Manuel de Falla

Fuego Fatuo

Fuego Fatuo has an interesting history. Manuel De Falla (1876-1946), often regarded as the greatest Spanish composer of the 20th century, wanted to write an opera based around themes from Chopin, whomhe greatly admired. The stage work was never finished; however, several attempts have been made to arrange the work for orchestra, most successfully by the Catalan conductor Antoni Ros-Marb .

Despite itshistory, this orchestral suite is far from being a mere mish-mash of Chopin melodies; it is more of a meditation on Chopin's work in general, with the focus on the harmonic and textural elements which De Falla drew fromhis work. It forms a fascinating insight into the mind of a great musician.