Lorca in Tune with Falla: Literary and Musical Interludes(Toronto Iberic)

Federico Garca Lorca (1889-1936) is widely regarded as the greatest Spanish poet of the twentieth century; Manuel de Falla (1876-1946) is Spain's most performed composer of the same period. The two were very different - Lorca was gay, liberal, and a member of the avant garde, while Falla was a devout Catholic - yet they had a profound mutual influence. The two developed an intimate friendship, which ended when Lorca was shot by Nationalist forces at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War.

Lorca in Tune with Falla is the first book to trace Lorca's impact on Falla's music, and Falla's influence on Lorca's writings. Nelson R. Orringer explores the music underlying Poem of Deep Song, Gypsy Ballads, and Lament for Ignacio Snchez Mejas, bringing out the analogous sounds and ideas that emerge in the active, ongoing connection between the artworks of both creators. The book emphasizes how this harmony increases knowledge and appreciation of both artists.

Illustrations and Musical Examples
Preface
Acknowledgements
Musical Glossary

Introduction: The Intersection of Two Artist´s Lives

Ch. 1. Music in Lorca's Letters before Meeting Falla

Ch. 2. Falla's Fantasy BÆtica [Andalusian Fantasy] and Lorca's “Baladilla de los tres rÍos” [Little Ballad of the Three Rivers]: Two Searches for Andalusian Wellsprings

Ch. 3. “Poema de la siguiriya gitana” [Poem of the Gypsy Siguiriya]: Return to the Sources of Deep Song

Ch. 4. “Poema de la soleÁ” [Poem of the SoleÁ]: Consciousness-Raising of Pain

Ch. 5. “Poema de la saeta” [Poem of the Saeta]: The Oblation of Pain in Seville

Ch. 6. “GrÁfico de la Petenera” [Graph of the Petenera] and Falla´s Guitar Elegy to Debussy

Ch. 7. Openness to Death in Flamenco Artists and in Southern Cities

Ch. 8. “Seis caprichos” [Six Caprices] or Virtuosity and Art at a Distance

Ch. 9. Falla on Deep Song and Lorca's Romancero gitano [Gypsy Ballads]

Ch. 10. Andalusia´s Cultural Spirit in Two Trios of Romancero gitano

Ch. 11. Lorca's Artistic Tributes to Falla

Postlude and Coda

Works Consulted
Index

‘This rewarding book will surely lead to further study of Lorca, Falla, and the fruitful relationship between Spanish music and poetry.’

‘Lorca in Tune with Falla is the deepest and most complete study that has been published to-date on the personal and artistic relations between both Andalusian, universal creative authors… Those of us interested in Spanish music and poetry should feel very content and grateful.’

‘Orringer’s extraordinary book should be greeted as celestial music…. To say something new about Lorca is a risky and titanic enterprise for the stature of the post and the mastery of the bibliography that it supposes. Nelson N. Orringer has accepted the challenge, has taken on the effort and has culminated the undertaking with brilliance.’

‘This book would undoubtedly be of interest to musicians, writers and historians alike….Orringer offers a unique approach to the understanding of the creative processes of these two Spanish artists.’

‘Only a scholar specially equipped with the necessary analytical tools in both literature and music could write such a book as this, fortunately for us, Orringer is such a writer.’

‘Orringer’s clearly organized and well written study is a fascinating and in-depth look at Lorca’s and Falla’s work alongside one another… This book is highly recommended for students and scholars of Lorca and Falla alike, as well as those interested in European cultural production of the twentieth-century.’

‘Orringer’s study is essential reading for anyone interested in Falla, Lorca, and the period that brought forth these two icons of twentieth-century Spanish culture.’