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."
Habanera
Maria Callas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ma foi, je ne sais pas,
Peut-être jamais,
peut-être demain.
Mais pas aujourd'hui, c'est certain.
L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
Que nul ne peut apprivoiser,
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! L'amour! L'amour! L'amour!
L'amour est enfant de Bohême,
Il n'a jamais, jamais connu de loi,
Si tu ne m'aime pas, je t'aime,
Si je t'aime, prend garde à toi!
Si tu ne m'aime pas,
Si tu ne m'aime pas, je t'aime!
Mais, si je t'aime,
Si je t'aime, prend garde à toi!
Si tu ne m'aime pas,
Si tu ne m'aime pas, je t'aime!
Mais, si je t'aime,
Si je t'aime, prend 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'attend 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, l'amour, l'amour, l'amour!
L'amour est enfant de Bohême...
The lyrics to Habanera by Maria Callas are about the ever-elusive nature of love. The singer is unsure when she will fall in love, speaking hesitantly about the possibility of it happening in the future. She says that love is a rebellious bird that is impossible to tame. Even if you call for it, it may refuse to come. Threats and pleading will not make a difference, and often it is the person who does not speak much that the singer finds most attractive. The repeated refrain of "L'amour! L'amour! L'amour! L'amour!" emphasizes the intensity of the singer's feelings about love.
The second stanza further emphasizes the uncontrollable nature of love. The singer refers to love as a child of Bohemia, a place where there are no laws or rules to govern behavior. If someone does not love the singer, she still loves them, but if they do love her, they should be careful because she will not be easily tamed. The third stanza continues with the idea of love being unpredictable, saying that it is like a bird that flies away when you try to catch it. Love comes and goes quickly, and you may think you have it, only for it to slip away again or vice versa.
Overall, the song is an expression of the singer's frustration with the unpredictable and uncontrollable nature of love. The lyrics convey a sense of longing and uncertainty about whether love will ever truly be within reach.
Line by Line Meaning
Quand je vous aimerai?
I don't know when I'll love you, maybe never, maybe tomorrow. But definitely not today.
L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
Love is a wild bird that cannot be tamed.
Que nul ne peut apprivoiser,
Nobody can make love do what they want.
Et c'est bien en vain qu'on l'appelle,
It's pointless to try to call love to you,
S'il lui convient de refuser.
unless it chooses to come.
Rien n'y fait, menace ou prière,
No action, threat, or begging will make love appear,
L'un parle bien, l'autre se tait;
One may speak eloquently, the other remains silent.
Et c'est l'autre que je préfère
But it's the quiet one that I prefer.
Il n'a rien dit; mais il me plaît.
He didn't say anything, but I like him.
L'amour! L'amour! L'amour! L'amour!
Love! Love! Love! Love!
L'amour est enfant de Bohême,
Love is a gypsy child
Il n'a jamais, jamais connu de loi,
Love has never known any law,
Si tu ne m'aime pas, je t'aime,
If you don't love me, I love you.
Si je t'aime, prend garde à toi!
But if I love you, be careful!
L'oiseau que tu croyais surprendre
The bird you thought you'd catch,
Battit de l'aile et s'envola;
Beat 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'attend plus, il est là!
But when you stop waiting, love is there!
Tout autour de toi vite, vite,
It comes and goes quickly around you,
Il vient, s'en va, puis il revient!
It comes, goes, and then comes back!
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 can avoid it, but it holds you tight!
L'amour, l'amour, l'amour, l'amour!
Love! Love! Love! Love!
L'amour est enfant de Bohême...
Love is a gypsy child...
Writer(s): Louis Knatchbull, H. P. Baxxter, Lawrence Welk, Rick J. Jordan, George Edward Bruns, Jens Peter Thele, Mario Grigorov, Axel Coon, Katherine Jenkins, James Last, Georges Alexandre Cesar Bizet, Tony Britten, Jennifer Hammond, Georges Bizet, Celso Valli, Library Arrangement, Jesse Cook Copyright: Hanseatic Musikverlag Gmbh & Co. Kg, Charlotte Church Music Ltd., Kontor Records Gmbh, Walt Disney Music Company, Right Bank Music Uk Limited, Marlowlynn Ltd., Bruton Music Ltd., Harry Von Tilzer Music Publishing Co., Happy Musikverlag Gmbh & Co. Kg, Rabasse Music Ltd., Pixar Talking Pictures, Polygram Int. Music Publishing Ltd., Sugarmusic Australasia Pty. Ltd.
Contributed by Logan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@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!!!