Three-Cornered Hat Suite No. 2
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- Опубліковано 4 лип 2024
- The Medical College of Wisconsin Orchestra
Spring 2023 Concert
Three-Cornered Hat Suite No. 2
By Manuel De Falla
Conducted by: Alexander Mandl, DMA
The Three-Cornered Hat is a ballet written by Spanish composer Manuel De Falla (1876-1946) for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, choreographed by Léonide Massine and with set design by Pablo Picasso-an artistic dream team if there ever was one. The name comes from the characteristic headgear of the magistrate in the story, who finds himself embarrassed after his advances on the miller’s wife are rebuffed. His attempt at vengeance - having the miller arrested - is also thwarted by a series of events involving mistaken identities. By the end, the magistrate’s ill-will proves no match for the joyous festivity of the miller’s village.
Falla’s music is wonderfully evocative, setting the mood of the ballet perfectly. The Andalusian flavor of the score comes from a deep understanding of the folk traditions of Spain. One folk quote Falla uses for inspiration comes from a melody that he and Massine heard during a trip to Andalusia, where they encountered a blind beggar strumming a broken guitar and singing an intriguing tune. Falla quickly wrote it down and incorporated it into the music for The Neighbor’s Dance. The Suite on today’s program extracts music verbatim from the second half of the ballet.
In The Neighbor’s Dance, the miller’s neighbors have come to celebrate St. John’s Eve, making merry with a lively seguidilla, a quick dance in triple time that features swirling, fancy footwork. The miller then performs his own dance for the company, an intense farruca, a form of traditional Andalusian flamenco. Rhythmic Spanish guitar strums follow the opening call to the dance. The triumphant and joyous Final Dance is a wild jota (folk dance), interspersed with frantic chases involving the miller and the magistrate. At the very end of the Suite, a raucous celebration complete with percussive effects vividly depicts the villagers bouncing the magistrate up and down on a blanket.
