ABSTRACT
El retablo de maese Pedro [Master Peter’s Puppet Show] (1918–23) is arguably Manuel de Falla’s most original work and one that marked an aesthetic shift from his ballets and concert music inspired by Andalusian themes. The stylistic reorientations in El retablo align it with post-war modernist trends and some of the cultural agendas advocating Hispanic renewal promoted by the Generations of 1898 and 1914. In particular, Falla was drawn to the contemporary practices of Pablo Picasso (and the Ballets Russes) and José Ortega y Gasset’s writings, thus building upon his long-standing engagement with literature and the visual arts in the conception of his works. After an overview of El retablo’s commission and compositional timeline, this chapter examines the possible mediating influence of Picasso and Ortega y Gasset upon the work’s musico-dramatic structure and staging.
