Bolero is a 3/4 dance that originated in Spain in the late 18th century, a combination of the contradanza and the sevillana. It is in a moderately slow tempo and is performed to music which is sung and accompanied by castanets and guitars with lyrics of five to seven syllables in each of four lines per verse. It is in triple time and usually has a triplet on the second beat of each bar. A number of classical composers have written works based on this dance, including this piece, Bolero, Op. 19.