Nights in the Spanish Gardens. Meaning and inspiration

Samuel	Tirado Villaescusa

Name: Samuel Tirado Villaescusa Main Subject: Classical Piano Research Supervisor: Bart van Oort Title of Research: Nights in the Spanish Gardens: Meaning and inspiration Research Question: Which are the most important sources of inspiration in the piece Nights in the Spanish Gardens and how all of them affect the performance of the soloist and the orchestra? Summary of Results: Manuel de Falla's piece Nights in the Spanish Gardens has become popular during the last twenty years. Several of the greatest performers have recorded it achieving impressive results. However, the piece presents key aspects from the Spanish folklore and French impressionism that, usually, are not taken into account. Searching information for my research, I discovered that the most important sources of inspiration come from »cante jondo« (a Spanish primitive chant), the Spanish guitar and the music of Claude Debussy. Thus, I found several examples that prove the connection and help the performer to make the interpretation as coherent as possible. The research process changed my vision about topics such as the role of the soloist, the interpretation of ornaments, melodic lines and rubato as well as the imitation of the guitar in De Falla's music. Furthermore, this information could also help not only pianist performing Nights in the Spanish Gardens, but also any musician playing Manuel de Falla's music. Biography: Samuel Tirado begins his studies in Salamanca, where he completed a bachelor degree with Patrin Garcia Barredo. He has participated in masterclasses with teachers like Claudio Martinez Mehner, Ferenc Rados, Edith Fischer, Kennedy Moretti and Galina Eguiazarova among others. He has performed as a soloist and chamber music member and in places such as the national auditorium in Madrid, auditorium of Cuenca and theaters in Salamanca, Ciudad Real and Ávila. He has also played in countries such as Holland, France and Austria.

6. Conclusions

The current research raised the subsequent question in first instance: “Which are the most important sources of inspiration in the piece Nights in the Spanish Gardens and how all of them affect the performance of the soloist and the orchestra? Certainly, the answer is not definitive at all; nonetheless, some conclusions have been drawn throughout this study.

The analysis of the Spanish folklore, that is, Cante Jondo, the Spanish guitar and Manuel de Falla’s pieces was one of the major methodological tools applied in the first two chapters. Part of the information presented has been obtained from Manuel de Falla’s and Felipe Pedrel’s writings. Thus, which is evident is that the entire material about Spanish music may be used to enhance the performance of Nights in the Spanish Gardens.

The second section, which focuses on Claude Debussy’s music, begins with a research from a historical and aesthetic point of view. Therefore, a profound analysis of a variety of Debussy’s pieces has been conducted, having exceedingly considered the term "impressionism"; and its implications.

As a result, a number of practical conclusions may be highlight.On the first hand, Nights in the Spanish Gardens passages inspired on Spanish folklore recreate a concrete sonority that must be well known by the performer. The interpreter should also be aware of all the music conventionalisms, adding some flamenco or cante jondo’s musical features such as the violence of some attacks, the micro intervallic inspiration, the rhythmic content or the emulation of guitar playing.

On the second hand, Debussy´s indications might be helpful for the performer in order to understand the concrete essence of certain passages of the piece. Lastly, the soloist’s role must be reconsidered after studying Debussy´s indications and writing. The pianist might also play as another member of the orchestra, enriching the global sonority of the piece.

Unquestionably, all of this must be applied carefully, with a solid understanding that the piece contains a stylization of several inspirational sources and not just a direct influence. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the exposed above may simply enrich and improve the performance of this gorgeous piece.

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