Manuel DeFalla, Composer

Nationality

Spanish

Famous Works

The Three-Cornered Hat Suites Nos. 1 & 2 El amor brujo: Ritual Fire Dance La vida breve: Interlude & Dance, El Amor Brujo / El Retablo Maese Pedro

Bio

DeFalla was born in Cadiz, Spain and was taught piano as a child by his mother and other local teachers. He studied composition with Felipe Pedrell and taught piano in Madrid. In 1939, DeFalla left Spain after the civil war and went to live in Argentina. In his studies, he learned about the importance of folk and traditional music and incorporated them into his compositions. Having visited France, he was greatly influenced by Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. In the 1908's, a rock group in Brazil named themselves after DeFalla.