Manuel de Falla and his House

The music of Manuel de Falla is known and loved throughout the world and has influenced the careers of many musicians.
Robin is no exception.
The Hill/Wiltschinsky Guitar Duo have recorded many of his pieces.
The Teldec CD 'Virtuoso Guitar' features 'El Amor Brujo', La Vida Breve' and 'El Sombreo de Tres Picos' (Three Cornered Hat) plus many other incredible pieces by Tarrega, Albeniz, Scarlatti etc, with some of the tracks performed by Wolfgang Lendle.

Plus I have mentioned Falla here on the blog a number of times, 'Alicia de Larrocha, the Ritual Fire Dance and a Maths Exam' and amusingly here on, 'Hill/Wiltschinsky - Pump It or Dump It' and 'Manuel de Falla's, 'Miller's Dance' and the Solar System'.
But Robin has also collaborated with other musicians and this post refers to one such performance, 'Review: Robin Hill and Izzy Cooper'.

So as you can see, Manuel de Falla has been a major part in Robin's life, so he was delighted to find himself in Falla's birthplace, Cadiz.
So you can imagine his excitement when he turned a corner and came across this bookshop:



Then, right next door he spotted a plaque:




And found himself standing in front of Manuel de Falla's home, (Upper floors):



Falla's birthplace overlooks a beautiful square and this is part of it:




Over the day I had many 'phone calls as Robin described each new discovery, even down to this glorious fountain, complete with turtles:




Cadiz is certainly a place I also wish to visit to pay my own respects to the wonderful composer, Manuel de Falla.

Manuel de Falla's, 'Miller's Dance', and the Solar System.

I did get to speak to Robin last night, just prior to his concert, and asked what he was doing.
"Practising the Miller's Dance, what are you doing?"
"Oh, making a mobile of the solar system, with son number two."
"That's nice."
I didn't think he was really concentrating, so left him to his Falla, and went back to recreating the universe.

However, we did get to talk again after the concert, and it all went very well.
I'd known Robin had been apprehensive about performing Manuel de Falla's, 'Miller's Dance', from 'The Three Cornered Hat'.
For many years he has performed the piece with the Hill/Wiltschinsky Guitar Duo, and it has always been hugely popular.
So, when he decided to add it to his solo repertoire, I was looking forward to hearing the end result.
The problem was he couldn't find a suitable arrangement of it anywhere.
So he did one himself.

This was the first time Robin has performed the solo version in public, and it's always a different experience to practising it alone in your music room.
He needn't have worried though, it went very well, and the audience loved it.

Amongst other things, he also played his own 'Fiesta de Xabia', 'Two Dances' by John Dowland, Two pieces for Viheula ('Guardame Las Vacas' - Luis de Narvaez, 'Fantasia' -Alonso Mudarra), 'And I Love Her' - Paul McCartney, 'Una Limosna par el Amor de Dios' - Agustin Barrios, some Villa-Lobos and Pernambuco.

A nice programme, shame I wasn't there to hear it.
Today he should be in Grand Turk, even bigger shame I'm not there to see that, I'm awaiting further news here in the cold.