The Three-Cornered Hat

Composer: FALLA, Manuel de
  • The Three-Cornered Hat was originally a short pantomime with music written in 1916-17, based on the novel El sombrero de tres picos (1874) by Pedro Antonio de Alarcón.
  • Falla expanded the work into a full ballet for Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes in 1919.
  • The 1919 ballet premiered in London, with choreography by Massine. The sets and costumes were designed by Picasso. Falla added an introduction to the ballet so the audience would have time to admire Picasso’s spectacular hand painted curtain.
  • Story: The Corregidor (the chief village magistrate, whose uniform includes a three-cornered hat), tries to abuse his authority to arrest the village Miller and seduce the Miller’s wife. However, the Corregidor is outsmarted by the Miller’s wife and foiled by a hilarious series of mistaken identities.

Cut IDs

18887 19611 20927 23103 41228 43000 44175 44180 44181 49418 49656