On Solera Flamenca we recently published the content of a handwritten unpublished letter from Manuel de Falla, addressed to Miguel Llobet, of great historical and cultural value. We decided to acquire it and show it to the world, owing to its importance.

After this one, there are other subsequent ten letters, which the renowned composer wrote to Miguel Llobet, and which we decided to publish from now on.

Every ten days we will be publishing a letter, transcribed by our partner and friend Santiago Míguez de la Rosa, with an attached explanation and some photographic evidence.

Without further ado, here you are: the second part of this series of letters which, without any doubt, will rewrite the history of Spanish guitar forever.

Madrid, 19 August (1)920.

My Dearest Friend,

Having already sent my postcard, I received your letter. You can not imagine how delighted I was, although I deeply regret not having the time (as I would like to catch up with the post) in order to properly comment the friendship and kindness from you when you talk about my work. Now I will answer your questions.

The simplicity of the writing is on purpose. When I compose a piece adapted to piano, I will not write anything in addition.

It does not mean that, if I had composed directly for piano, I wouldn´t have done anything else: I probably would have, yes. However, in the present case, having restricted it to what I could see in the guitar, I did intend what I did do.

Nevertheless, if I had been capable of playing the instrument myself, I would have done something different. Consequently, I beg you to remark anything you see fit, knowing I would be really grateful and and I would make a good use of it.

The same applies to the remarks strictly regarding the guitar (strings, slides, etc). All of this concerns the strictly necessary matters. Afterwards, when the piece is published separately (it is currently part of a set of a homage to Debussy) will be published officially, and authorized, if you allow me to, with your name.

Please, send my dearest regards to your wife. Also, from my brothers´s and myself, receive a hug with all my friendship and admiration.

Manuel de Falla

The correspondence between Falla and Llobet, finally and luckily, has not been lost. Solera Flamenca´s finding of ten letters proves it.

This is the first letter, written five days prior to the one we previously published. Falla surprises all of us by revealing Llobet he will not add anything in the adaptation to piano which was not in the guitar version. He also admits he would have probably done something different, had he been able to play the guitar. He is thus echoing Hector Berlioz´s warning not to compose for guitar if one is not a guitarist, in his “Grand Traité d´Instrumentation et d´Orchestration”. Hence Falla´s simplicity in the writing in his Homage.

Santiago Míguez de la Rosa