Inspired by the Sevillana, a traditional Andalusian dance, the work captures the spirit of southern Spain with rhythmic vitality, bright harmonies, and spirited figurations.

The two-piano version of La Sévillane is an arrangement of the overture from her one-act opéra-comique (1882). The original orchestral score of the overture was never widely published, and the two-piano reduction, engraved in 1891 serves as the primary surviving form of this work.