This Habanera demonstrates Cottin's exploration of scordatura tuning techniques for guitar,
specifically retuning the 6th string to D instead of the standard E, creating unique resonant
possibilities characteristic of late-Romantic French guitar repertoire.
Alfred Cottin was a French classical guitarist and composer active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His Habanera follows the traditional Cuban dance form characterized by its distinctive rhythm pattern, which was popularized in classical music by composers like Bizet in Carmen. Cottin's version represents the European classical adaptation of this Latin American rhythm.
