in three parts |
| occupation | Rich symphony orchestra with an obbligato piano |
History of origin
The composition Noches en los jardines de España was originally planned as a piano piece of three nocturnes . Presumably Isaac Albéniz de Falla advised to publish the work as an orchestral version after de Falla had played him some of the themes of the work. The work then became a symphonic poem in three parts. Each of the three parts has its own heading. The first movement was given the title En el Generalife (In the Generalife), the second the title Danza lejana (Far dance) and the third movement the heading En los jardines de la Sierra de Córdoba (In the gardens of the mountains of Córdoba). In 1909 Manuel de Falla began to write some impressions for the piano in Paris. These were tonally very similar to the musical model Claude Debussy , who was characterized by enchanting, dreamy sounds. When de Falla traveled from Paris to his homeland, he had, as usual for him, numerous unfinished works in his luggage. This also includes the orchestral work dealt with here. Falla made his way to the country of his mother's birth in a Catalan fishing village called Sitges , where he had some interesting artist encounters . However, this trip was also a busy one for him. On April 9, 1916, de Falla's work was premiered at the Royal Opera of Madrid . It was de Falla's debut in the symphonic field and aroused great curiosity in the audience to what extent de Falla was able to combine the influences of Impressionism with the Spanish influences of folklore. The nights in the Gardens of Spain were the pianist Ricardo Viñes dedicated, who also performed the work again later.
occupation
2 flutes (with piccolo), 2 oboes (with English horn), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, harp, celesta, lots of percussion, the usual strings and the obligatory piano
Musical design
Despite the subtitle, which apparently marks the composition as a symphonic composition, this is neither a clearly symphonic composition nor an actual piano concerto, as the piano part is closely interwoven with the orchestral part. In addition, national elements are in the foreground in de Falla's composition. This can be related to a melody that is closely linked to Andalusian folk and dance songs. Furthermore, many syncopated, melismatically decorated themes are used, which are reminiscent of the oriental folklore exported by the Arabs. In de Falla's composition, however, very strong impressionistic influences can also be discerned. This can be determined by the fact that he uses original harmonic connections to create an illusion of painterly mood images, which he underlines above all by means of the titles of the movements. If you compare Manuel de Falla's nights in Spanish gardens with those for the 19th and 20th centuries. Impressionist compositions customary in the 19th century, it is noticeable that Falla's composition is designed differently. De Falla's work appears vague, dreamy, and intentionally blurred. De Falla thus combines the French influences of Impressionism with Spanish folklore and thus creates a very special work.
- First sentence
The first movement creates an image in the Generalife , the summer palace of the caliph, adjacent to the Alhambra in Granada . The first movement is characterized by numerous Andalusian themes. At this point in time, the listener already perceives these Andalusian themes as being Spanish, but there are no limits to the imagination of the pianist and the listener. De Falla uses numerous rubati in this movement. These tempo changes also come from Spanish folklore. In addition, there are practically no filling voices at de Falla. De Falla uses bold counterpoints, whereby he shows his skills in particular, in addition to the union of the Impressionist writing style with Spanish folklore.
- Second and third movements
The second and third movements should be played without interruption despite their different character. De Falla also uses folkloric elements in these two movements. And again de Falla's composition invites you to dream and crosses all borders of nationalism. The third movement, En los jardines de la Sierra de Córdoba, is sometimes livelier, until it turns into a passionate dance, polo, which is characteristic of southern Spain, also known as the Gypsy Sambra.
literature
- Kurt Pahlen: Manuel Falla and the music in Spain . Schott, Mainz 1994.
- Friedrich Blume (Ed.): Music in the past and present. General encyclopedia of music . Bärenreiter, Kassel.