Vocalise-étude en forme de habanera

In 1907, when he was in the early stages of his work on L’Heure espagnole, Ravel was invited to contribute to a collection of wordless songs, or vocalises. The idea behind the collection, which was to familiarize singing students with the problems of modern vocal writing, was probably not very appealing in itself. Since one of the most prominent characters in L’Heure espagnole is much given to extended Spanish-style vocalisations, however, it suited Ravel very well to accept the invitation and offer a contribution in habanera form. Long skilled in writing authentic-sounding Spanish dances, not least the habanera, Ravel wrote a study that proved to be so effective that it attracted a variety of instrumental arrangements (none of them by Ravel himself) under the title Pièce en forme de habanera.

Ravel was brought up with Spanish music, not least the habanera. Although his mother, like the composer himself, was born in the French Basque country, she had spent much time in Spain before he was born and her repertoire of Basque and Spanish songs, which included the habanera, did much to form her son’s musical personality. Besides, the habanera was a favourite form of Spanish music in Paris, where it remained in vogue, as Manuel de Falla was surprised to observe, as long as fifty years after it had been forgotten in Spain itself.

One of Ravel’s first pieces was an Habanera for two pianos (later incorporated in Rapsodie espagnole) and a prominent character in his first opera, L’Heure espagnole, is much given to extended vocalisations in habanera rhythm. So it is not surprising that when, in 1907, he was asked to contribute to a collection of wordless songs (or vocalises) he chose to do it in habanera form. He was in the early stages of his work on L’Heure espagnole at the time and, although the not very appealing idea behind the collection was to familiarize singing students with the problems of modern vocal writing, he was clearly not averse to extending his experience of the Spanish idiom into a vocal dimension. The piece also exists, incidentally, in a variety of instrumental arrangements – none of them by Ravel himself – in which case it is identified as Pièce en forme de habanera.