Feb 10 2008
Canciones Populares harmonized by Lorca
I like a lot to play the Spanish Popular Songs for piano that harmonized the Andalusian poet Federico Garcia Lorca. Although he was not a musician, when he was young, he attended piano lessons and always showed a great interest for music. Indeed, he made a record of his Canciones Populares, playing the piano himself and accompanied by the famous singer “La Argentinita”. These songs are really popular: namely that Lorca collected those that common people sang in Andalusia eighty years ago, and wrote the music in a score. Although these are truly Andalusian songs, they have nothing to do with flamenco. Some of these songs are very old and have been repeated for centuries with little changes in music or lyrics. Here you can (partially) listen to the interpretation of “La Argentinita” and Lorca at the piano, of the song “Café de Chinitas” which recounts a discussion between two bullfighters Gypsies brothers about who was the most courageous. As you can see, really a Spanish commonplace. The “Cafe de Chinitas” was a coffeehouse that actually existed in the city of Málaga, and Paquiro, the ” torero”, perhaps was not a Gypsy and sure died not in the street, but he was a bullfight legend in the nineteen century.
El Café de Chinitas [1:22m]: Hide Player | Play in Popup |
Lyrics
El Café de Chinitas
En el café de Chinitas / At the “Chinitas” coffee room
dijo Paquiro a su hermano: /says Paquiro to his brother
«Soy más valiente que tú, /I’m more courageous than you
más torero y más gitano». /more bullfighter and more Gypsy
En el café de Chinitas /At the Chinitas coffee room
dijo Paquiro a Frascuelo: /says Paquiro to Frascuelo (another legendary bullfighter)
«Soy más valiente que tú, / I’m more courageous than you
más gitano y más torero». / more bullfighter and more Gypsy
Sacó Paquiro el reló / Paquiro take off his watch
y dijo de esta manera: /and says as follows
«Este toro ha de morir / “This bull must to die
antes de las cuatro y media». / before half past four”
Al dar las cuatro en la calle / At four o’clock in the street
se salieron del café / they left the coffee room
y era Paquiro en la calle / And Paquiro was for everybody
un torero de cartel. / among the better bullfighters
The poet and the singer (1931 ca.)
You can also hear another of these songs, “Las Morillas de Jaen”, played by me. It’s aXVII century song, telling about three Cristian girls who had been captured, becoming then “morillas” or young Arabian girls. I have been playing these songs, accompanying singers, for a long time. They are not difficult and above all is an excellent way to play chamber music enjoying it.
Las Morillas de Jaén [1:52m]: Hide Player | Play in Popup
Lyrics
Las morillas de Jaén
Tres morillas me enamoran en Jaén: / Three “Morillas” make me fall in love in Jaén:
Aixa, Fátima y Marién.
Tres morillas tan garridas / Three Arabian girls so poised
iban a coger olivas, / were going to pick olives
y hallábanlas cogidasen Jaén: / and they found it already picked in Jaén:
Aixa, Fátima y Marién.
Y hallábanlas cogidas / and they found it already picked
y tornaban desmaídas / and then they come back faded
y las colores perdídas en Jaén: / loosed her colours in Jaén:
Aixa, Fátima y Marién.
Tres morillas tan lozanas, / three Arabian girls so healthier
iban a coger manzanas / were going to pick apples
hallábanlas tomadas / and they found it already picked
en Jaén Aixa, Fátima y Marién.
Díjeles: ¿Quién sois, señoras, / I tell them, Who are you Ladies?
de mi vida robadoras? / that have stolen my life
Cristianas, que éramos moras /(We are) Christians, former Muslims en Jaén: in Jaén
Aixa, Fátima y Marién.
I would recommend a recording of Narciso Yepes with the singer Teresa Berganza, entitled “Canciones Españolas”, by Deutsche Gramophon. Yepes made a fantastic guitar transcription for his 10-string guitar of the harmonization of Lorca. I have not a 10-string guitar, but I try to do the best with mine 6-string.
You can contribute to this blog buying the score here
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