Saint-saëns’s Havanaise

One of Saint-saëns’s most familiar refrains, the Havanaise was composed in 1887 and was dedicated to the Cuban violinist Rafael Díaz Albertini. The pair shared a tour in the years prior and it’s then that Saint-saëns came up with the main melody – apparently inspired by the rhythm of a crackling fire in a hotel room. Whether that’s true or not, the composer’s interest in music from other cultures, coupled with time spent with Albertini, will surely have ignited his imagination. The short work is based on the Cuban habañera dance rhythm and was originally written for violin and piano.