It’s a song that resembles us. Carmen and the most universal of habaneras.

“Love is a Rebel Bird”, the most famous aria from the most performed French opera in the world, depicts the character of Carmen in a way that allows for both absolute classicism and rapprochement with the popular aesthetics of the moment or iconoclastic interpretations.

In partnership with the exhibition It’s a song that resembles us – Worldwide hits of French-language popular music At the Cité internationale de la langue française in Villers-Cotterêts, these chronicles look in detail at each of the stories presented there.

In 1936, Rosa Ponselle was nearing the end of her career as a soprano and it was while thinking about retraining in cinema that she filmed a screen test in the role of Carmen. It is this recording which bears witness to the conventional reading of the character in the most famous aria of the French-language opera, the most performed in the world since its creation in 1875.

Mezzo-soprano Béatrice Uria Monzon confirms that the habanera of Carmenthis Creole-inspired rhythm born in Havana, Cuba, is sung like this. Georges Bizet chose this sensual musical color for the first meeting of the heroes of his opera in Seville, Spain. The beautiful Carmen is leaving the cigar factory when she is hailed by several gallants. She then sings “love is a rebellious bird” and throws a rose to Don José, a non-commissioned officer, who has just arrived in garrison. And she tells him that “Love is a child of Bohemia and has never, ever known law.”. She can say it with the pure and solemn voice of the divas we have just heard.

In this episode of This song reminds me of usyou hear excerpts from:

Rosa Ponselle, Love is a rebellious bird, 1936

Béatrice Uria-Monzon, Bordeaux-Aquitaine National Orchestra, Bordeaux Opera Choir, conducted by Alain Lombard, Love is a rebellious bird, 1995

Emma Calve, Love is a rebellious bird, 1907-1916

Julia Migenes, National Orchestra of France, Radio-France Choir, conducted by Lorin Maazel, Love is a rebellious bird, 1984

Dollie De Luxe, Carmen/Gimme Some Lovin’, 1986

August Schram, MeTube: August sings Carmen ‘Habanera’, 2013

You can also extend this column with the book This song reminds me of us published by Heritage Publishing.

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