Nights in the Gardens of Spain (Noches en los jardines de España), G. 49, is a work by Spanish composer Manuel de Falla. Falla was Andalusian and the music refers to the Hispano-Arabic past of this region (Al-Andalus). Initially intended as a set of nocturnes for solo piano, it took around 6 years to complete. By suggestion of pianist Ricardo Viñes, Falla ended up reworking the material into a great work for piano and orchestra in three movements, each 'describing' a different garden. Even though the piano part is elaborate and eloquent, it's rarely dominant, and the character of the piece itself is very descriptive. The premiere took place in April of 1916, at Madrid's Teatro Real, with the Madrid Symphonic Orchestra conducted by Enrique Fernández Arbós and José Cubiles as piano soloist. The work first appeared in print in 1922 in Paris in a two-pianos version, and the following year in its full orchestral form. The full score calls for piano, 3 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, cor anglais, two clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, cymbals, triangle, celesta, harp, and strings. A standard performance takes around 22 to 26 minutes.
