(Originally posted Sunday, November 9, 2014)

Masterpiece is a term I have heard throughout my career when colleagues mention Manuel de

2
Fallas Homenaje. Benjamin Britten, after hearing Julian Bream performHomenaje, is reported to have said, The
piece is only seven minutes long but there is twenty minutes of music in it. As it turns out, the work is actually
more like three minutes in length, which makes Brittens comment even more remarkable.

5
What makes Manuel de Fallas Homenaje a masterpiece? There are too many reasons to mention here in a
single essay, but I will try to explain why I love the work so much.

A
The genesis of Homenaje is to be found in the death of Claude Debussy, when Henri Prunierers ,editor of the
Parisian music journal, Le Revue Musicale, asked numerous composers among them Stravinsky, Satie, Bartok
and Falla to compose musical tributes in honor of the late composer. No wonder, then, that, as part of his charge
to pay tribute to the French composer, Falla drew inspiration from Debussys own music, in particular a piano
piece called La Soire dans Grenade, which is the second part of a three-movement work,Estampes, that

p
Debussy wrote for solo piano.

At the top of his score for La Soire Debussy notes, Mouvement de Habanera The habanera is a sung

p
dance created in Cuba (Havana) that became very popular in Europe, South America and the United States
during the 19th century. It is an important influence in American jazz and the development of the Tango in
Argentina.

e
After a seven-measure introduction, Falla introduces the main melody, one of the most memorable and heartfelt
melodies in the classical guitar literature.

n
What is so arresting about the work is how Falla juxtaposes the sexy rhythm of the habenera with this sad
melody. Rey de la Torre wonderfully articulates the issue in an interview (now available online here) done in
1976 by Walter Spalding. I urge all who want to perform this work to read this article.

d
Eight measures from the end of Homenaje, Falla quotes directly from Debussy. The passage is there on page one
of the Debussy score in the fourth system, pulled directly from measures 3 and 4 of his La Soire

i
The pitches Falla chose for the opening figure in the upper voice are F and E. This interval of a semi tone set in
the habanara rhythm produce a musical equivalent of a sigh. It is a haunting and gripping introduction.

x
I adore the harmonies of the Homenaje. The use of the guitars open 5th and 6thstrings E and A on the
downbeat of the first measure creates an aura of tonal ambiguity that pervades the piece. For example, on
the downbeat of measure 19, a critical moment in the work, the composer sounds the notes from bottom up C,
G, D, creating a C 9 chord. That having been said, I dont think the composer was thinking so much in that
manner as he was of the idiomatic chord voicings on the guitar.

mood in measure 24 with the change of color on the recording. Here we have an A major 7th chord but the F# is
there as part of the motive and creates an uneasiness. It is the contrasting color of the chord that is so
arresting. Returning to the chord in measure 19, it is the only point in this piece that a stacked 4th-5th sonority
contains only perfect qualities of these intervals without dissonant tritones seconds, sevenths or ninths.
For example, the chord in measure 19 is perhaps better thought of as a stacking of the intervals
of fifths and a fourth. This type of chord voicing is heard again in measures 27. I particularly like
the haunting shift in mood in measure 24 with the change of color on the recording. Here we have
an A major 7th chord but the F# is there as part of the motive and creates an uneasiness. It is the
contrasting color of the chord that is so arresting. Returning to the chord in measure 19, it is the
only point in this piece that a stacked 4th-5th sonority contains only perfect qualities of these
intervals without dissonant tritones seconds, sevenths or ninths.
The most dissonant chord m34 where we see within the chord a fifth, a fourth and an augmented
fourth on the top. I believe Falla was thinking more of the guitars sonorities and tying them in with
the original notes of the opening motive. ..an iconic chord in the guitars literature.
This climatic moment is followed by a run that takes us off into an entirely new section of the
work both rhythmically and melodically. This section from measures 37 to 42 exploits the open
string pedal tone E on the guitars first string that provides a sense of flow reminiscent of some of
Debussys piano compositions.
These harmonies offer a musical instability that gives the work a mournful tone while also
propelling the work forward. The main motive and the evocative chords create a modal
atmosphere, which is characteristic of traditional Spanish music.
What is particularly beautiful is the chord after the fermata in measure 67. It is an A major chord
and the final chord, but the chord is set off balance because of the F which continues on through
completing the opening motive. The final two notes reiterate that opening musical sigh a
breathtaking ending marked with perdendosiover the last two measures. As my dear friend and
colleague Julian Gray wrote about the ending, Falla truly creates a moment here as when Hamlet
says of death that it is "The undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns."

To my knowledge there exists three published editions of this work the one that was originally
published in Le Revue Musicale in 1920; the edition edited by the legendary Catalan guitarist
Miguel Llobet; then there is the 1986 edition by the English composer and teacher John Duarte. In
addition, there is also a manuscript that offers particular insights into Fallas expression. I urge
students to look at not only all three of tThe pitches Falla chose for the opening figure in the upper
voice are F and E. This interval of a semi tone set in the habanara rhythm produce a musical
equivalent of a sigh. It is a haunting and gripping introduction.
I adore the harmonies of the Homenaje. The use of the guitars open 5th and 6thstrings E and A on
the downbeat of the first measure creates an aura of tonal ambiguity that pervades the piece. For
example, on the downbeat of measure 19, a critical moment in the work, the composer sounds the
notes from bottom up C, G, D, creating a C 9 chord. That having been said, I dont think the
composer was thinking so much in that manner as he was of the idiomatic chord voicings on the
guitar.

This climatic moment is followed by a run that takes us off into an entirely new section of the work
both rhythmically and melodically. This section from measures 37 to 42 exploits the open string
pedal tone E on the guitars first string that provides a sense of flow reminiscent of some of
Debussys piano compositions.
These harmonies offer a musical instability that gives the work a mournful tone while also
propelling the work forward. The main motive and the evocative chords create a modal atmosphere,
which is characteristic of traditional Spanish music.
What is particularly beautiful is the chord after the fermata in measure 67. It is an A major chord
and the final chord, but the chord is set off balance because of the F which continues on through
completing the opening motive. The final two notes reiterate that opening musical sigh a
breathtaking ending marked with perdendosiover the last two measures. As my dear friend and
colleague Julian Gray wrote about the ending, Falla truly creates a moment here as when Hamlet
says of death that it is "The undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns."
I have recently been conducting seminars based on the Homenaje, and one of the many issues that
come up is the extraordinary amount of musical markings the composer provides throughout the
work. I would venture to say that I know of very few works written before this (this particular issue
of Le Revue Musicale was published in 1920) that offer so much detail on the printed page. Falla
tells you precisely how he wants you to play the piece dynamically and rhythmically.
Falla was clearly a stickler for detail. Right from the opening notes of the piece, he is notating
specific dynamic and articulation markings. On the second beat of the measure 1, he writes staccato
indications under the bass notes and xs above the upper voice notes (at the bottom of page one it
is written in French that the x-marked notes should be slightly held). The effect is wonderful,
demanding a specific technique often overlooked by many guitarists. I would guide the reader to
Alicia de Laroccha's recording of Falla's" Fantasia Baetica". It is very instructive in how to handle
this gesture.
These are just a small few of the numerous markings included in the score. I urge students to use a
few different highlighters to color the articulation markings, the dynamic markings, the hairpins and
all of the musical markings such as theritardandi and affretandi.
Nevertheless, I sometimes question Fallas (or his editors) choices. For example, I have always felt
that the metronome marking of a quarter note equaling 60 printed in parentheses was too fast. I tend
to play it more around 50 beats per minute or, perhaps, a touch faster. If the tempo is too slow,
one loses the feeling of thehabanera. If it is too fast, it does not sound sad and calm as he suggests
in his overall description next to the tempo marking.
he guitar editions but the piano score and Fallas own orchestration of the work.
I have chosen to play from the Llobet version. Miguel Llobet was one the great guitarists in the
history of the instrument. He had an uncanny understanding of the instrument. More importantly, he
worked with Falla on the score, making his edition the one I most resonate with.
The pitches Falla chose for the opening figure in the upper voice are F and E. This interval of a
semi tone set in the habanara rhythm produce a musical equivalent of a sigh. It is a haunting and
gripping introduction.
I adore the harmonies of the Homenaje. The use of the guitars open 5th and 6thstrings E and A on
the downbeat of the first measure creates an aura of tonal ambiguity that pervades the piece. For
example, on the downbeat of measure 19, a critical moment in the work, the composer sounds the
notes from bottom up C, G, D, creating a C 9 chord. That having been said, I dont think the
composer was thinking so much in that manner as he was of the idiomatic chord voicings on the
guitar.
For example, the chord in measure 9 is perhaps better thought of as a stacking of the intervals of
fifths and a forth. This type of chord voicing is heard again in measures 27. I particularly like the
haunting shift in mood in measure 24 with the change of color on the recording. Here we have an A
major 7th chord but the F# is there as part of the motive and creates an uneasiness. It is the
contrasting color of the chord that is so arresting. Returning to the chord in measure 19, it is the
only point in this piece that a stacked 4th-5th sonority contains only perfect qualities of these
intervals without dissonant tritones seconds, sevenths or ninths.
The most striking dissonant chord happens in measure 34 where we see within the chord a fifth, a
fourth and an augmented fourth on the top. If you include the low e before the chord it could be
labeled an F major 7th #11 but again it does not function that way in the traditional sense. I believe
Falla was thinking more of the guitars sonorities and tying them in with the original notes of the
opening motive. The chord lies beautifully on the instrument and is an iconic chord in the guitars
literature.
This climatic moment is followed by a run that takes us off into an entirely new section of the work
both rhythmically and melodically. This section from measures 37 to 42 exploits the open string
pedal tone E on the guitars first string that provides a sense of flow reminiscent of some of
Debussys piano compositions.These harmonies offer a musical instability that gives the work a
mournful tone while also propelling the work forward. The main motive and the evocative chords
create a modal atmosphere, which is characteristic of traditional Spanish music.
What is particularly beautiful is the chord after the fermata in measure 67. It is an A major chord
and the final chord, but the chord is set off balance because of the F which continues on through
completing the opening motive. The final two notes reiterate that opening musical sigh a
breathtaking ending marked with perdendosiover the last two measures. As my dear friend and
colleague Julian Gray wrote about the ending, Falla truly creates a moment here as when Hamlet
says of death that it is "The undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns."
I have recently been conducting seminars based on the Homenaje, and one of the many issues that
come up is the extraordinary amount of musical markings the composer provides throughout the
work. I would venture to say that I know of very few works written before this (this particular issue
of Le Revue Musicale was published in 1920) that offer so much detail on the printed page. Falla
tells you precisely how he wants you to play the piece dynamically and rhythmically.
Falla was clearly a stickler for detail. Right from the opening notes of the piece, he is notating
specific dynamic and articulation markings. On the second beat of the measure 1, he writes staccato
indications under the bass notes and xs above the upper voice notes (at the bottom of page one it
is written in French that the x-marked notes should be slightly held). The effect is wonderful,
demanding a specific technique often overlooked by many guitarists. I would guide the reader to
Alicia de Laroccha's recording of Falla's" Fantasia Baetica". It is very instructive in how to handle
this gesture.
These are just a small few of the numerous markings included in the score. I urge students to use a
few different highlighters to color the articulation markings, the dynamic markings, the hairpins and
all of the musical markings such as theritardandi and affretandi.
Nevertheless, I sometimes question Fallas (or his editors) choices. For example, I have always felt
that the metronome marking of a quarter note equaling 60 printed in parentheses was too fast. I tend
to play it more around 50 beats per minute or, perhaps, a touch faster. If the tempo is too slow,
one loses the feeling of thehabanera. If it is too fast, it does not sound sad and calm as he suggests
in his overall description next to the tempo marking.

What you hear in the video is my third recording of the Homenaje. My first recording of the work
was just too slow. During the recording, I had been absolutely hell bent on a very slow and sad
interpretation. After a few listenings, I decided it was horrible and was more a dirge than
a habanera.
I then went back into the studio and recorded it at a faster tempo. This time, I was so concerned
with the tempo and achieving the habanera feeling throughout that I neglected to do the
numerous affretandi with any authenticity.
A month later, I had just taught the piece in a master class on Maui. That same night I checked out
my second take. I was horrified at what I heard I wanted to weep (I think I did!!).
I immediately emailed the recording to my friends John Dearman and Fred Hand for their opinion.
The following day, they both urged me to find a way to record it again in Honolulu. The video shoot
was only days away. I was freaked! Luckily, Darin Leong came to my rescue and allowed me to
record it at the eleventh hour in his studio in Honolulu. This is the version you hear on the video.
Homenaje sur Le Tombeau de Debussy (its full title) is a piece that generates much discussion
amongst guitarists and will for generations to come. We can go into great detail talking about issues
such as, how long to hold the x-marked notes or what the correct tempo or, for that matter,
should one be equally sad and calm or calm and sad in interpreting the notes on the page.
Still, even with all of Manuel de Fallas markings, the piece offers the performer a remarkable level
of flexibility in its interpretation. The choices one makes under such circumstances may seem
sometimes arbitrary, the music is so beautiful that it demands of the player decisions of an almost
spiritual nature.
The Homenaje is a work I have come to admire at every level of perspective, from every point of
perception. I hope that what you hear in the video reflects the always changing, ever-growing
admiration and love I have for this masterpiece.

Rey de la Torre discusses Manuel de Fallas Homage

to Debussy aconversationwithWalterSpalding,Sept.76:

WALTERSPALDING:CouldyoutellmehowtheHomenajecameintobeing?
REYDELATORRE:ThefactsarethatitwaswrittenfortheDebussynumberofRevue
Musicale,whichrequestedit.TheeditorinvitedFallatosendsomethingpourletombeaude
ClaudeDebussyandrequestedcompositionsfrom6or7otherleadingcomposersoftheworld.
AtthattimeFallawasincontactwithLlobet,andLlobetsuggestedthepossibilityofdoingthat
homageforguitar.

WS:IknowDebussydiedin1918howsoonwastheHomenajecommissioned?

RdlT:Ithinkthatitwaswrittenin1920.SoFallaagreedtotryandhestartedtoworkonit.I
dontknowtowhatextentheworkedbyhimselfandthenjoinedLlobet,andtheyworked
together.Itwasacombinedeffortoverquiteafewdays.Heknewtheguitarwell,butforsomeof
theidiomaticthingsheconsultedLlobet.

WS:HadLlobetworkedwithFallabefore?

RdlT:NotthatIknow,no.Notonanyspecificpiece.Ohyes,theykneweachother.Andthey
weregoodfriends.ThatsthetimeLlobethadmetDebussyandRavel.

WS:InParis?

RdlT:Yes,andFallahadagreatadmirationforLlobetasamusician,andasaperson.Asyou
know,Fallawasverystrictinhisethicalviewofpeople.Besidesbeingtalented,theywouldhave
tohavewhathewouldthinkaminimumofmorals,ethicalattitudetowardstheworld,towards
Godandreligionandsoforth.ThoughLlobetwasnotspecificallyamysticordeeplyreligious,he
wasnotanticlericalorantichurch,andhewasveryethicalhimselfinhisrelationstofamily,
friends,andcolleagues.HewasprobablyoneofthemostethicalpersonsIknowinthat
relationship.Inhiscriticismshewouldtendtoemphasizethegoodandminimizewhateverwas
lacking.

Inanycase,thechronologicalsequenceofthecreationofthispieceisinthecorrespondence
betweenLlobetandFalla,whichisinthepossessionofthesisterofFalla.Atonepointwhenthe
piecewaspracticallyfinishedtheyhappenedtomeetinGranadaatthehouseoftheGarcia
Lorcafamily.(ThisIheardfromthebrotherofFederico,Francisco.)Theyhadthesegatherings
there,allkindsofartists,writers,etc.,andLlobetandFallawerethereandgottogetherinalittle
roomandstartedworking.Bythistimethepiecewasalmostfinished,andtheworkhadtodo
withfinaldynamicchangesindications.

Asyouknow,Fallawasveryprecise,almostpathologicallyconcernedwithdetails.Whetherit
wasanorchestralworkorapostcard,hewasveryveryprecise.Andtheonethingthatwas
humorous,wasthatifyoucouldhearLlobetandFallainthatroomfromtheverybeginning;for
thefa,mi,fa,mi,fa,mi,fa,Fallawritespiano.Thechordcanendforte.Itwasntsomuchthe
volumeastheweightinitthathewanted,andhewouldcallhimbythefirstname,hesaid,No
Miguel,Iwantmore.itsnotenough,andLlobetwoulddoit.Theyspenthalfanhouronthat
firstbarandfinallygottogetheronit.
Thepiece,asyouknow,isstrange.thereisadichotomy,astrangecombinationoffactors,
becauseitsadirge,anelegytypeofthing.Supposedlyasadthing,dedicatedtotheTombeau,
hisgrave;butontheotherhand,thereisthehabanerarhythmwhichisnotsaditwas
consideredalmostlasciviousatthetime.sothecombinationofthisfunerealfeelingandthe
Habaneratogether,isverystrange.Itsnotachordalthingthetraditionalfuneralmarchwhere
thewholefeelingisveryheavyandalmostarrhythmic.Thereisthecontradictionoftherhythm
itself,theHabanera,combinedwiththefeelingofgrief.Andthisis,irrespectiveofthenotes,and
literalreadingofthescore(whichisquiteanachievementifyoudoexactlywhatsinthere,every
notehasanindication,dynamically,phrasing,itsalmostimpossibletofindanotethatdoesnt
haveaspecificindicationfromFalla.)Somepeoplethinkitsoverscored.Idontthinkso,Ijust
thinkhedidnttrusttheinterpreters,andthemoreheputin,hethought,thecloseritwouldbeto
whathewanted.
Themainprobleminperformingthispieceistounderstandbesidesthemusicitself,thisduality
ofsadmusicandtherhythmthatisnotespeciallysad.Ifthisisnotunderstoodasanoverall
thing,thethingthattranscendsthemusicitself,nomatterhowcleanorhowperfectnotewise,
howmuchyoufollowtheindications,youreallycannotconveythefeelingthatyoufindinmusic
withanethnicelementinvolved.WhetheritsaViennesewaltz,afuneralmarch,oraHungarian
czardas,oraflamencobulerias,thereisanelementthatisnotstrictlymusical,callitnational,or
whatMiguelusedtocallnaturalmusic,itsnotpopular,itsnatural.Thatelementwhichisnot
musicalinitselfisalmostunattainableunlessyouhavesuchadeterminationintryingto
understandthenonmusicalaspectinthismusicyouwillneverdoit.Andifthisdichotomy,this
duality,thecontradictoryfactorsarenotunderstoodthentheintensityoftheworkislost;the
intensityofthefeelingisthatclash.Thistomeistheessenceofthepiece.Whetheritisplayed
ontheguitar,orinthepianoversionwhichFallareworked,ortheorchestrationwhichispartof
theHomenajeifthisisnotunderstood,50%ofthethingisgone.Andthatiswhatistome
mostimportant.Thisiswhythepieceissohistoricalandwhyitoccupiesaveryspecialplacein
theliteratureoftheguitar.

Asfarastheguitarization,(Imeantorenderitintotrulyguitarmusic,)thiswasdonewiththe
helpofLlobet.Fallawasaguitaristevenifhecouldntpluckasinglestringhismusicisall
conceptuallyguitaristic.Asyouknow,thisisshownbysomanythingsintheballets,operasand
songsallofitisguitarmusic.KnowingLlobetswayofregistration,heprobablysuggested
thatbelleffect,towardsthemiddleofthepiece,afterthefastscalewiththeunisonCsandDs,
(whichmostofthetimeiseliminated,theyplayrepeatedCandD),thisideawiththeunisonD
onthethirdandsecondImalmostsurewasLlobetssuggestion.(Fallaprobablywrotethe
notes.)Youseerighthere,Conthethird,openE,andConthesecond;itsabadstretchandis
usuallyeliminated.ThosethingsImprettysurewereLlobetssuggestions.

OnepointIwouldliketomentionis,onthesecondbar,fourthline,thereisalittleglissando,one
ofthefewinthepiece.Now,thetraditionorfashionatthetimeofTarregawastouseglissandi
allovertheplacetoomany.ButasyouhaveseenfromsomeoftherecordsofLlobet,the
glissandiwerenotasforcefulastheyaretoday.Sothatwhenmisinterpretedtheybecomereally
cornyitstoomuch.Butinthisparticularcase,IhavespokenwithpeoplelikeNinCulmell,
whowasapupilofFalla,andwebelievethatthatlittleglissandohasaconnotationofnotjusta
capriciousthing,justgetafingerdownandmakeaglissandotocreateacommonfingeritis
afactorthatbringsanelementofgrief,asinCanteJondo.Theelementofgriefiscontainedin
theglissando.Theflamencossometimesattheendofaphrasedothisveryslowandyouhear
everystep.IntheHomenajeitisratherfast.IthinkthattheeliminationofthatGtoB,even
thoughitisnotintheorchestralversion,andofcoursenotinthepiano,takesawayapassing
voicethatcreatessomehowthatGintheear;andhasaharmonicfunction.Butithastobedone
verydiscreetly,notexaggeratednevertakethatout.Therewasinthebeginning,hesitationon
thepartofFalla,awareoftheexcessiveuseofglissandiinTarregaandearlyLlobet;inthe
correspondence,therearementionsinreferencetothat,proandcon.IthinkthatLlobetfinally
madeitclearthatitwastobedoneacertainway,andFallaaccepteditasbeinganintegralpart
ofthepiece.So,itsnotjustaglissandobutithasaverydefinitefunction.Isaythisbecauseit
hasbeeneliminated,notbyeveryone,butitistakenoutmanymanytimes.Ifyoutryit,(takingit
out)youllseethatsomethingismissing.Notjusttheglissandoismissingthereissomething
otherthantheglissandothatiscontainedintheglissando.

WS:HowaboutthequotationfromDebussy?

RdlT:Yes,thelastfourbars.Theharmony,Ithink,iscontracted.ItisnotasfullasintheSoiree
deGranade,butitsasgoodasyoucandoontheguitarleanbutabsolutelybeautiful,and
quiteliteral.IfIcouldgiveaverydetailedanalysisofthevoicesandtheeliminationormutingof
bassesthatshouldntbetherethiswoulddefinitelyenhancetheunderstandingand
performanceofthepiece.Ifyouheartheorchestralversionorthepianoversion,theyfollowthe
score.Theydontdoanythingspecialtheyjustplaythenotesaswritten.Thelastfourbars
havethoseopenAs.HeshowsyouquiteclearlythathedoesntwantthoseAstoringthrough.
Sothereisnotstaccato,butjustashortvalue,andthatenhancesthetopvoiceuntiltheyfinally
clashintheninthandareresolvedfinallyattheoctave.Ifitsdonewithoutrespectforthevoices,
theeffectisentirelydifferentitsverymuddy,itsasifsomebodyleftthepedalofthepianoon
andforgotaboutit.

WS:DidyoueverhearLlobetperformthepiece?

RdlT:Well,heplayeditformeasIstudiedwithhim.Firstsectionsandthenthewholepiece.He
conveyedthatintensity.Youhavetoholditbackyoucantjustgooverboard,andinsteadof
havingadirgeactuallyhaveeverybodycryingitsnotthat,ithastobeheldbacksothatthe
griefisincontrol.Andthentheeleganceofthealmostlasciviousfeelingofthehabaneragivesit
thatverystrangenuance.InthatrespectIthinkitsunique,besidesitsintrinsicvalueasmusic.
Iwouldntmakeanychangesinit.EliminatingthoseunisonCsandDsisnotjustaminordetail.
Ittakesawaysomethingthatsveryidiomatic,veryguitaristic.Thereisanexplanationonthe
scorethatthenotesmarkedwithanxshouldbeheldbackalittlebitthiscreatessuspense,
suspendedtime,thatisveryimportant.Itcouldnotbedonebyjusttenuto,sohehadtonotate
anindicationforit.Thesectionattheendofthefirstpagewhereheindicatesatempomolto
ritmicosincethereisasinuousHabanerafeeling,(notrubato,alittleirregularintherhythm),if
thosefivebarsaredoneabsolutelymoltoritmico,stricttemporightinthemiddleofthepiece,it
enhancestheirregularityofthatwhichsurroundsit.Itsveryimportanttodoitexactlyaswritten.

Andthebelleffectisveryimportanttoo,anditsveryclearlyscored.
Theaccents,forinstance,afterthefastscaleandsixestheaccentshereonthesixesare
irregularandunsymetrical.(Notasyoumightexpectalwaysonthestrongbeat).Ifyoubring
thoseoutitisreallyincrediblyeffective,andIknowthathethoughtaboutthoseaccents
carefully,andmostofthetimetheyareignored.Itshardtodoitbecauseonetendstogowith
theactionofthestrongbeat,anditsnotoffsystematically itsveryveryirregular,butitsoneof
thefeaturesofthepiece.

Thereisoneascendingglissandoonthe2ndpage,4thline,3rdmeasure,wherethebassgoes
tothefourthstringthisisthehighpointtheclimacticpoint,andhastohavetheglissando.
ThetwoglissandiIvementionedshouldnotbeeliminated.TheactualHabaneraisliteralthe
combinationofdottedquarters,sixteenthnotes,eighthnotesandthenthetriplets,youhave.this
inanyHabanera.Itsonlytwopagesandyetitrequiresmoreworkthanifyouhadsomethingten
pages,becausethereisnothingextraneousthereisnothingsuperfluous.Everynotehasa
meaning.ItsoneofthemostconcentratedpiecesIknow.
=============

(Yet More) Thoughts on De Fallas Homage to

Debussy

A lot has been written about the creation, content and significance of Manuel
De Fallas Ommagio per le Tombeau de Debussy. For example, I encourage
you to read Rey De la Torres interview and Benjamin Verderys reflections.
After having heard this piece numerous times in concerts and lessons, Id like
to add some comments and ideas.

(1) The metronome indication quarter note equals 60 might seem a bit
fast. But how much of that is simply due to habit? I think that with this widely
known work it is easy to become accustomed to slower tempi, before even
learning it. And since it is an elegy, theres no fear in playing extra slowly. I
would advice to give the 60-per-quarter tempo an honest trythen you can
decide which tempo works for you. Notice that the piece has many x-marked
notes, which are to be slightly retained, and they make the work feel a bit
slower already. Also, it is interesting that in the manuscript, the 60 seems to
have been corrected:

It might have been a 5 instead of a 6 (quarter note equals 50). Therefore,

assuming this was a correction that De Falla or Llobet made, 50 seemed slow to
them.

(2) A related point: exercise expressive restraint. This is a piece to treat

with respect and selflessness. Since countless guitarists played and continue
to play it, we might want to do something different with itmake it our own.
Thus we are easily lured to make it more dramatic: vibrate more here, stay a
bit longer there, stretch the rubato here, roll a chord very slowly there, etc. But
everything in the work is meticulously instructed; De Falla indicated the
dynamic inflection for every gesture and specified articulations almost to a
pointillist level (legatos, staccatos, accents, tenutos, and even the explained
x notes). If there is a piece that we should all articulate and phrase similarly,
this is it. Furthermore, remember the reflective, contemplative character of
this tombeau, far removed from passionate outbursts (after all, quite an
impressionist attitude). So adhere to the printed score; there are other pieces
where to showcase ones interpretative imagination. (Plus, isnt it particularly
bad taste to use an elegy, a reflection on someones memory, for our own
display?)

(3) The x articulation marks sometimes happen over staccato basses, as can
be seen in the picture above. Many times both melody and basses are
articulated in the same way (staccato). Think orchestrally; consider maybe
damping the bass notes (think of plucked cellos or timpani) and keeping the
melodic x notes legato (as violas or violins would do).

(4) Think of the work as an homage to the guitar as well! In fact, De Falla
reflected on the influence that the instrument had in Debussys music, for
example in the Prelude No.9, Srnade Interrompue (whose opening, by the
way, might ring a bell). Many of the chords in the Homage, for example, are
built upon fourths, echoing the guitars tuning. But we might also find a
subliminal homage to the guitar in the structure of the piece: significant
sections of the music are punctuated around the pitches of the open strings.
The works opening motive rests on E, and expands a fourth, reaching a tenuto
A (m.6). The forte at measure 8 introduces D, which becomes the center of the
melody for a few bars. At m.19, another forte reaches a high G, yet another
ascending fourth, where the melody revolves for a few bars again. And at
measure 30, a molto ritmico section starts, now making B the central pitch and
taking us through new material. Since the guitar has another E on the first
string, is it coincidence that the piece repeats its opening on measure 49? Or
that E is the final note?

(5) Although technically demanding, it would be important to create a

campanella effect from measure 37 onwards, holding the downbeats B and C
(and D in measure 39) over their echo repetitions. Rey de la Torre talks about
the importance of this effect in the aforelinked interview. Furthermore, the
guitar writing hides their true long values as well, showing them as sixteenth
notes. The piano edition does show them as double notes:

These held notes are but a clear outgrowth of the theme. The campanella can
bring them out and render true significance to the forte-piano indications.
Although demanding, it is possibly to do it effectively with the following
fingering:

(6) The quote on measure 63, from Debussys La Soire Dans Grenade, is
exquisite; more than just a witticism. Placed at the end of the piece, it is
particularly effective as a final salute to the French composer. It is a game of
cross references: a quote from another habanera (which is what the Homage
is), with a Spaniard quoting a French composer writing Spanish music. It is also
a perfect snippet to quote Debussy; it involves two parallel chords that belong
to a whole-tone collection, both trademarks of the French composer. It
sounds Debussyian even to those who dont recognize the quote. Finally, it is
not isolated within the piece; it reminisces the harmonically remote section in
mm. 45-48, where the bass movement G#-C# appeared as Ab-Db.

Such a great piece! I hope some of these comments renew your appreciation
of it.

Ivan Hewetts Classic 50 No 43: Manuel de Falla Homenaje (pour le tombeau

de Claude Debussy) 50-part series on short works by the worlds greatest composers

Classical music has its heartlands, and its borderlands. Spain is definitely among the latter.
Composers in countries such as Russia, Sweden and Britain often felt their marginal status as a
kind of inferiority. That feeling was especially strong in Spain, cut off from the mainstream of 18th-
and 19th-century history by the might of the Catholic Church.

Manuel de Falla, a gifted pianist and composer born in Cadiz in 1876, felt Spains isolation
acutely. In 1907, frustrated at his inability to make any headway in provincial Madrid, Falla took
himself off to Paris. Here, being marginal was an asset.
Parisians loved composers who brought exotic colours, and Spain for a while was one of their
favourite fantasies.
All this, plus the encouragement of composers like Debussy, encouraged Falla in his real aim. He
wanted to throw off the tired salon-music image of Spain and create something more authentic.
That meant a deep involvement with folk music. He wasnt as assiduous at collecting folk song as
Bartk, but he certainly delved into folk-music collections, and occasionally discovered his own
melodies. Leonid Massine, who danced the Miller in the Ballets Russes production of Fallas
ballet The Three-Cornered Hat, recalls Falla getting very excited at the sound of an old blind
guitarist somewhere near Madrid, and notating his song.
This attachment to folk song was allied to a pictorial imagination and a feeling for harmonic colour
very like Debussys a composer whom Falla revered probably more than any other. I am
interested in the relations between colours and sounds, he wrote, and often melodic ideas and
harmonic combinations have been suggested by a painting or an old stained-glass window.

Debussy died in 1918, and Falla wrote this homage the following year, for a magazine that had
requested musical homages from several prominent composers. I love it for its perfect understated
gravity, and for the way the overall form and the melodic shapes are prefigured in the first phrase.
The musics cells, limbs and body have the same basic shape: a rise, and then a fall back to the
origin. Did Falla notice this? I doubt it. Thats the fascinating thing about really fine works. They get
much of their power from these hidden affinities, which grow in the composers mind unawares. We
too feel them, without quite knowing why.
LISTENING POINTS

00.00 A lamenting up-and-down melody between two notes a semitone apart, the upper one
constantly pulled down by the gravity (in both senses) of the two bass notes below. So simple, but
so full of feeling.
00.07
The first of many chordal flourishes, which always have the tangy flavour of the guitars open
strings as if the guitar itself is mourning Debussys passing.
00.19
The melody tries to rise but is pulled back to where it began like the opening phrase itself, but on
a larger scale.
00.29
A new melody enters. The two-note lament disappears but its memory lingers in the unchanging
bass.
1.01
The music brightens as the harmony shifts up. Notice how this brightening is given a softer
shading at 1.10, partly by Falla, partly by Julian Breams wonderful playing.
1.15
The opening two-note tune returns (with those flourishes) but stretched to a whole tone. A tiny
distance in musical space, a huge leap in feeling. From here the music burgeons outwards from its
origins.
2.26
The genius moment. The opening lament returns, but with a distant harmony underneath, so we
only half-recognise it. Only at 2.44 does the original harmony return.
3.30
Just before the end, we hear a momentary quotation from Debussys Evening in Granada, slipped
in with perfect tact.