La vida breve (Spanish Life is Short or The Brief Life) is an opera in two acts and four scenes by Manuel de Falla to an original Spanish libretto by Carlos Fernández-Shaw. Local (Andalusian) dialect is used. It was written between August 1904 and March 1905, but not produced until 1913. The first performance was given (in a French translation by Paul Millet) at the Casino Municipal in Nice on 1 April 1913. Paris and Madrid performances followed, later in 1913 and in 1914 respectively. Claude Debussy played a major role in influencing Falla to transform it from the number opera it was at its Nice premiere to an opera with a more continuous musical texture and more mature orchestration. This revision was first heard at the Paris premiere at the Opéra-Comique in December 1913, and is the standard version.
| Original Name | La vida breve |
| Librettist | Carlos Fernández-Shaw (French translation by Paul Millet) |
| Date of composition | 1913 (1904-1905. Revised in 1913) |
| Premiered | 1913, April 1st (Casino Municipal) in Nice, France |
| Dedicated to | in memory of Carlos Fernandez Shaw |
| Type | Opera |
| Spoken language | Spanish |
| Instruments |
Orchestra
Voice (Soprano) - Salud, a gypsy Voice (Mezzo-Soprano) - La abuela (Salud's grandmother) Voice (Tenor) - Paco Voice (Bass) - Tío Sarvaor (Salvador, Salud's uncle) Voice (Mezzo-Soprano) - Carmela, the bride Voice (Baritone) - Manuel, the bride's brother Voice (Baritone) - Cantaor (Cantador, singer at the wedding) Voice (Contralto) - First saleswoman Voice (Mezzo-Soprano) - Second saleswoman Voice (Bass) - Salesman Voice (Tenor) - Solo voice in forge chorus |
| In listings |
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Famous Works
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| Links | |
| Autotranslations beta |
Manuel de Falla: The Brief Life Manuel de Falla: The Brief Life Manuel de Falla: The Brief Life |