Despite the fact of being a Debussy´s early pice, there are some passages which evidence that Falla knew and liked it.
The first aspect, as it was already commented, is the role of the solist. Even being much more protagonis that in Nights in the Spanish Gardens, the piano, offtenly acts as another instrument of the orchestra, making the piece much more coloristic.
Rythmic motives can be found appearing in both pieces. In the first movement of this Fantasie, Debussy writes the passage of score example 17.
This repetition of one note in a large range is taken and developed by Falla in his piece (score example 18):
4. Manuel de Falla and Claude Debussy
Falla departs to France in 1907 in order to perform some concerts and with a Spanish scholarship to finish his piece Piezas Españolas (1906-09). Despite his first idea of return to Spain in some months, he stayed in Paris up to 7 years1.
Manuel de Falla quickly started close relationships with different musicians and composers in Paris. First, He met Paul Dukas (1865-1935), who introduced him to the Spanish composer Isaac Albeniz. Due to his instant affinity, he gave a copy of the 3rd book of his Suite Iberia (1908). After it, he met the famous pianist Ricardo Viñez (1875-1943) and the great composer Maurice Ravel (1875-1937).
In October of 1907 he finally met Claude Debussy (1862-1916). Falla performed his piece La Vida Breve which amazed the French composer. Fom that day, they started an exceptional relationship2.
They used to meet with certain regularity and, during this meetings, the French composer gave many advices and critics concerning Falla´s music. The proof of that lies in Manuel de Falla´s archive (in Granada) with several pages full of notes. In fact, it may be read in one of those remarks:
It may be presumed by far that Debussy was an essential reference, not only because of his harmonic, textural and melodic characteristics, but also due to his personal approach to the spanish music. One of the reasons to believe this influence is, mainly, because Falla started the composition of Nights in the Spanish Gardens in 1909 and was working on it until 1915.
It is obvious, then, that the inspiration of Falla by Debussy was not trivial. In fact, Ernest Ansermet considered him as a real musician that followed the path of the master when he declared “Debussy had hardly any immediate descendants except Falla”3.
4.1. Debussy´s style and its influence in Falla
With the addition of Trois Melodies (1909-10), musicians usually have insisted on the special influence of French impressionism on Nights in the Spanish Gardens. As it was pointed out by Carol Hess, the inspiration in Debussy´s music is accentuated in Falla´s years in Paris4.
Cultural movements are always difficult to frame, likewise, it is really difficult to link a composer like Debussy within such a huge genre as it is Impressionism. However, within the academic definitions provided we can highlight the next:
The name of Debussy appears as a great reference of this artistic movement in music. However, as it can be appreciated, the term was born in connection with painting and was never used by musicians such as Ravel or Debussy. In relation to Impresionism, Debussy stated in a letter dating from 1908 that it is:
Apart from the strictly musical aspects, there is a controversial debate about the inspiration of Debussy from painting or literature (Impressionism or Symbolism). One the one hand, there are some scholars, such as Stephan Jarocinsky(1912-1980), who state that Debussy should be consider as a symbolist with nothing to do with impressionism5.
Others, such as Norman Lebrecht (1948), argue that there are explicit evidences confirming that Debussy was in touch with artists belonging to diverse disciplines and could be inspired by them:
It is worth it considerate Debussy´s love for William Turner´s paintings and the important reference that the English painter supposed to others, including Monet or Manet. Then, certain link between Debussy´s music and painting can be perceived. Thus, some aspects of the paintings of Monet and Turner, like a predilection for landscapes, expressions of nature, and water, the use of blurred outlines as well as mysterious and far ambients, influenced Debussy.
Debussy´s admiration for Verlaine and Baudelaire is well known. Thus, Debussy takes some aspects from literature such as the “lointain” (far), the love of nature, the night, and others. This may be clearly perceived when reading Baudelaire
Similarly, these topics are present in Nights in the Spanish Gardens. The inspiration, in the case of Falla, comes from Santiago Rusiñol (1861-1931) and Gregorio Martinez Sierra (1881-1947), nevertheless, the link between Impressionism, Symbolism and music is highly conected with Debussy´s style.
Despite the fact of being Falla´s most important extra-musical inspirations, the analysis of Martinez Sierra´s book Granada, Guia Emocional and Rusiñol´s collection “Jardines de España” (most important non-musical inspiration sources) excess the purposes of this research. Therefore, three of the most important topics of Symbolism and Impressionism will be studied: water, distance and night.
The representation of water is one of the most important topics of the impressionism. Previously, Franz Liszt composed Les Jeux d´eaux á la Villa d´Este (1867-82). In the piece, the composer uses a constant motion of sixteenth notes in order to express a fluid movement; this clearly imitates a water stream. Another characteristic of the piece is that the melody is written a central register of the piano.
Obviously inspired by Liszt, Ravel created his Jeux d´eau (1901). Here, the first idea of a constant movement in the high part of the keyboard is taken to another level, using it during the whole piece.
The evidence of the representation of water by Debussy can be found in La Mer (1909). In the piece, the composer uses similar texture techniques to achieve this musical effect6. In this case, the passage is played by the harp.
Taking all the above into account, it is easy to observe the similarity with the first appearance of the piano in Nights in the Spanish Gardens (see score example 1 and audio example 2 of "Manuel de Falla and Cante jondo").
This makes the performer play the semiquavers very superficially and quasi staccato, imitating a harp and trying to recreate this water impression. In contrast with the other examples, the melody is on top, however (as it was already stated in the Cante Jondo chapter) it may be played with a very different touch, remarking his microtonal essence.
In Debussy´s music, the word “lointain” (far) is frequently present, which is a topic that, as it was set before, is manifest in painting and literature. It often appears in combination with a static figuration and pianissimo mark that increases the effect of remoteness. This sensation is evident at the beginning of the prelude Feux d´artifice (1912-13).
This topic appears in the second movement of Nights in the Spanish Gardens which has also the name of “Danza Lejana” (Far Dance). The clearest example of this appears in the middle of the movement.
To the mark of “sordamente, senza espr.” It may be added the sensation of “leger, egal et lontaine”.
For Debussy night and mystery are important topics that the composer tries to shape on his music. As it can hear, a calm and deep sonority appear in pieces as Les Parfums de la Nuit (1905-12) and Le Soirée dans Grenade (1903). The relation with the beginning of Nights in the Spanish Gardens is clear (pianissimo dynamic, same orquestration, use of the minor mode, close range of notes in the melody).
But, to understand the mood of the begining of Nights in the Spanish Gardens, the best example is given by Falla himself, with the beginning of La Vida Breve (1904-13).
The piece starts at the sunset in Granada, it indicates “misterioso”. The sonority is very similar with the use of brief crescendos and diminuendos as well as a low register of all the instruments.
Therefore, the mood present in La Vida Breve may be imitated in the begining of Nights in the Spanish Gardens.
Apart of the examples already shown, other pieces and passages (containing water, distance and night topics) will be studied in following chapters.
4.2.Other Debussy´s pieces
On top of all the exposed, it is necessary to comment two Debussy´s pieces that may be inspiring for Manuel de Falla and his piece.
This piece (for harp and string orchestra) was composed in 1904. It has the noticeable sonority of the French composer´s music, with the presence of mixtures or distinctive textures and chords. The piece was very appreciated by Falla who made an arrangement, performing it in Madrid7. Taking this into account, several parallelisms with Nights in the Spanish Gardens might be found in Danse Sacrée et Danse Profane.
First of all, it is worth considering that, as well as in the piano piece Fantasie pour Piano et Orchestre, this one is not a common solist-virtuoso concerto. One of the key aspects of this music is the relationship between the “soloist” and the orchestra. It creates an interesting dialogue which aims to generate specific colors and sensations.
Therefore, a distinctive sonority may be found in bar 36 of Danse Sacree; it is played firstly by the harp and later the orchestra (score example 13).
A very similar passage is played by the piano in En el Generalife (with half of values). Debussy used a whole tone scale in the top part; in this case, Falla uses a Phrygian mode, highly typical from Spanish music.
The inspiration in this kind of texture is well discernible. Thus, it may be played as Debussy marks “Sans lenteur”.
Even thought, one of the most interesting parts of the piece is the ending. Musicians such as Federico Sopeña or Joaquín Turina have linked the end of En el Generalife with Wagner´s Tristan e Isolda (1857-59). This statement is completely coherent due to the presence of a Wagnerian use of the strings as well as the quote of the first leitmotiv of Wagner´s piece. Despite of it, considering Falla´s love for Danse profane, an important source of inspiration could also be found.
The progression that leads the music to the climax, full of harpglissandi and the final diminuendo and ritardando presents clear similarities with Nights in the Spanish Gardens. In the next example, both climaxes can be compared in order to understand the orchestration parallelism.
The piano part is, again, another entity of the orchestra. Therefore, instead of spar against the rest of the instruments, should join them in pro of a complete sonority. Avoiding arrangements based in finger playing instead of a real glissando is highly recommended.
In the third movement of Fantasie pour piano et orquestre a very rhythmic and even “guitarristic” passage is played by the solist
These examples, in combination with the ones on the next chapter, prove the inspiration of Falla by Debussy´s pianism. Therefore, all the material presented may provide the musician enough information in order to perform or understand Nights in the Spanish Gardens in a profounder way.
Taking all the above into account, it is evident that the term “Impressionism” was not used nor by Debussy neither by his contemporaries. Nonetheless, we can establish some musical resources used by the French composer that could be attached to this artistic movement.
- Use of pentatonic scales.
- Use of modal and whole tone scales.
- Rejection of traditional chord movement, the sound itself is considered as a total entity.
- Rhythmical flexibility.
- Use of additional notes as seconds, fourths, sevenths or ninths.
The first piece of Falla´s period in Paris was Piezas Españolas. It was dedicated to Albeniz and it is very close to his sonority. As it was stated, Trois Melodies was the first with a real Debussy inspiration. In fact, the selection of texts from Gautier was itself an idea from the French composer8. Thus, as Joaquin Turina affirms, the inspiration from Debussy´s Pelleas and Melisandre (1893-1902) is very clear in the first two movements of the piece. It is worth to take into account the use of G# minor with a bass pedal, which may be an evidence of Falla´s intentions.
Therefore, In the pieces we can find chords with ninths, sevenths and seconds, which are Debussy´s typical arpeggio textures, as well as the use of modes such as mixolidian and phrygian and pentatonic scales.
These resources are also present in Nights in the Spanish Gardens, creating a notorious impressionistic sonority. Some examples of this are shown down.
Art movement in late 19th-century France that attached greater value to subtleties of light, color and atmosphere than to the painting´s central subject; the canvas might be blurred, giving an “impression” of its content rather than a vivid image. In music, the term was applied to Debussy, after his Prelude á l´aprés Midi d´un Faune (1891-94)9.
A term used for a style of late 19th century French painting and extended to apply to music of a generation later. (…) Debussy has traditionally been described as an “impressionist” (he himself disapproved of the term); he wrote many piano pieces with titles evocative of nature, for example Reflets dans l´Eau (1904-05), Les Sons et les Parums Tournent Dans l´air du Soir (1909-10)10.
A term used with imprecision, especially by art critiques who uses it to label Turner, the greatest mystery creator in the art11.
He (Debussy) shared café tables with the symbolist poets Verlaine and Mallarme and was smitten by the paintings of Monet and Cézanne12.
Nature is a temple in which living columns let, sometimes, confused words escape… with long echoes that, far away, till in a deep, dark unison they swoon, vast as the night o as the vault of noon, so are commingled perfumes sounds and hues13.
Score example 3: Falla, M. (1922). Nuits dans les jardins d´espagne. impresions symphoniques four piano et orchestre. Paris. Editions Max Eschig. First movement mm. 31
Score example 4: Falla, M. (1922). Nuits dans les jardins d´espagne. impresions symphoniques four piano et orchestre. Paris. Editions Max Eschig. First movement mm.130
Score example 5: Falla, M. (1922). Nuits dans les jardins d´espagne. impresions symphoniques four piano et orchestre. Paris. Editions Max Eschig. First movement mm.113
Audio example 7: Falla, M. Nights in the Spanish gardens.. Martha Argerich, piano. Orchestre de Paris conducted by Daniel Barenboim.
Live February 7, 1986. Salle Pleyel, Paris.
Audio example 5. Debussy, C: Danse sacree et danse profane. Ann Mason Stockton, Harp. Art Strings, ensemble conducted by Felix Stalkin. Intimate music of Ravel, Debussy and Schoenberg. Capitol Records. US. 1995.
Score example 14: Falla, M. (1922). Nuits dans les jardins d´espagne. impresions symphoniques four piano et orchestre. Paris. Editions Max Eschig. First movement mm 158
Audio example 6: Falla, M. Nights in the Spanish gardens. Arthur Rubinstein, piano. San Francisco shympony orchestra conducted by Enrique Jordá. The Rubinstein collection vol.32. RCA Red Seal. 1999.
Score example 17. Debussy, C. (1920) Fantasie pour piano et orchestra. París. E. Fromont 1920. mm. 31-32
Score example 20: Falla, M. (1922). Nuits dans les jardins d´espagne. impresions symphoniques four piano et orchestre. Paris. Editions Max Eschig. First movement mm. 83
Score example 18: Falla, M. (1922). Nuits dans les jardins d´espagne. impresions symphoniques four piano et orchestre. Paris. Editions Max Eschig. First movement mm. 117
Score example 16: Falla, M. (1922). Nuits dans les jardins d´espagne. impresions symphoniques four piano et orchestre. Paris. Editions Max Eschig. First movement mm 214
Score example 6. Liszt, F. (1916). Les Jeux d´eaux á la Villa d´Este. Franz Liszt, Leipzig. Musikalische werke. mm. 108-111
Audio example 7: Falla, M. Nights in the Spanish gardens. Arthur Rubinstein, piano. San Francisco shympony orchestra conducted by Enrique Jordá. The Rubinstein collection vol.32. RCA Red Seal. 1999.
Audio example 2. Ravel, M: Jeux d´aue. Martha Argerich, piano. Martha Argerich, Debut Recital. Deutsche Grammophon. US. 1996
Score example 10: Falla, M. (1922). Nuits dans les jardins d´espagne. impresions symphoniques four piano et orchestre. Paris. Editions Max Eschig. First movement mm.107
Audio example 3: Falla, M. La vida breve. José Menese.Represented in Teatro Real 25/10/1997. From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81CQrXOhDbw on 25/10/2017
Score example 12: Falla, M. (1922). Nuits dans les jardins d´espagne. impresions symphoniques four piano et orchestre. Paris. Editions Max Eschig. First movement mm. 107
Audio example 4: Falla, M. Nights in the Spanish gardens. Arthur Rubinstein, piano. San Francisco shympony orchestra conducted by Enrique Jordá. The Rubinstein collection vol.32. RCA Red Seal. 1999.