The Three-Cornered Hat

work by Falla

Also known as: “El sombrero de tres picos”

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July 14, 2026

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The Three-Cornered Hat is a ballet with music by Manuel de Falla and was based on the 1874 novel of the same name by Pedro Antonio de Alarcón. Falla, considered the most distinguished Spanish composer of the early 20th century, created a work that fused poetry, asceticism, and ardor, embodying the purest spirit of Spain.12

The ballet was first performed in London in 1919 and is known for its distillation of Andalusian folk music, showcasing Falla's mastery in capturing Spanish rhythms and effects. The music evokes Spanish atmosphere through its orchestration, establishing Falla internationally as a leading Spanish composer.13

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theatre music
Music for ballet
…as a “poème choréographique,” and The Three-cornered Hat (1919) by the Spanish composer Manuel de Falla. Distinctive original scores for ballet continued usually to be the outcome of specific commissions. Composers do not yet normally think in terms of dance (as they do in terms of song), although in Great…
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…as a “poème choréographique,” and The Three-cornered Hat (1919) by the Spanish composer Manuel de Falla. Distinctive original scores for ballet continued usually to be the outcome of specific commissions. Composers do not yet normally think in terms of dance (as they do in terms of song), although in Great…
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Manuel de Falla
…sombrero de tres picos (The Three-Cornered Hat; London, 1919). Noches en los jardines de España (Nights in the Gardens of Spain; Madrid, 1916), a suite of three impressions for piano and orchestra, evoked the Andalusian atmosphere through erotic and suggestive orchestration. All these works established Falla internationally as the…
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…sombrero de tres picos (The Three-Cornered Hat; London, 1919). Noches en los jardines de España (Nights in the Gardens of Spain; Madrid, 1916), a suite of three impressions for piano and orchestra, evoked the Andalusian atmosphere through erotic and suggestive orchestration. All these works established Falla internationally as the…
Read More