Final Dance from “The Three-Cornered Hat”

Falla’s ballet The Three-Cornered Hat - a celebration of Spanish dance first performed with immense success by Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in London in 1919 - is named after the official headgear worn by one of its principal characters, the Corregidor. Although Magistrate is the nearest English equivalent to the Spanish Corregidor, it is to be hoped that we have none like this particularly graceless example, who is not only stupid enough to have lustful designs on the beautiful young Miller’s Wife but also corrupt enough to imprison her husband to get him out of the way. He not only fails to get what he wants but also makes a fool of himself in the attempt - to the delight of the villagers who tease him mercilessly in a dance that ends the ballet in riot of brilliantly orchestrated Spanish melody and exhilarating jota dance rhythms.