[1] In 1919 Winnaretta Singer, aka la Princesse Edmond de Polignac, commissioned from Falla a piece that could be performed in her salon, using her own elaborate puppet theater.

(Her other commissions included Igor Stravinsky's Renard and Erik Satie's Socrate, although neither of those works had its premiere in her private theater.)

Falla decided to set an episode from Cervantes' Don Quixote that actually depicts a puppet play.

Also at the premiere was Francis Poulenc, who met Landowska for the first time; she asked him to write a harpsichord concerto for her, and his Concert champêtre was the result.

The premiere was attended by the poets, musicians, and painters who comprised the exclusive court of the Princess de Polignac.

Five days later, Corpus Barga published a report in El Sol with verbal portraits of some of those present: Paul Valéry, "the poet of the day, making gestures like a shipwrecked man drowning in the waves of feminine shoulders"; Stravinsky, "a mouse among the cats" and Pablo Picasso "in evening dress, and mobbed by everybody, [who] seems as though he is resting in a corner with his hat pulled down over one eyebrow", and the artist José Maria Sert.

Falla went on to tour the piece quite successfully throughout Spain with the Orquesta Bética, a chamber orchestra he had founded in 1922.

El retablo de maese Pedro was a great success for Falla, with performances and new productions all over Europe within a few years of the premiere.

He calls for attention and announces the performance of "The Tale of Melisendra", a story about the alleged daughter of Charlemagne who was held captive by Moors in Zaragoza.

Melisendra, the emperor’s alleged daughter, is held captive in Zaragoza by the Moorish king Marsilio.

The scene is acted after the narrative explanation, the two knights rising from their game as the Emperor enters to appropriately stately music and confronts Don Gayferos, striking him with his scepter, before turning away.

The curtain closes again and the boy describes how Melisendra, at the window of her tower, talks to Gayferos, thinking he is a passing stranger.

The boy wishes them well, as true lovers, and a safe arrival home, with happy lives, which he hopes are as long as Nestor's.

"Llaneza, muchacho, no te encumbres, que toda afectación es mala" (Simplicity, boy, don't elaborate too much; affectation is bad).

Don Quixote jumps up to object that this is ridiculous ("Eso no, que es un gran disparate": "That's not right, it's a big mistake"); the Moors did not have bells, only drums and shawms.

Master Peter shows his head again to tell Don Quixote not to be such a stickler for accuracy, since plays are frequently full of errors and are successful all the same.

The boy expresses the fear that they will catch the pair, and will bring them back tied to the tail of their own horse (dragged).

At this point Don Quixote cannot restrain himself, and addresses the puppets: "Alto, malnacida canalla, non les sigáis ni persigáis, si no, conmigo sois en batalla" ("Stop, low-born rabble, don't follow them, or you'll have to fight with me").

Continuing to insult the Moors, in archaic, chivalric language, the furious Don Quijote uses his sword to destroy the puppets.

He declares that here is proof of the usefulness of knights-errant: "¡Quisiera yo tener aquí delante aquellos que no creen de cuanto provecho sean los caballeros andantes!

His scoring, for a small orchestra featuring the then-unfamiliar sound of the harpsichord, was lean, pungent, neo-classical in a highly personal and original way, and pointedly virtuosic.

& W. Chester presented the text in English and French (in translations by John Brande Trend and Georges Jean-Aubry respectively) as well as Spanish.

[10] Dedication: "Très respectueusement dédié a Madame la Princesse Edmond de Polignac" Audio Video On 29 May 1938, the BBC presented a black-and-white television movie in English translation, using Thomas Shelton's version of Don Quixote adapted by J.

Frederick Sharpe sang the role of Don Quixote, Jane Connard The Boy, and Perry Jones Master Peter.