Emanuel Alexis Chabrier

Habanera

In 1882, the French composer Emmaneul Chabrier travelled with his wife for a six-month tour of Spain. They traveled extensively through the Peninsula and visited most of the country's famous sights. In Chabrier's popular Habanera, the lilting Spanish rhythms are evident from the very beginning. Originally from Cuba (the name refers to Havana), the work is a languid Spanish dance in a slow double meter, resembling the foundation of the tango. Although they were composed by a Frenchman, Espana and Habanera are convincing in their ability to convey the character and flavor of the country that inspired them. As the Spanish master Manuel de Falla once remarked, 'No Spaniard has succeeded better than Chabrier in giving us, with such authenticity and genius, the variety of jota shouted by the country folk of Aragon.'