'El amor brujo' (The magic love) is a ballet composed in 1914-1915 by Manuel de Falla. It was commissioned as a 'gitanería' (gypsy piece) by Pastora Imperio, a renowned flamenco gypsy dancer and scored for cantaora voice, actors and chamber orchestra. In 1925 De Falla made a second version of the ballet that features expanded orchestration, elimination of the narration, small cuts, plot changes and a different order to the numbers. It is in this version that the work is best known nowadays. The ballet tells the story of the love of a gypsy woman who is possessed by the spirit of an old lover. This lover appears in the fire dance to release his enchanted woman. American arranger Douglas McLain transcribed 7 movements from the ballet in a suite for Symphonic Band.
