大象传媒

Stephen Johnson analyses the music and the context surrounding it, with the 大象传媒 Concert Orchestra under Barry Wordsworth.

Falla began this work as a set of nocturnes for solo piano in 1909 but on the suggestion of the pianist Ricardo Vi帽es turned the nocturnes into a piece for piano with orchestra. Falla completed it in 1915 and dedicated it to Ricardo Vi帽es. The first performance was given on April 9, 1916, at Madrid's Teatro Real with the Orquesta Sinf贸nica de Madrid conducted by Enrique Fern谩ndez Arb贸s. The piano part was played by Jos茅 Cubiles.

The work depicts three gardens:

En el Generalife (In the Generalife): The first gardens are in the Generalife, the jasmine-scented gardens surrounding the summer palace of the king鈥檚 harem at the Alhambra.
Danza lejana (Distant Dance): The second garden is an unidentified distant one in which there is an exotic dance.
En los jardines de la Sierra de C贸rdoba (In the Gardens of the Sierra de C贸rdoba): The third gardens are in the Sierra de C贸rdoba in Spain and feature lively gypsy dancing and singing for the feast of Corpus Christi.
Falla referred to Nights in the Gardens of Spain as "symphonic impressions." The piano part is elaborate, brilliant, and eloquent but rarely dominant. The orchestral writing is lush. It is Falla鈥檚 most "impressionistic" score.

The score calls for piano, three flutes and piccolo, two oboes and English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones and tuba, timpani, cymbals, triangle, celesta, harp, and strings. Performance time usually runs in the range of 22 to 26 minutes.

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