An extremely versatile singer, her repertoire ranged from classical opera seria to the bel canto operas of Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini; further, to the works of Verdi and Puccini; and, in her early career, to the music dramas of Wagner. Her remarkable musical and dramatic talents led to her being hailed as La Divina. She also achieved success as a cinematic actress, playing the title role in Pasolini's Medea.
Born in New York City and raised by an overbearing mother, she received her musical education in Greece and established her career in Italy. Forced to deal with the exigencies of wartime poverty and with myopia that left her nearly blind onstage, she endured struggles and scandal over the course of her career. She turned herself from a heavy woman into a svelte and glamorous one after a mid-career weight loss, which might have contributed to her vocal decline and the premature end of her career. The press exulted in publicizing Callas's allegedly temperamental behaviour, her supposed rivalry with Renata Tebaldi and her love affair with Aristotle Onassis.
Her dramatic life and personal tragedy have often overshadowed Callas the artist in the popular press. However, her artistic achievements were such that Leonard Bernstein called her "The Bible of opera"; and her influence was so enduring that, in 2006, Opera News wrote of her: "Nearly thirty years after her death, she's still the definition of the diva as artist—and still one of classical music's best-selling vocalists."
Carmen
Maria Callas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 est enfant de bohème
Il n'a jamais, jamais, connu de loi
Si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime
Et si je t'aime, prends garde à toi
Prends garde à toi
Si tu ne m'aimes pas, si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime
Prends garde à toi
Mais si je t'aime, si je t'aime, prends garde à toi
L'amour est enfant de bohème
Il n'a jamais jamais connu de loi
Si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime
Et si je t'aime, prends garde à toi
Prends garde à toi
Si tu ne m'aimes pas, si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime
Prends garde à toi
Mais si je t'aime, si je t'aime, prends garde à toi
L'oiseau que tu croyais surprendre
Battit de l'aile et s'envola
L'amour est loin, tu peux l'attendre
Tu ne l'attends plus, il est là
Tout autour de toi, vite, vite
Il vient, s'en va, puis il revient
Tu crois le tenir, il t'évite
Tu crois l'éviter, il te tient
L'amour (× 4)
L'amour est enfant de bohème
Il n'a jamais jamais connu de loi
Si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime
Et si je t'aime, prends garde à toi
Prends garde à toi
Si tu ne m'aimes pas, si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime
Prends garde à toi
Mais si je t'aime, si je t'aime, prends garde à toi
L'amour est enfant de bohème
Il n'a jamais jamais connu de loi
Si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime
Et si je t'aime, prends garde à toi
Prends garde à toi
Si tu ne m'aimes pas, si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime
Prends garde à toi
Mais si je t'aime, si je t'aime, prends garde à toi
The lyrics of "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" (Love is a rebellious bird) from the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet, performed here by Maria Callas and the Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française conducted by Georges Prêtre, is a passionate declaration of the uncontrollable and unpredictable nature of love. The opening verse introduces love as a bird that cannot be tamed or captured, no matter how loudly one calls for it. Love cannot be coerced, threatened, or begged. It operates outside the law and logic, without any set rules or restrictions.
The second verse describes the concept of "bohemian" love, free from rules or societal norms. If one loves someone who does not love them back, they will still love them regardless. However, the warning is given that if the other person loves them back, they should be careful, as love can be overwhelming and all-consuming. The third verse likens love to a fleeting and elusive bird that moves quickly and cannot be trapped. It comes and goes without warning, and the more one tries to catch it, the more it slips away.
The overall message of the song is that love can be an unpredictable force that cannot be tamed or controlled. It can be both all-consuming and fleeting, but ultimately it is a force that must be reckoned with, whether one wants it or not.
Line by Line Meaning
L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
Love is a rebellious bird
Que nul ne peut apprivoiser
That no one can tame
Et c'est bien en vain qu'on l'appelle
And it is in vain that we call it
S'il lui convient de refuser
If it chooses to refuse
Rien n'y fait, menace ou prière
Nothing works, neither threat nor prayer
L'un parle bien, l'autre se tait
One speaks eloquently, the other remains silent
Et c'est l'autre que je préfère
And the silent one is the one I prefer
Il n'a rien dit, mais il me plaît
He said nothing, but I like him
L'amour (× 4)
Love (× 4)
L'amour est enfant de bohème
Love is a child of Bohemia
Il n'a jamais, jamais, connu de loi
It has never, never known any law
Si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime
If you don't love me, I love you
Et si je t'aime, prends garde à toi
And if I love you, beware
Prends garde à toi
Beware
Mais si je t'aime, si je t'aime, prends garde à toi
But if I love you, if I love you, beware
L'oiseau que tu croyais surprendre
The bird you thought to surprise
Battit de l'aile et s'envola
Flapped its wings and flew away
L'amour est loin, tu peux l'attendre
Love is far away, you can wait for it
Tu ne l'attends plus, il est là
You no longer wait for it, it is here
Tout autour de toi, vite, vite
All around you, quickly, quickly
Il vient, s'en va, puis il revient
It comes, goes away, then returns
Tu crois le tenir, il t'évite
You think you have it, but it avoids you
Tu crois l'éviter, il te tient
You think you avoid it, but it holds you
Lyrics © Histoire et Chansons
Written by: Georges Bizet
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@toy2day1
An Italian genre of music, French composer and language, story about Spain, sung by a Greek, conducted by an Austrian for a German audience! European culture at its best!
@oberstvonkeks
@@juanme555 What?
@juanme555
@@oberstvonkeks
"Oberst von Keks"
Blocked*
@kirancox6123
@@juanme555 you do realize that Germany and Austria are both part of Europe?
@juanme555
@@itsOculus
Begone of my feed, Barbarii.
@cjchu4686
@@itsOculus uh, he actually sounds like the opposite
@oddsandends3951
She should have won an Oscar just by standing there gracefully and examining the audience with her enchanted hair.
@elisabettucci7134
Lo mismo que pienso cada vez que la veo
@abbyhunt5128
Agreed!!!! That's the magic of Callas!!! No comparison....
@pantgag2861
Yesss!!!