Siete canciones populares españolas
Siete canciones populares españolas ("Seven Spanish Folksongs") is a 1914 set of traditional Spanish songs arranged for soprano and piano by the composer Manuel de Falla. Besides being Falla's most-arranged composition and one of his most popular, it is one of the most frequently performed sets of Spanish-language art songs. The set was dedicated to Madame Ida Godebska.[1]
The styles and provenance of the songs are strikingly diverse. They are from different parts of Spain: an asturiana is from Asturias, in the north; the seguidilla, a type of flamenco, from Murcia, in the southeast. "Nana" is a lullaby, but "Polo" a wild desire for revenge on an unfaithful lover. All the texts deal with love and the courting process, whether playfully, seriously, or tragically. The first song, for example, clearly alludes to the importance of virginity to a girl's value on the marriage market. The lullaby deals with love's outcome.
Song list
- 1. El paño moruno (The Moorish Cloth)
- 2. Seguidilla murciana
- 3. Asturiana
- 4. Jota
- 5. Nana
- 6. Canción
- 7. Polo
They have been arranged for guitar by Miguel Llobet, for orchestra by Luciano Berio, as well as for violin, cello, and other instruments. They inspired a similar folksong collection by Falla's friend and collaborator Federico García Lorca.
Further reading
- Jihyun Park, "A Study of Siete canciones populares españolas by Manuel de Falla." Ph.D. dissertation, University of Kansas, 2013.
References
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