 |
      |
 |
|
Federico Garcia Lorca The great Spanish poet and playwright Federico Garc’a Lorca was born on June 5, 1898, in Fuente Vaqueros near the city of Granada. As a young man, Lorca studied philosophy, literature and law at the University of Granada. Besides being a talented writer, Lorca was also an accomplished artist and musician. He found inspiration for his work in the traditions of folk and gypsy songs, especially the fiery, bittersweet flamenco of his native Andalusia. In 1922, Lorca and renowned composer Manuel de Falla organized the Fiesta del Cante Jondo, a folk music festival dedicated to the flamenco tradition of "deep song", the most profound style of flamenco singing. Two of his most important poetic works, Poema del Cante Jondo and Romancero Gitano, reveal Lorca's attraction to flamenco, a lyrical form that expressed his musical, poetical and spiritual impulses. This compact disc includes the songs, Corazón Malherido and Romance de la Luna, Luna, which are taken from these works. This folkloric influence also resonated throughout his plays (Bodas de Sangre, Yerma, Las Casa de Bernarda Alba) and allowed Lorca to skillfully capture the essence of the fractured Spanish psyche of that period. His books were read throughout the Spanish-speaking world and were particularly acclaimed in Argentina, Uruguay and Cuba. His central themes were love, pride, passion and violent death, which also marked his own life. At the outset of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, the outspoken Lorca was arrested by members of the Falange, a fascist party that supported General Franco. Two days later, on August 19, he was executed by a firing squad on a moonless night and his body thrown into an unmarked grave. << back |
