About the work
El amor brujo was written in 1914-15 as a 'gitanería' – a one-act stage piece with song, dance and spoken dialogue – commissioned by the dancer Pastora Imperio, who together with her mother Rosario la Mejorana supplied Manuel de Falla with Andalusian legends and cante jondo songs as source material. It premiered on 15 April 1915 at the Teatro Lara in Madrid but was poorly received; only a thoroughly reworked, dialogue-free ballet version with a larger orchestra succeeded, given its premiere on 22 May 1925 at the Théâtre du Trianon-Lyrique in Paris under Falla's own direction.
Plot
Young Candelas is haunted by the ghost of her unfaithful, dead lover, whose spirit blocks a new love with Carmelo. Through a cunning ritual banishment – centred on the famous 'Ritual Fire Dance' – she finally manages to drive the ghost away and turn to Carmelo.
Cultural significance
As one of the key works of Spanish musical nationalism, El amor brujo distils material drawn directly from Andalusian flamenco tradition into concert form. The 'Ritual Fire Dance' it produced is among Falla's most widely performed concert pieces worldwide.