Ritual Dance of Fire from El Amor Brujo [Alf:36-M366791]

The ballet EL AMOR BRUJO (THE BEWITCHED LOVE) was composed by Manuel de Falla (1876-1946) in 1915, with revisions taking place until 1920, resulting in several versions. In the ballet, which uses a libretto by Mar­a de la O LejĦrraga Garc­a, a young Andalusian gypsy girl is haunted by the ghost of her dead husband. To be rid of the ghost, all of the gypsies form a circle around their campfire at midnight, while the girl performs the Ritual Dance of Fire. When the ghost appears, she dances with him until he is drawn into the fire, vanishing forever. With its fast, repetitive trills and high energy, the section titled Ritual Dance of Fire is the most popular music from the ballet. This version is transcribed for four violoncellos by Emilio Col³n.