FALLA MANUEL DE: (1876-1946) Spanish Composer. A very fine letter with musical content, A.L.S., `Manuel de Falla?, also signed with his name to the verso of the envelope, three pages, 8vo, Madrid, 8th August 1916, to Ricardo Vi?es, in Spanish. Falla is helping his correspondent on his participation in the San Sebastian music festival, stating in part `Querido Ricardo, al fin puedo escribirte lo que deseaba y es que..., a instancias mias, ha pedido a Dominguez el director del Casino de San Sebastian, que le contrate a usted para tocar los nocturnos y unos solos de piano en un Festival espa?ol que debe celebrarse en aquel casino en septiembre... la direcci?n encarg?ndome que le diga de su parte que desea toque usted como solos, en la segunda parte del Festival, algunas Goyescas y alguna Iberia... Ma?ana le enviar? a usted, certificado, la parte de piano de los nocturnos. Le ruego que, en el caso de que no pueda venir a San Sebastian me devuelva enseguida dicha parte de piano para que tenga tiempo de estudiarla quien la toque en su lugar...? (Translation: "Dear Ricardo, I can finally write to you what I've been wanting to say, which is that... at my request, the director of the San Sebastian Casino has asked Dominguez to hire you to play the nocturnes and some piano solos at a Spanish Festival to be held there in September. The director has asked me to tell you that he would like you to play some Goyescas and some Iberias as solos in the second part of the Festival... Tomorrow I will send you the piano parts for the nocturnes by registered mail. I ask that, should you be unable to come to San Sebastian, you return the piano parts to me immediately so that whoever plays in your place has time to study them...") Accompanied by the original envelope, addressed in Falla?s hand, postmarked and stamped, and with his own name and address written in his hand too to the verso as sender. VG

Ricardo Vi?es y Roda (1875-1943) Spanish pianist. He gave the premieres of various works by Ravel, Debussy, Satie, Falla and Albeniz. He was the piano teacher of the composer Francis Poulenc.

Manuel de Falla's Nocturne is an early work for piano composed in 1896 in F minor. The composer himself premiered it in C?diz in 1899.

The "Goyescas" were composed by the pianist and composer Enrique Granados (1867-1916). He initially created the celebrated piano suite in 1911 and later adapted the musical material to premiere the opera version of the same name in New York in 1916. Both works are inspired by the paintings and aesthetic universe of Francisco de Goya.

Isaac Alb?niz (1860-1909) composed Iberia the absolute pinnacle of his creation of piano music between 1905 and 1909.