Gypsy Song Les tingles Maria Callas Bizet

callas...

CARMEN
Les triangles des sistres tintaient
avec un éclat métallique,
et sur cette étrange musique
les zingarellas se levaient.
Tambours de basque allaient leur train,
et les guitares forcenées
grinçaient sous des mains obstinées,
même chanson, même refrain!
Tra la la la la la la.

CARMEN
Les anneaux de cuivre et d'argent
reluisaient sur les peaux bistrées;
d'orange ou de rouge zébrées
les étoffes flottaient au vent.
La danse au chant se mariait,
d'abord indécise et timide,
plus vive ensuite et plus rapide...
cela montait, montait, montait, montait!
Tra la la la la la la.

CARMEN
Les Bohémiens, à tour de bras,
de leurs instruments faisaient rage,
et cet éblouissant tapage
ensorcelait les zingaras!
Sous le rhythme de la chanson,
ardentes, folles, enfiévrées,
elles se laissaient, enivrées,
emporter par le tourbillon!
Tra la la la la la la.


CARMEN
The triangles they used to play
Would set the gypsy rhythms tingling,
Till roused by their metallic jingling
The gypsy girls began to sway.
Their tambourines took up the theme,
While mad guitars in rhythm beating
Were unrelentingly repeating
This very song, this same refrain!
Tra la la la la la la.

CARMEN
The copper and the silver rings
Would shine against the dusky faces;
The red and orange of their dresses
Would go swirling upon the wind;
And soon the dance was under way.
It started slowly with the singing,
Then gaining speed and wildly spinning,
It whirled away, away, away, away!
Tra la la la la la la.

CARMEN
The gypsy men with hands awhirl,
Beat out a rhythm mad, demonic,
Intoxicating with their music
Inflaming every gypsy girl!
And by the rhythm of the song,
Demented and with passion burning,
They were swept away, wildly spinning,
In a whirlwind borne along!
Tra la la la la la la.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bizet
• carmen
• gypsy
• song

[lalagonegaga]

What irony. The best version of this mezzo aria recorded by a soprano. :)

[luvxl]

I already had :) and totally agree with this analysis. By the way, it's actually Maria Callas's analysis, saying that she even though she was an alto when she was very young :o)

[TheWisemonkey8]

Oh... I like this! So beautiful! 

[TheWisemonkey8]

The greatest... wonderful in every respect.

[sillyboydeux]

I've been looking all over for this! Thank God, I can put it on my IPod now. I don't believe there is a tempo for the furious pace she leads up to, probably have to resort to piano repertoire and call it allegro con fuochissimo! I have listened to all the other "classic" Carmens, from Ponselle, to Price and Crespin, and no one even sounds like they are singing the same aria, let alone keeping up with that kind of tempo. Would love to hear Graves recording; sure she would be Seconda Donna!

[sasylatin]

You're right..... she is what is called as "Sfogato" Soprano....its amazig....google it and you will learn more about this incredible vocal category.

[SuzelleDeGrace]

précision et esprit, on est soulevé de terre. Essayez donc de chanter en français comme ça. Défi!

[luvxl]

makes me sad :s

She did let a lot of recordings for us to enjoy though, been listening to the Gioconda a lot lately ;)

[lalagonegaga]

Yes, I know. And to make things even "worse", I actually prefer her in lower rep. :) Mon Coeur, Divines Du Styx, Carmen arias, those were the first pieces I fell in love with, not her Norma or Lucia. Don't know why, but the lower part of her voice always seemed immensly beautiful to me. I wish she could have sung some baroque rep written for alto / mezzo castrati. Imagine her doing Handel's Crude Furie. Now that would've been really something. :)

[luvxl]

Callas was like a soprano with low notes or a mezzo with high notes. Some kind of a sublime monster. I wouldn't say this is a soprano version. Check her Una voce poco fa : she sings it tuned for mezzo, not for soprano.