Falla: Homenaje pour le tombeau de Debussy
Written in July-August 1920 in Granada and published in December of that year as a supplement to a special Debussy memorial issue of La Revue Musicale, Manuel de Falla's Homenaje pour le tombeau de Claude Debussy is the first major 20th-century concert work written by a leading non-guitarist composer specifically for solo guitar. It is also Falla's only original work for the instrument.
Genesis and Context
Claude Debussy had been a close personal friend and artistic supporter of Falla during his Paris years (1907-1914). When Debussy died in March 1918, the editor of La Revue Musicale, Henri Prunieres, commissioned contributions to a memorial issue from leading composers including Ravel, Bartok, Stravinsky, Satie, and Dukas. Prunieres asked Falla for an article; Falla chose to compose instead.
The Catalan guitarist Miguel Llobet -- a direct pupil of Francisco Tarrega who had repeatedly asked Falla for a guitar piece -- met Falla in Madrid in spring 1920 to discuss the project and provided technical guidance on guitar writing. The piece was completed in roughly two weeks, remarkable for a composer of Falla's meticulous temperament. Llobet's handwritten copy with his fingerings is preserved in the Museu de la Musica de Barcelona. The guitar world premiere was given by Llobet at the Teatro Principal de Burgos on 13 February 1921.
The Music
The Homenaje is built on the habanera rhythm -- a pulse that connects Falla's Andalusian roots to Debussy's music: Debussy had used the same rhythm in Soiree dans Grenade (Estampes, 1903) and La Puerta del Vino (Preludes II, 1913), the latter inspired by a postcard of the Alhambra that Falla himself had sent Debussy in 1909. Eight measures from the end, Falla quotes directly from Soiree dans Grenade -- closing the circle. The form is tripartite (ABA), evoking the Baroque tombeau genre. Falla: 'There is not even one measure of this music borrowed from Spanish folklore.' Duration: approximately 3 minutes. Level: advanced. Score available on IMSLP (public domain).
Historical Significance
The Homenaje is widely regarded as the pivotal work that elevated the classical guitar from salon instrument to the serious concert stage in the 20th century, opening the door for commissions from Poulenc, Villa-Lobos, Britten, Rodrigo, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and generations after them.
Performed at Siccas Guitars
Luigi Attademo performed Homenaje on a 1941 Jose Ramirez II guitar for Siccas Guitars (October 2023).
See all piece articles: Famous Classical Guitar Pieces
