Habanera

Voila la Carmencita

Habanera from Carmen by Georges Bizet

It occurred to me that I haven't put any Carmen on this blog, which is ridiculous because I listen to this music almost once a week - it helps me study.

I always just throw on the full performance, which is almost, like, three hours of music without me having to find a new song or put together a playlist or listen to Spotify ads. Plus, it's in French, so I don't get distracted by the lyrics.

Because I always listen to the full opera, though, I wasn't sure which piece to choose for this blog.

Do I go for the cliche Toreador's Song? Do I try to touch on everything for a moment with the Overture? Do I introduce something less popular that people might not have heard before?

Obviously, I went for the more typical route. If you've heard anything from Carmen, then you've heard Habanera.

In fact, if you've heard anything from any opera, there's a good chance that you've heard Habanera.

This aria, technically called L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Love is a rebellious bird), is basically a character song for Carmen, revealing her personality through a thorough discussion of her feelings about love.

She sings about how love is fickle, comparing it to a rebellious bird that no one can tame and a gypsy child who has never known the law.

And, of course, Carmen is a gypsy, so that's an immediate connection. Above all things, she values her freedom, la libert‎é. Like the bird, she will not be tied down, neither by a lover nor anyone or anything else in her life.

The music itself is really neat, too. You can hear that the role of Carmen is for a mezzo-soprano rather than a soprano, so it's not quite as high or - forgive me - shrill as one might expect. Misconception or not, I expect arias to sound like this aria by Micaela.

The melody, based on the descending chromatic scale, is something special. I didn't know it was possible for a melody to be sultry, but this one is. It's not even the voice or the delivery, but those tiny steps down the scale are just so flirtatious. Even before Carmen comes in, those strings are starting something passionate.

Another of my favorite things about this piece: the chorus.

I love how they repeat Carmen's advice about love right back at her. It's like she has her own fan club, which would be so like her.

If you like this at all, I suggest watching the whole thing. It's a good time.

Overview:

Genre:
Opera / Aria

Favorite Lyrics:
Si je t'aime, prends garde à toi.

Verdict:
classic and lovely