Havanaise

The Havanaise in E major Opus 83, is a composition for violin and orchestra based on the habanera rhythm, written in 1887 by Camille Saint-Sans. The havanaise (habaera in Spanish) is a dance in 2/4 time, with a characteristic four note repeating rhythm. It originated in Havana in the mid nineteenth century. In contrast to Bizet's famous habaera in Carmen, Saint-Sans uses the Latin American idiom with restraint. The characteristic four note repeating rhythm is heard quietly at the outset, accompanying the soloist who plays a lyrical, romantic melody in a triplet-duplet rhythm, which permeates the piece.