It all started with a surreal scene in the sleepy, understated film "Schultze Gets the Blues". About a third of the way in, the three retired friends come to the bar they've always known and are greeted by a new waitress. She confronts them boldly for drink orders and then swivels away into a dance, content with their rapt attention. The song playing in the background was one of the most captivating I'd ever heard. It sounded like a waltz and stood out from the rest of the film's polka and calypso score. (Also, all musicians should watch this film. It's so beautiful. About the passion and pursuit within all of us.) I watched the film a few more times, captivated by that brief 20-30 seconds and straining my eyes in the end credits to look for a Russian name or something waltz-like. After skimming through the 30-second samples online from the soundtrack, I came up blank. The song in the film wasn't there. Then I went to IMDB after rabid bouts of curiosity and looked through the film's credits page to look through the exact songs in sequential order. Coming upon the 30-second sample of Manuel de Falla's "Cancion del Fuego Fueto" is one of the most satisfying moments of my life. I spent the next few hours mining allmusic for various renditions of the opera singers and guitarists who had attempted the song. I wasn't attached to any specific version, just pleased enough with the composition. Below is a guitar version of the piece played by someone uncredited. I'm a bit more entranced with the orchestral version. This can be seen here albeit dance steps. This is also how your parents met. I also found an intense version of Julian Lloyd Weber tearing up a de Falla composition from the same score with his pianist keeping up.Cute little guy, huh? He reminds me of guitarist Spencer Seim from Hella. This is a clip from the first time I saw them live. Julian and Spencer, distant cousins, indeed.So de Falla is well known in Spanish-speaking countries, no? I had never heard of him before. His "wikipedia biography":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_de_Falla is wonderful. Just the fact that El Amor Brujo was composed in 1914 with gypsies in mind to conduct it has my permanent respect. Also, I'm partial to anyone who opposed fascism and lost friends in the Spanish Civil War. Bowties aside, Manuel's courageous music lives on.