Manuel De Paula

An important Spanish composer of opera, oratorio, piano, and ballet music such as "El amor brujo (Love, the Magician)" and "El sombrero de tres picos (The Three-Cornered Hat)." De Falla wrote bold, passionate, and colorful Andalusian gypsy dance forms with folk-style original melodies ("Fantasia betica"); operas and zarzuelas (a Spanish operetta form) about magic: "El amor brujo" contains the famous "Ritual Fire Dance" to ward off evil spirits while pots and pans are being forged; and mirthful pieces ("El sombrero de tres picos," a ballet about a miller's wife and a presuming town official).