Tangos, Habaneras, etc.

Although the tango originated in Venezuela and the habanera in Cuba, both these and other ubiquitous Latin American styles quickly became popular throughout Europe and North America. Composers from Bizet to Gershwin, Albéniz to Stravinsky incorporated latinesque elements into their concert music. One of the most revered habaneras of all time, La Paloma (which is one of the most recorded songs in recording history), was written not by a Cuban, but by a Spanish Basque composer.

The works in this collection were chosen both for their listener appeal and for transparent textures conducive to duo writing.