Habanera (aria)

Habanera is the popular name for "" ("Love is a rebellious bird"), one of the most famous arias from Georges Bizet's 1875 opera Carmen. It is the entrance aria of the title character, a mezzo-soprano role, in scene 5 of the first act. It is based on a descending chromatic scale followed by variants of the same phrase in first the minor and then the major key, corresponding to the vicissitudes of love expressed in the lyrics. The vocal range covers D₄ to F₅ with a tessitura from D₄ to D₅.