Ravel described this piece as an "evocation" to a pavane, which is a slow dance that little princesses might have danced at the Spanish courts in Renaissance times. Composed in 1899, this pavane is not meant to honour an actual historical person but is rather an expression of some nostalgia that Ravel felt for Spanish customs as he was also associated with Spain through his Basque origins. As Ravel said "Do not be surprised that title has nothing to do with the composition. I simply liked the sounds of those words and I put them there, c' est tout". Despite the fact that the composer did not have a story behind this composition, his music is tender, touching and beautiful, with harmonies, melody and rhythm which make it stand out, as well as with a hint of mysteriousness and nostalgia. Its dreamlike sounds carry you to another world. Its title, although Ravel did not mean something by it, evokes a mood of reflection of a loved one's loss.