"El Sombrero de Tres Picos", First and Second Suites (arr. Antonio Serrano)

The two orchestral suites from MANUEL DE FALLA’s ballet THE THREE‑CORNERED HAT are among the composer’s most celebrated works, alongside his symphonic impressions Nights in the Gardens of Spain for piano and orchestra, the ballet Love Magic, the cycle Seven Spanish Folk Songs, and numerous works for voice and piano, chamber music, and zarzuelas. The ballet itself is a revision of an earlier composition. During World War I, de Falla wrote a two‑act ballet titled The Corregidor and the Miller’s Wife (El corregidor y la molinera), first performed in Madrid in 1917. At the suggestion of Sergei Diaghilev, he reworked the piece, giving rise to the new ballet The Three‑Cornered Hat (El sombrero de tres picos). The libretto was written by Gregorio Martínez Sierra, based on the novella of the same name by the Spanish writer Pedro Antonio de Alarcón. Its premiere on July 22^nd , 1919, at the Alhambra Theatre in London was an extraordinary success. The production brought together some of the greatest artistic talents of the time: Leonid Massine served as choreographer and danced the role of the Miller; Pablo Picasso designed the costumes and sets; Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes performed; and Tamara Karsavina took the female lead. The orchestra was conducted by Ernest Ansermet, as de Falla had returned to Granada to be with his dying mother. As the title suggests, the plot presents a love triangle: the Governor, infatuated with the Miller’s faithful wife, attempts to seduce her but is instead publicly ridiculed. The ballet consists of eight principal scenes, structured as a series of Spanish folk dances performed with classical ballet technique. It is divided into an introduction and two acts, linked by pantomime episodes. Two songs for mezzo‑soprano in the characteristic style of cante jondo—the “deep song” tradition associated with flamenco—are also included. The two orchestral suites were derived from the ballet’s music, omitting the vocal numbers. Their brilliant orchestration captures the vivid Spanish spirit and dramatic narrative. They were published in London by J. & W. Chester Ltd., the first in 1921 and the second in 1925. The First Suite consists of an introduction and four parts. It opens with a brief fanfare that figuratively raises the curtain. The first part portrays a lively village gathering on a warm afternoon. The second is a seductive fandango. The third begins with a dialogue between bassoon and flute, introducing the scene in which the Miller’s Wife tempts the Governor by offering him grapes. In the final part, the themes of the main characters are ingeniously interwoven into the orchestral texture, depicting a chase: the Miller’s Wife flees, while the Governor, in pursuit, stumbles into an ambush. The Second Suite consists of three dances. The first is a seguidilla based on traditional peasant dance themes. The second is a dark and fiery flamenco farruca, expressing masculinity, sensuality, and strength in the Miller’s dance. Before the jubilant finale, the music recreates a chaotic, lively scene in which all the characters join at the climax of the jota, weaving together familiar musical themes. Preserving the original form of the two suites from The Three‑Cornered Hat, Antonio Serrano’s arrangement for harmonica and orchestra skillfully reveals the melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, and contrapuntal possibilities of the chromatic harmonica. The orchestration has been delicately adapted, and the work was first performed in this form in November 2020 at the Manuel de Falla Spanish Music Festival.