Habanera (Georges Bizet)

• clarinet quintet

• ca. 2:00

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• Habanera - Score PDF

• Habanera - Parts PDF

Program Notes

Composed by Georges Bizet. Arranged by Ian Deterling.

• Habanera (L’amour set un oiseau rebelle) is an aria from Georges Bizet’s 1875 opéra comique Carmen. Bizet, a French composer (1838-1875), took the now famous melody from what he believed to be a folk song. The melody was actually written by Sebastián Iradier (1809-1865), a Spanish musicians and composer. Carmen was first performed in Paris in 1875 - shortly before Bizet’s death. Sadly, he was unaware that his work would quickly achieve international acclaim.  

• Habanera begins in minor and changes to major in measure 20. Although the melody was borrowed, Bizet’s harmonic style, with the addition of the habanera rhythm, has made this aria incredibly popular and instantly recognizable to many. 

Instrumentation:

• Bb Clarinets 1-4

• Bass Clarinet