Emilia (Habanera)
Antonio Alba
Around the turn of the 20th Century, the Habanera became a popular musical form. One of its best known examples is Habanera -also known as the aria L'amour est un oiseau rebelle- from the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet. The tango-like rythm from Cuba apparently offered something exotic.
This Habanera forms part of a collection of romantic guitar pieces by Antonio Alba (1873 - 1940).
Alba was not his real name, which was Juan Antonio Hava Ferré. He seems to be one of the first guitarists and composers working under an artist name. He worked in Spain -particularly Catalonia- and in Chile. He is best known for his pieces based on traditional Chilene and other Latin Americal musical forms.
He wrote quite a number of works for guitar and guitar ensembles, more than 100 Opus numbers are listed.
This Habanera has a quite traditional structure, a little introduction to get used to the rythm and a dansant section in A Minor, a lyrical section in A major and then a return to A Minor with a Da Capo. A small allegro in A Major forms the conclusion.
If you hear the theme, you’ll have a strong sense of “I have heard this before”. Nevertheless it is a nice and not too difficult piece to play.