VIII.

Dios la perdone: Y era su madre

(God forgive her: and it was her mother)
(Plate No. 16)
A fashionably attired and sophisticated woman (possibly a prostitute), is asked for money by an
old lady, who happens to be her mother. It may be that the young woman does not realise it is her
mother or is deliberately ignoring her, the haughty posture being contrasted against the bent
supplicant. In an introductory quasi recitativo the notes spell out the Spanish words of the title,
the phrases punctuated with loud staccato chords. The opening rhythm will be heard throughout
in a Habanera, the popular Cuban dance with its seductive movement, which constitutes the
main feature of the work. A short quasi cadenza section provides a moment of animated contrast
before the return of the Habanera, expressive and sad.