Appendix VI: "Afternoon Retreat in Granada"

(taped by author in Mexico City in May, 1983, and translated by author with the help of Prof. Carlos Galaricha of the University of Aveiro.)

It was some day during the month of June in 1971. Gerardo Gombau, musician of great stature and my inseparable friend, and I were walking close to the Puerta del Vino (at the Alhambra).

"Gerardo, I don't know where I read that," I said upon contemplation of the picture postcard in bright colors of this celebrated monument of the Alhambra begun by Debussy in one of his most Andalusian preludes.

"It is," I remember it well, "that which (de) Falla proclaimed in his Escritos (Writings) about Debussy. How could I have forgotten it?" I exclaimed astonished. "I who was the first to know perfectly the Escritos of Don Manuel."

We spoke then of happenings of years gone by. Of course, we remembered those concerts of new music, during the decade of the thirties, which we organized in the Students' Residence in Madrid, causing a big commotion.

"Rodolfo, then we were young. We, our souls, were restless. Both of us were motivated by the same iillusion, to present ourselves as artists participating in ambitious musical enterprises. But the damned Spanish Civil War dashed all of our hopes."

Nightime fell upon us. Gerardo and I began our descent from the Alhambra to the city. The path was dimly lit by the dying light of a pair of old lanterns.

"Be careful, Gerardo, you are going to trip." Suddenly, we encountered Don Valentin Ruiz Aznar, priest, chapelmeister, and intimate friend of de Falla. In the dark, we recognized him by the familiar sound and kindness of his voice.

"I was looking for you. Someone told me that you were up here. I am glad to have found you. I am going to give you a very valuable gift. You will appreciate it very much because you are musicians."

There were four pages of manuscript paper that contained notes, numbers, and scribblings drawn in (de) Falla's own hand. And without more commentary, Don Valentin gave us each a set of these papers.

"Thank you, Don Valentin." With rapid and affectionate hugs we left him.

We stayed in the hotel, Gerardo and 1, in the center of Granada, where other professors of the second Manuel de Falla Course, part of the 20th Festival of Music and Dance, also resided.

In my room, while my wife Emilia was looking at a magazine, I examined with growing curiosity the pleasure that Don Valentin had just given me. In its material aspect it constituted a series of four photostatic copist.iticas que reproducen los cuatros hojas de paper pautado con las cotaciones y anotaciones de Falla.

Did Don Valentin a Gerardo el manuscrito original de Don Manuel, or did he give him photostatic copies the same as mine? I don't know.

As Gerardo died suddenly some months later, I was never able to verify it.

P.S. After examining those papers of de Falla, their importance is very great, because they give the only written testament that de Falla left about his technique.

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RETIRO ATARDECER GRANADINE

Es un dia cualquiera del mes de junio de 1971. Cerca de la Puerta del Vino deambulamos Gerardo Gombau, músico de gran talle y amigo mio entrañable y yo.

"Gerardo, no sé en dondé he leido," que la contemplación de una tarjeta postal que of recia en vivos colores una vista de este celebre monumento de la Alhambra inició a Debussy uno de sus Preludios mas andaluces.

Eso es, lo recuerdo bién, lo que asgurá Falla en sus Escritos sobre Debussy. ?Como he podido olvidarlo, exclama asombrado? "Yo que primero de saber y conocer al dedillo los Escritos de Don Manuel." Hablamos luego de acontecimientos de años difutos. Por supuesto, evocamos aquellos conciertos de música nueva, que en las decada de los treinta, organizamos en la madrileña residencia de estudiantes, armando un sonado alboroto.

Todolf o, entonces eramos jóvenes. Nosoltros, nuestras almas, estaban colmadas de inquietudes. A ambos nos animaba una idéntica ilusión de realizarnos como artistas, de participar en empresas musicales ambiciosas. Pero la maldita guerra civil española truncó todas nuestra esperanzas."

La noche se nos hechó encima. Gerado y yo, inciamos el descense de la Alhambra a la cuidad. Debilmente alumbra el camino la luz mortecina de un par de vestustas farolas.

"Cuidado, Gerardo, vas a trompezar." De repente, nos sale al encuentro Don Valentin Ruiz Aznar, sacerdote, maestro de capilla, y amigo intimo de Falla. En la oscuridad, le reconocemos por el timbre familiar y bondadoso de su voz.

"Os estoy buscando. Alguien me dijo que estabais ahi arriba. Me felicitó de haberlos encontrado. Yo voy hacerlos un regalo muy valioso. Lo sabreis apreciar porque son musicos."

Se trata de cuatro hojas de papel pautado que contiene notas, cif ras y garabatos trazados, con la proprio mano de Falla. Y sin añadir mas comentario Don Valentin os entrega, sendos juegos de esos papeles.

"Muchas graclas, Don Valentin." Con apretados y afectusos abrazos nos despidimos de él.

El hotel, en el que os hospedamos, Gerardo y yo, está ubicado en el Centro de Granada. Ahi residen también otros profesores del segundo curso Manuel de Falla, curso este organizado dentro del marco de veinte Festival de Música y Danza.

En mi habitación, mientras Emilia, mi esposa, ojea una revista, yo examiné con curiosidad cresciente el obsequio que acaba de hacerme Don Valentin. En su aspecto material lo constituye un juego de cuatro copias fotostaiticas que reproducen los cuatros hojas de paper pautado con las cotaciones y anotaciones de Falla.

?Entregó Don Valentin a Gerardo el manuscrito original de Don Manuel, o al igual que hizo consigo, conmigo le dió solo copias fotostáticas, lo ignoro?

Com Gerardo falleció repetinamente algunos meses más tarde, quien me lo iba a decir no no he podido averiguar.

Granada, 2 de Marzo de 1972

Después he examinado estos papeles de Falla y su importancia es muy grande. Pues que se trata del unico testimonio por escrito que Falla ha dejado acerca de su tecnica.