Nights in the Gardens of Spain, for piano and orchestra - Falla
9.48 app. Tone Poem: Finlandia - Sibelius

The lovely title of Manuel de Falla's three Nocturnes gives a true indication of their character; listening to them, we seem to be transported to the very heart of Andalusia. Although the work is not a concerto, since the piano is treated as an instrument of the orchestra, the part allotted to it is so important and intricate that it demands an artist of high skill. Completed in 1916, the work was first given in this country at a concert in London in 1921, when the composer played the piano and the conductor was Edward Clark. Falla said that his intention was "to evoke the memory of places, sensations, and sentiments, and the themes employed are based on the rhythms and figures which distinguish the popular art of Andalusia. The music is expressive rather than descriptive, and something more than sounds of festivals and dances have inspired these "evocations in sound", for melancholy and mystery have their part also". The first movement is called after the Generalife, "the garden of the architect" on a hillside overlooking the Alhambra, said to be the most beautiful place in the whole of Granada. The second Nocturne is described as "a dance in the distance", and the last is called "In the gardens of the Sierra de Cordoba", where revels are in progress, with gypsy musicians and dancers taking part.
Harold Rutland

Tickets from 7s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. (Promenade, Arena or Gallery, 2s. at doors only) may be obtained from Royal Albert Hall and the usual agents