The Miller's Dance | |
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by Manuel de Falla | |
Native name | Danza del molinero |
Genre | Ballet excerpt |
Form | Dance |
Published | 1919 |
Duration | approx. 3 minutes |
Premiere | |
Date | July 22, 1919 |
Location | Alhambra Theatre, London |
The Miller's Dance (Danza del molinero) is a well-known orchestral excerpt from The Three-Cornered Hat (El sombrero de tres picos), a ballet composed by Spanish composer Manuel de Falla in 1919. The piece is celebrated for its vivid rhythms and Spanish folk influence, especially from Andalusian flamenco traditions. [1]
The Three-Cornered Hat was commissioned by the impresario Sergei Diaghilev and choreographed by Léonide Massine, with set and costume design by Pablo Picasso. The ballet premiered at the Alhambra Theatre in London on July 22, 1919, performed by the Ballets Russes. [2]
The Miller’s Dance occurs in the second act and is performed by the character of the miller, expressing his defiance and anger through a zapateado-inspired solo, a traditional Spanish percussive dance characterized by heel-stomping.
The piece is in a fast 3/8 meter and is structured in a ternary ABA form. It features dramatic dynamics, syncopated rhythms, and striking use of percussion. It remains one of Falla's most frequently performed concert excerpts.
Over the decades, The Miller’s Dance has been arranged for a wide variety of solo instruments and ensembles due to its rhythmic vitality and character.
Several landmark recordings of The Miller’s Dance have contributed to its popularity outside the ballet.
The Miller’s Dance has occasionally appeared in media and advertising:
The Miller's Dance is now frequently performed as a standalone concert work and remains an emblem of early 20th-century Spanish nationalism in music. Its distinctive rhythm and dramatic flair ensure its place in both the classical and popular imagination.