Habanera

What it means

The habanera is a Cuban dance in 2/4 time, named after the capital Havana. It arose in the nineteenth century and reached Spain and the rest of the world from there.

Characteristic is a distinctive rhythm in the accompaniment: a dotted eighth note, a sixteenth note, and two eighth notes, which repeats in every bar. This rhythm gives the habanera its swinging, slightly delayed gait. The melody above it is singing and often moves in triplets that are set against the duple rhythm of the accompaniment — an appealing conflict between two subdivisions.

The tempo is moderate, the character sensual and composed. The habanera counts as one of the forerunners of the tango, with which it shares the characteristic accompaniment rhythm.

In the notation

The habanera is in 2/4 time. The accompaniment figure is written out and repeats over long stretches almost unchanged. The melody stands above it, often with triplets and grace notes.

Musical use

The habanera became very popular in the nineteenth century and found its way into opera, song, and instrumental music. Composers took up its rhythm when they wanted to produce Spanish or Latin American colour, and it became one of the best-known dances of this kind. As a forerunner of the tango it had an effect far beyond the time of its origin.

As a character piece the rhythm appears, for instance, in Ravel's Rapsodie espagnole. Famous is the habanera from Bizet's Carmen, "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" — Bizet took it over from Sebastián Iradier's song El Arreglito (1863), believing it to be a folk song, and later added a note on its origin in the vocal score.

Performance practice

Play the accompaniment rhythm exactly and evenly, with slight weight on the dotted eighth note. Keep the tempo moderate and composed. Lead the melody in a singing manner and give the triplets their full roundness against the duple rhythm. And avoid haste — the effect of the habanera lies in its composure.