L’heure espagnole was described by its composer Ravel as a comédie musicale, based on the play by Franc-Nohain who also created the libretto for the opera.
The story takes place in eighteenth century Spain at the shop owned by the clockmaker Torquemada.
One evening Ramiro, a muleteer (or delivery man) arrives to have his watch mended just as Torquemada’s wife Concepcion comes to remind her husband he needs to go and look after the town clocks. She complains that he has not moved the clocks that she asked to be put in her room and her husband replies that this is because they were too heavy for him to carry.
Torquemada leaves, asking Ramiro to wait until he gets back so that the watch can be mended.
Concepcion is delighted that her husband has left so that she can see her lovers but irritated that Ramiro might get in the way of her plans, and so she asks him to move one of the grandfather clock to her bedroom.
Meanwhile, her lover Gonsalve arrives. He is poet who is very self-absorbed and far keener to talk about poetry than to take any action, much to Concepcion’s frustration. Ramiro comes back down and to get rid of him again, she asks him to move the other clock upstairs, bringing the first one back. While he goes back upstairs to retrieve the first clock, Concepcion pushed Gonsalve into the second clock. Ramiro comes back with the first clock and effortlessly carriers the clock that contains Gonsalve upstairs, followed by Concepcion who is impressed with his Ramiro’s strength.
Don Iñigo, a banker who is another of Concepción’s admirers, arrives. He admits that he got Torquemada the job of looking after the town’s clocks to get him out of the way. Whilst Concepion is upstairs he decides to be playful and hide in the remaining clock.
Ramiro comes down, having been asked to look after the shop whilst Concepion is upstairs with Gonsalve. But she comes down complaining that the clock upstairs is noisy and asking Ramiro to check on it. Don Inigo comes out of his clock and tells Concepion that he loves her, but she turns him down. Ramiro returns with the clock containing Gonsalve and offers to take up the second (containing Inigo who has hidden again). Concepcion accepts his suggestion.
She tried to get Gonsalve to leave as she is frustrated with his obsession with poetry, but he hides in his clock as Ramiro returns. As Concepcion returns, Ramiro realises that she isn’t happy with the clock upstairs and goes to fetch it.
Left alone, Concepcion voices her frustration with both admirers – one is obsessed with poetry and the other she finds unattractive. She realises that she finds Ramiro’s strength much more attractive. When he brings the clock containing Don Ingo back down, she asks Ramiro to accompany her upstairs – this time without any of the clocks!
Inigo and Gonsalves come out of their clocks as Torquemada returns. He apologises for keeping them waiting and seeing their interest in the clocks, he insists that they buy them.
The cast join together to tell the moral of the tale – in the pursuit of love, there comes a moment when it’s the muleteer’s turn.
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