España (Chabrier)

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España, or España, rhapsody for orchestra, is Emmanuel Chabrier’s best-known orchestral work. Composed in 1883 after a trip to Spain, it helped launch a vogue for Spanish-flavored music in France. Chabrier and his wife toured Spain from July to December 1882, visiting San Sebastián, Burgos, Toledo, Sevilla, Granada, Málaga, Cádiz, Córdoba, Valencia, Zaragoza and Barcelona. His letters from the trip show his playful imagination and keen interest in regional dances. The piece began as a piano duet but grew into a full orchestral score; it was initially called Jota and was renamed España in October 1883. It was first performed on November 4, 1883, in Paris under Charles Lamoureux and was greeted with enthusiasm, boosting Chabrier’s reputation.

The music opens with a guitar-like figure, then presents a bold main theme on muted trumpets that recurs, interwoven with a flowing second theme and lively rhythmic passages. The work moves toward a festive climax and ends in an ecstatic, joyful mood. Performances typically run about six minutes. Chabrier also made two transcriptions: for soprano and piano, and for two pianos.

España influenced Debussy’s Ibéria and Ravel’s Rapsodie espagnole and inspired later ballets, including a 1961 production by Roland Petit with costumes by Yves Saint Laurent.