Elina Garancha: Habanera by Georges Bizet from Carmen

Habanera ("L'amour est un oiseau rebelle") from Act I of the French opera CARMEN by Georges Bizet. Listen as the great mezzosoprano of our time, Elina Garancha sings Habanera:

More on Habanera by Georges Bizet and his opera "Carmen" in my other blog; this one with the Toreador Song.

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!

Elina Garancha sings CHANSON BOHÉMIENNE (Gypsy Song)

Music Reading Made Easy

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.

Toreador Song sung by Ruggero Raimondi

Enjoy in this great performance!! MORE about CARMEN and this great aria in my other post.


Ruggero Raimondi:

Votre Toast, Toreador Song English Translation.

Toreador Song, Votre Toast by Dmitri Hvorostovsky 

Music Reading Made Easy

Carlos Alvares: Toreador Song (translation) | CARMEN by Georges Bizet

"Gentlemen, there are no difficulties or problems. This opera is a scherzo with a fatal conclusion!" -Richard Strauss to the orchestra at the first rehearsal of "Carmen"

Toreador Song ("Votre toast je peux vous le rendre")
from Act I of the French opera, Carmen by Georges Bizet
Libretto : Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy


Carlos Alvarez:

"CARMEN" premiered in Paris on 3 March 1875, but was almost withdrawn after its fourth or fifth performance, and although this was avoided, ultimately having 48 performances in its first run it did little to bolster sagging receipts at the Opéra-Comique. Near the end of this run, the theatre was giving tickets away in order to stimulate attendance. Bizet died of a heart attack, aged 37, on 3 June 1875, never knowing how popular Carmen would become.

Watch and listen the legendary Ruggero Raimondi's rendition here.

Role : Escamillo, a toreador
Voice Part : baritone
Fach : dramatic baritone
Setting : The inn of Lillias Pastia
Synopsis : Escamillo, a great bullfighter, sings of his adventures in the bullring.

English Translation:

Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre, Escamillo's aria from Carmen

Your toast, I can give it to you
Sirs, sirs, for along with the soldiers
Yes, the Toreros, can understand;
For pleasures, for pleasures
They have combats!
The arena is full,
it is the feast day!
The arena is full, from top to bottom;
The spectators, losing their heads,
The spectators began a big fracas!

Grow to a furor!
Because it is a celebration of courage!
It is the celebration of people with heart!
Let’s go, on guard! Let’s go! Let’s go! Ah!
Toreador, on guard! Toreador, Toreador!
And dream away, yes, dream in combat,
That a black eye is watching you,
And that love awaits you,
Toreador, love awaits you!
And dream away, yes dream in combat,
That a black eye is watching you
And may love await you,
Toreador, love await you!

All of a sudden, it is silent
Ah, what is happening?
More cries! It is the moment!
More cries! It is the moment!
The bull throws himself out
Bounding out of the Toril!
He throws himself out! He enters.
He strikes! A horse rolls,
Dragging a picador,
Ah, Bravo! Bull! The crowd roars!
The bull goes, he comes,
He comes and strikes again!
Shaking his banderillos,
Full of fury, he runs!
The arena is full of blood!
They save themselves, they pass the gates
It is your turn now. Let’s go!
On guard! Let’s go! Let’s go! Ah!
Toreador, on guard! Toreador, Toreador!
And dream away, yes, dream in combat,
That a black eye is watching you,
And that love awaits you,
Toreador, Love awaits you!
And dream away, yes, dream in combat,
That a black eye is looking at you
And that love awaits you
Toreador, love awaits you!
And dream away, yes, dream in combat,
That a black eye is looking at you
And that love awaits you
And that love awaits you.
Toreador, love awaits you!
Love! Love! Love!
Toreador, Toreador, love awaits you!

Votre Toast, Toreador Song by Dmitri Hvorostovsky