He wrote a song called "Tus ojillos negros" which became very popular, and he won a prize for a piano composition, but it was his opera "La vida breve" (1904-1905) which really showed his genius, although it was not performed at the time. No one in Spain wanted to perform his zarzuelas, so he went to Paris in 1907. He soon made friends with Dukas, Debussy and Ravel. He made changes to "La vida breve" and it was performed in Paris in 1913. His piano works and songs were also performed in Paris, and in Madrid.