A Catholic, a Patriot, a Good Modernist: Manuel de Falla and the Francoist Musical Press

Although the composer Manuel de Falla left Spain for Argentina only a few months after the end of the Civil War in 1939, the Franco regime tried from the beginning to obtain its support in order to achieve a measure of legitimacy, given that Falla was, at the time, the only living Spanish composer of international standing. This article explores the way in which, during the first decade of the Franco regime, the musical press, music criticism and musicology worked to construct an image of the composer which suited the dictatorship. Thus, Falla was presented, first of all, as a true Catholic, and this allowed him to be a true Spaniard; in turn, both qualities combined turned him into a representative of what a healthy and ‘Spanish’ musical modernism could look like. I will analyze how this narrative was supported by particular readings of Falla’s works, including the Harpsichord Concerto and El retablo de maese Pedro