Habanera (aria)
Habanera L'amour est un oiseau or rebelle (English Love is a wild bird ), is the name of a famous aria from Carmen, an opera by Georges Bizet. The opera was first performed on March 3, 1875 at the Opéra -Comique in Paris, the libretto of the opera is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, the text of the aria from Bizet was even written. The Habanera aria based on " El Arreglito " by Sebastián de Yradier and enjoys outside the opera world popularity. Is considered to set new standards to be the interpretation of Maria Callas, to "their" Habanera itself must still be measured by all singers. The aria is in the first act of the title character, the gypsy Carmen (mezzo- soprano) sang, she brings in her indifference to the protestations of love and overtures of her many admirers expressed.
Musical structure
Carmen Habanera is written for a mezzo- soprano voice in the key of G major and after a key change in the 20th cycle in E major. The first 19 or 16 cycles with the distinctive descending chromatic melody line of the two verses resound in G major, the time signature are slow 2/4 - notes. Bizet sets the tempo marking Allegretto quasi Andantino and as the value of the metronome = 72 at. The quarter note is to be thus played with 72 beats per minute. The aria therefore takes with its 88 bars, depending on the interpretation of between three and a half and four and a half minutes. The musical sound volume starts off with a very soft ( pianissimo ) and increases at the end to a triumphant ( fortissimo ) in the final chord.
Text (extract)
L' amour est un oiseau rebelle que nul ne peut apprivoiser, et c'est bien en vain qu'on l' appelle, s'il lui convient de refuser. Rien n'y fait, menace ou prière, l' un parle bien, l' autre se tait: Et c'est l' autre que je préfère, Il n'a rien dit mais il me plaît. L' amour! L' amour! L' amour! L' amour!
Love is a wild bird which no man can ever tame, in vain shalt thou call him, it dissolves always out of your spell. No flattery helps and no anger, the one speaks of silent Other: it is the Other which I prefer, he said nothing, but he likes me. Love! Love! Love! Love!