El Amor Brujo: Manuel de Falla's Gitanería in Music and Dance
El Amor Brujo: Manuel de Falla's Gitanería
The first audition of the first, second version of the work, with the number of table work, is known as El Amor Brujo (Love, the Sorcerer), a gitanería in one act and two tableaux, first staged in 1915.
The Music and Its Structure
The dance Danza del fuego (Fire Dance) and the song Canción del fuego fatuo open the work. A rhythmic dance accompanied by horns, piano, and strings gives way to the principal trumpet theme. The oboe begins the first violins' melody, of an oriental character, and the first oboe responds with a strong trumpet melody.
The first voice, feminine, with stamps, interprets the flamenco song written for the gypsies. The song is impregnated with a feeling of flamenco sensations, and its musical elements cannot be separated from typical flamenco singing and gypsy accompaniment. The voice is in dialogue with the piano, and the string interlude is built on the Andalusian harmonic mode.
Instrumentation and Performance
The work was originally performed with a voice and bell-like instruments, and is scored for a chamber orchestra of fifteen players: piano, flute, oboe, horn, trumpet, chimes, strings (violin, viola, cello, and double bass). The piano and oboe are prominent, and the guitar is often used as a substitute for the piano in accompaniment.
Dance and Legends
The trumpet develops the dance theme in the first part. The interlude features a notable solo in the oboe, and in its dialogue with the trumpet, the oboe creates an ambient atmosphere inspired by leyendas gitanas (Gypsy legends) of the Sierra.
Background and Plot
The songs are linked to the cante jondo tradition. The work is a gitanería in one act and two tableaux, composed in 1915. Its plot tells of a gypsy woman, Candela, who is haunted by the ghost of her dead lover. Her anger and despair lead her to a witch's cave, where she seeks to win back her lover through magic. The work is inspired by Gypsy legends and songs.
The 1915 Premiere
This version premiered at the Teatro Lara in Madrid in 1915. The première was staged with dancer Pastora Imperio, whose performance captivated audiences and earned a warm response from critics. It was a milestone of artistic quality, and a turning point for Spanish theatre music in the following years.
Legacy
With El Amor Brujo, Falla raised the level of Spanish music for the stage. One of the most important values of the work is its ability to recreate mythical, ancestral rites and to convert them into an archetype of Spanish music.