Born in 1876 in Cadiz, the historical seaport town at the southern-most tip of Andalucia, Manuel de Falla is the greatest Spanish composer of this century.

After the death of Debussy (25th March 1918) Henri Prunieres asked Falla to contribute to the planned memorial issue of revue Musicale, of which he was the publisher. Though Prunieres had asked for an article, Falla preferred to respond with a piece of music, the Homenaje, simultaneously satisfying Miguel Llobet's earlier request for a work for the guitar.