Havanaise Opus 83 für Violine und Klavier

Camille Saint-Saëns' Havanaise Op.83 for Violin and Piano. Urtext edition.

It is said that Camille Saint-Saëns' was inspired to write Havanaise Op.83 after observing acrackling open fire at one of the hotels where he stayed whilst on tour with the violinist Rafael Diaz Albertini in 1885.

We do not know whether, when writing the composition two years later, the Habanera (French Havanaise)with its typical two beat dance rhythms was an allusion to the Cuban origin of his friend Albertini, to whom this work is dedicated.

At any rate, the composition was extremely well received from the very beginning,both in its original form and in the Orchestral version. Ingolf Turban kindly provided the bowings for the virtuoso Violin part.