(Mimi Aarden)HABANERA DISCOGRAPHY
compiled by Rudi van den Bulck (Operanostalgia) with 23 additions –all pre LP- by John Humbley (Paris)
Habanera is the popular name for "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" ("Love is a rebellious bird"), one of the most famous arias from George Bizet’s 1875 opera Carmen. It is the entrance aria of the title character 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 F♯5 with a tessitura from D4 to D5
The score of this aria was adapted from the habanera "El Arreglito", (click here) originally composed by the Spanish musician Sebastian Yradier (1809-1865) author of that even more famous habanera “La paloma”. Bizet thought it to be a folk song; when others told him he had used something that had been written by a composer who had died only ten years earlier, he had to add a note to the vocal score of Carmen, acknowledging its source.
Beneath is a discography of all commercial versions released on the shellack, LP or CD medium. Time prevented me –I’m still a 9.00 to 18.00 wage slave - from including details such as record numbers and release date but hope to add all such data later on. Additions are of course welcome. For the copy and pasters, go ahead but please have the basic decency to acknowledge the compilers and the source.
My top five of best habaneras include Callas and Leontyne Price. Two singers who never sang the role on stage. Add De Los Angeles, Resnik and Conchita Supervia to complete my top list. Other favorites include Marilyn Horne, Germaine Cernay and Jennie Tourel.
In "Herman Klein and the Gramophone" the author discusses 'The Habanera' and some shellack recordings on page 96 and 97.
RvdB, September 2017
2. Click on the highlited names to listen to a recording
(Mimi Aarden)
AARDEN Mimi (LP)
AFEAN Nadia (LP Melodya)
ALBERTS (LP Boston)
ALPERYN Graciella (CD Naxos)
AMPARAN Belén (DVD)
ANDAY Rosette (German/French78rpm)
ANDERSONE-SILARE Laima (CD Estonian opera)
ANITUA Fanny (Columbia 5583/78 rpm)
ANTONACCI Anna Catarina (DVD)
ARCHIPOVA Irina (LP/CD/DVD)
BABAK Renate (LP Golden Age)
BAILAC Germaine (Idéal 1704)
BALTSA Agnes (CD/DVD)
BARBIERI Fedora (Italian,78rpm/LP/CD)
BARDON Patricia (English, CD Chandos)
BELLINCIONI Gemma (Italian, 78rpm/LP/CD Marston)
BENDAZZI-GARULLI Ernestina (Pathé 84081)
BERGANZA Teresa (CD/DVD)
BESANZONI Gabriele (78 rpm)
BETTENDORF Emmy (Parlophone 10441/78rpm)
BONFITTO Angela (DVD Kicco classics)
BOTEZ Michaila (LP Electrecord)
BOUE Geori (CD Vogue)
BORGHI Adèle (CD Marston53011-2)
BORISENKO Vera (Russian,78rpm/LP)
BOUE Géori (CD Malibran)
BOYER Marie (Pathé 307/CD TT 2310)
BRASLAU Sophie (78rpm/CD OASI)
BRANZELL Karin (German 78 rpm)
BREMS Else (Danish 78rpm)
BROHLY Suzanne (Pathé 407)
BRUSSA Terese (Pathé 4339)
BUADES Aurora (78 rpm)
BUMBRY Grace (CD/DVD)
(Crespin)
CALLAS Maria (CD/DVD)
CALVE Emma (various 78 rpm/ CD Marston/Romophone)
CALVERA Pilar, Disco Zonofono 1088
CAVALIERI Lina (Pathé 62030/CD Tima)
CERNAY Germaine (78 rpm/CD Malibran
CERVENA Sonia (German, LP Eterna)
CHARNY Lise (Pathé 321)
CHENAL Marthe (Pathé 49)
CHRISTOFOREANU (78 rpm/LP Club99)
CLAUSSEN Julia (Gramophone 78 rpm)
CLERY Alice (zonophone)
CIOROMILLA Mariana (LP Electrecord)
COATES Edith (English), 78rpm)
COMES Mathilde (French, 78 rpm Favorite records)
CORDEIRO Edson (CD Brazil)
COSSOTTO Fiorenza (live/ CD Gala)
COUDERC Simone (CD Malibran)
CRESPIN Régine (CD various)
DALIS Irene (CD Teldec)
D’ALVAREZ Marguerite (Vocalion 0200/78 rpm)
DAVYDOVA Vera (Russian, LP Melodya)
De IGARZABEL T (Italian,78rpm)
DEL MONACO Dragana (CD PGP)
DELNA Marie (78 rpm/CD Marston)
DE LOS ANGELES Victoria (various CD/DVD)
DE LUSSAN Zélie (78rpm)
DELVAUX Lucienne (CD MEW 0739-40)
DESTINN Emmy (various, 78 rpm/CD)
DIMCHEVA I (Bulgarian,78rpm)
DJANEL Lily (live, CD Walhall)
DOMASHENKO Marina (CD Decca)
DOMINGUEZ Oralia (German/LP DGG)
D’OUSTRAC Stéphanie (DVD)
DRAKSLER Sonja (German, LP)
EUSTRATI D (German,78rpm)
EWING Maria (DVD Kultur)
(Farrar)
FARRAR Geraldine (78 rpm/CD Nimbus/DVD)
FARRELL Eileen (HMV 78rpm)
FASSBAENDER Brigitte (German, CD Berlin Classics)
FORST Judith (CD SMC 5063)
FRASCANI Nini (Pathé 572)
FROZIER Georgette (Pathé saphir 470)
(Garanca)
GAL Zehava (LP Pathé Marconi)
GALAN Seniora (G&T 78rpm)
GALE Rebecca (CD Musaeus)
GARANCA Elena (various CD/DVD)
GAY Maria (Columbia 78rpm/CD)
GERVILLE-REACH Jeanne (78rpm/CD)
GHEORGHIU Angela (CD EMI)
GIANNINI Dusolina (78rpm/CD Opal Pearl/Preiser)
GILMORE Gail (CD Aurophone 9234)
GLADE Coe (French, acetate)
GORDON Jeanne (Columbia 78rpm)
GOZATEGUI Jozefa (78 rpm Chantal de luxe 1523)
GRAMEGNA Anna (Pathé 10378)
GRAVES Denyce (CD RCA)
GUSTAVSON Eva (CD Cambria)
(Horne)
HEIDT Winifred (live CD Eklipse)
HONGEN Elisabeth (German,78rpm /CD Preiser 89977)
HORNE Marilyn (CD)
HOWARD Kathleen (Pathé 60087)
(Jeritza)
JERITZA Maria (78 rpm)
JOHNSON Patricia (LP)
JUYOL Suzanne (78 rpm/CD Malibran)
KAHN Elise (LP Philips)
KALEF Breda (LP PGP)
KASAROVA Vesselina (CD/DVD)
KAWECKA A (Polish, 78rpm)
KEMP Barbara (78rpm/CD Preiser)
KEYES Margaret (Edison 82096)
KIRKBY LUNN Louise (Gramo 1915/LP Court opera)
KITTEL Hermine (78rpm/LP Court opera)
KLOSE Margarete (German, 78rpm)
KOMLOSSY Erszebet (Hungarian, LP Qualiton)
KOTTRICH Jessica (CD VRCS 2008)
KOZENA Magdalena (CD DGG)
KRASTEVA Nadia (DVD)
LARMORE Jennifer (CD Teldec)
LEISNER Emmi (German 78rpm/CD Preiser)
LEMIEUX Marie-Nicole (CD Naive)
LEVKO Valentina (CD Brillant)
LIEBENBERG Eva (78rpm/LP Preiser)
LINDBERG Paula (German 78rpm)
LIPINSKA Pola (CD PolskieNagrania)
LITZ Gisela (LP Philips)
LUDWIG Christa (German, CD)
(Madeira)
MADEIRA Jean (LP Vox)
MAKSAKOVA Maria (Russian 78rpm)
MAKUSHINA Tatiana (V.F.590)
MALANIUK Ira (German, CD Walhall)
MANTELLI Eugenia (78rpm/CD Marston 52053-2)
MARIE de L’ISLE Jeanne (78 rpm/CD Marston)
MAROVA Libuse (LP Panton)
MEI-FIGNER Medea (LP Rubini /CD Club 99)
MERENTIE Marguerite (78 rpm/ CD Marston)
METZGER-LATTERMAN Ottilie (CD TMK)
MEYER Kerstin (CD BlueBell)
MICHEL Solange (78rpm/CD EMI)
MIGENES Julia (various LP/CD/DVD)
MILCHEVA Alexandrina (CD Electrecord)
MILLER Mildred (LP John Hancock)
MILOSEVIC Olga (CDvSokoj 431760)
MINGHINI CATTANEO Irene (78 rpm/CD Preiser))
MITRICA-BADIRCEA Radica (LP Electrecord)
MIXOVA Ivana (LP Panton)
MODL Marthe (LP/CD)
MOFFO Anna (CD)
MOONEY Janet (English, CD IMP)
MORFONIOU Kiki (CD Greece)
MORTON Rachel (78rpm)
MOUSKOURI Nana (LP Philips)
(Nikolaidi)
NEMETH Anna (LP Hungaraton)
NICOLESCU Marianna (DVD FIAR)
NIKOLAIDI Elena (German, CD ORF)
NORMAN Jessye (CD Philips)
(Onegin)
OBER Margarethe (Pathé54531/ CD IRCC)
OBRATSOVA Elena (various, LP/CD/DVD)
OLITZKA Rosa (Gramo 33151)
OLSZEWSKA Maria (German 78rpm/CD Preiser)
ONEGIN Sigrid (German 78 rpm)
PANTOS Pamela (CD Empire)
PAVLOVSKA Irene (Brunswick 78rpm)
PEDERZINI Gianna (Italian, 78rpm/CD Preiser)
PEEBLES (English, LP RCA)
PEIRU Josie (Favorite 78rpm)
PERELLI Lucy (78rpm/CD Malibran)
PONSELLE Rosa (live/CD Walhall)
PRICE Leontyne (CD)
QING Miao (Chinese, CD Rondine)
RADEV Mariana (LP)
RAVEAU Alice (78rpm)
RESNIK Regina (CD Decca)
RHODES Jane (LP/CD Malibran)
RICE Christine (DVD OpusArte)
RUBIO Consuelo (LP concert hall)
RUDENKO L. (Russian,78rpm)
RUZICKA (German, LP Polydor)
SANDEN Aline (78rpm/CD Preiser)
SCHARLEY Denise (LP Vogue/CD Malibran)
SHAHAM Rinat (DVD)
SIBILLE Madeleine (78 rpm/CD Malibran)
SIMIANE Marguerie (Columbia cylinder 26322)
SIMIONATO Giulietta (various LP/CD/DVD)
SJOSTEDT (German, LP Eurodisc)
STEPANOVA Stepanka (LP Supraphon)
STEVENS Rise (78 rpm/CD various)
STIGNANI Ebe (Italian 78rpm)
STRANDIN Ebon (LP EMI)
SUPERVIA Conchita (French and Spanish, 78rpm)
SURGULADZE Nino (DVD Dynamic)
SWARTHOUT Gladys (various 78rpm/CD OASI 7008)
SYLVA Marguerite (B189 Edison cylinder)
SZCZEPANSKA K (Polish,78rpm)
SZOSTEK-RADKOWA Krystina (LP PolskieNagrania)
TASSINARI Pia (Italian, CD Cetra)
TEBALDI Renata (Italian, CD Decca)
TE KANAWA Kiri (CD Decca)
THORBORG Kerstin (German 78rpm/LP Rococo/Preiser CD)
THORNTON Edna (English, 78 rpm)
TOUREL Jennie (78rpm/LP Columbia)
TRO SANTAFE Silvia (CD Signum)
TROYANOS Tatiana (CD)
TURNER Claramea (CD Preiser)
URBAIN Mady (LP Alpha)
URIA-MONZON Beatrice (CD MPO/DVD Unitel)
VALLIN Ninon (Pathé 78rpm/CD Marston/Malibran)
VAN DEN HEUVEL Mme (Gramo 83031)
VELASQUEZ C (78rpm)
VERRETT Shirley (CD)
VIOLETTA Madame (78rpm/Gramophone)
VISCONTI Raymonde (78 rpm/LP/CD)
VIX Geneviève (Pathé 454)
VON MILINKOVIC Georgine (CD Walhall)
VON OTTER Anne Sofie (DVD OpusArte)
(Werminska)
WAGNER Sieglinde (German,78rpm)
WAKEFIELD Henriette (78 rpm Banner)
WALEWSKA Malgorzata (CD Sony/DVD Classic world)
WERMINSKA Wanda (LP PolskieNagrania)
WETTERGREN Gertrude (Swedish 78rpm)
WILLER Luise (German 78rpm/CD Preiser)
WILLIS Constance (vocalion/78rpm)
WYSOR Elisabeth (78rpm)
YERNA Alexis (CD Marianna Mélodie)
ZBRUYEVA (Gramophone 78rpm)
ZINETTI Giuseppina (78 rpm Columbia/CD Preiser 89715)