Maria Callas - Habanera by Georges Bizet from CARMEN (prelude included)

Habanera ("L'amour est un oiseau rebelle")
from Act I of the French opera CARMEN by Georges Bizet

Please, observe Maria Callas during first 2 minutes of prelude... she just stands there but somehow totally dominates the stage, but sheer presence of her persona... and then... she sings... amazing, truly amazing performance of La Divina:



More on Habanera by Georges Bizet and his opera "Carmen" in my other blog; this one with the Toreador Song  but let us now go back to Maria Callas and Habanera.

Role : Carmen, a gypsy
Voice Part : mezzo-soprano Fach : lyric mezzo|dramatic mezzo
Setting : A square in Seville
Range : D4 to F#/Gb5.
Tessitura : D4 to D5
Synopsis : After appearing out of the cigarette factory, Carmen seductively sings about love and its unpredictable actions.

English Translation:

Love is a rebellious bird
That nothing can tame,
And it is simply in vain to call it
If it is convient for it to refuse.
Nothing will work, threat or pleading,
One speaks, the other stays quiet;
And it's the other that I prefer
He said nothing; but he pleases me.
Love! Love! Love! Love!

Love is the child of the Bohemian,
It has never, never known any law,
If you don't love me, I love you,
If I love you, keep guard of yourself!
If you don't love me,
If you don't love me, I love you!
But, if I love you,
If I love you, keep guard of yourself!
If you don't love me,
If you don't love me, I love you!
But, if I love you,
If I love you, keep guard of yourself!

The bird you thought to surprise
Bat its wing and flew away;
Love is far away, you can wait for it;
If you wait for it no more, it is there!
All around you, quickly, quickly,
It comes, goes, then it comes back!
You think to hold it, it avoids you;
You think to avoid it, it holds you!
Love, love, love, love!

Love is the child of the Bohemian,
It has never, never known any law,
If you don't love me, I love you,
If I love you, keep guard of yourself!
If you don't love me, I love you,
If I love you, keep guard of yourself!
If you don't love me,
If you don't love me, I love you!
But, if I love you,
If I love you, keep guard of yourself!
If you don't love me,
If you don't love me, I love you!
But, if I love you,
If I love you, keep guard of yourself!

Maria Callas Biography.