Manuel de Falla's complete ballet telling the humourous tale of a Miller, his Wife and a lecherous magistrate.
Performed by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra with mezzo-soprano Kristin Darragh, conducted by Giordano Bellincampi.
Kristin Darragh Photo: ex video stream, APO/JX Live
Written for Sergei Diaghilev’s legendary company, the Ballets Russes, Manuel de Falla provided a sunny comedic scenario from his native southern Spain.
The ballet opens with cante jondo - a flamenco style of singing, warning the audience that a sad story is ahead. This is to the accompaniment of shouting and castanet playing from many members of the orchestra.
We meet the Miller and his Wife – they’re a loving, playful couple, the wife dances a Fandango, but their marital bliss is interrupted by the lecherous “Corregidor” - the local magistrate, whose three-cornered hat of the title signifies just how pompous he is. The Miller’s Wife offers him grapes in a mock seduction.
In Part Two of the ballet, the neighbours do some seguidillas (dances in three-four time), before the lowly Miller squares off against the Corregidor and his bodyguard for the honour of his wife, in an aggressive, stamping dance known as the Farruca, with a brief quote from Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.
All is resolved in favour of our heroes – the lecherous Corregidor gets his comeuppance … the very last section of the score is headed “The tossing of the Corregidor”. The Miller and his Wife live happily ever after; the whole village rejoices with a final jota dance from Southern Spain.
Programme Note by Robbie Ellis
Recorded by RNZ Concert, Auckland Town Hall, 21 February 2019
Producer: Tim Dodd; Engineer: Adrian Hollay
