Ravel Rapsodie Espagnole -Habanera

The piece starts off like a dream or a fairy tale. The flute, clarinet, and harp are playing an inverted pedal note while there are three explosions of light and color from the strings encompassing a wide range. Then the melody is played an oboe and english horn duet then repeated a couple times. The answer to this melody is then played by a violin duet. It is very happy and innocent. The inverted pedal is still being played throughout. The pedal that was our tonic then becomes our dominant as a modulation occurs. The strings then play the melody that the oboes played and repeat it a couple times as gestures are being played by the low woodwinds. A new theme is presented. It is more lilting and a little off center by the strings then the woodwinds. It is played a second time but this time louder and fuller orchestration. Then it is heard a 4th time in a horn chorale. The inverted pedal returns as trumpet chord is played cadentially as the movement ends.