PRES DES REMPARTS DE SEVILLE – an aria from the opera Carmen

The Portrait of Bizet’s Aria PRES DES REMPARTS DE SEVILLE (SÉGUÉDILLE)

Read Interesting facts and hear great YouTube Videos about the famous Aria “‘PRES DES REMPARTS DE SÉVILLE” (SEGUEDILLE).

If you want to hear more about the opera Carmen, click on the link to the opera portrait

The Aria – Synopsis & Background

Synopsis: The soldier Don Jose was not interested in her. This irritated the gypsy Carmen and she threw a flower to him. This ignited José. Suddenly noise comes from the cigarette factory. Carmen has instigated a stabbing and Don José has to arrest her. «Près des remparts de Séville» is an aria, where Carmen seduces Don José to release him, after she has been arrested.

Arrested shortly before, Carmen sings this aria with handcuffs. She was asked not to speak. So she explains to Don José that she just thinks out loud. The piece begins in the three-part bar of the Segeduille, which Carmen starts in piano. She tells Don José about her past lovers and that her heart is quickly comforted (Mon pauvre coeur très consolable), which must be sung with a pinch of humour. Don José’s desire increases, but the cold shower follows at the same time, since she can count the men on every finger of her hand (J’ai des galants à la douzaine). Whoever wants to love her, she loves. She soon calls Don José her her new lover. The return to the opening text “Pres des remparts de Seville” now sounds certain of victory and Don José melts away.

The Aria – the text of Près des remparts de Séville

Près des remparts de Séville
chez mon ami Lillas Pastia,
j’irai danser la seguedille
et boire du Manzanilla,
j’irai chez mon ami Lillas Pastia.
Oui, mais toute seule on s’ennuie,
et les vrais plaisir sont à deux;
donc pour me tenir compagnie,
j’ammènerai mon amoureux!
Mon amoureux!. il est au diable!
Je l’ai mis à la porte hier!
Mon pauvre coeur, très consolable,
mon coeur est libre comme l’air!
J’ai des galants à la douzaine;
mais ils ne sont pas à mon gré.
Voici la fin de la semaine:
qui veut m’aimer? je l’aimerai!
Qui veut mon âme? Elle est à prendre!
Vous arrivez au bon moment!
Je n’ai guère le temps d’attendre,
car avec mon nouvel amant
près des remparts de Séville,
chez mon ami Lillas Pastia,
j’irai danser la seguedille
et boire…

Vocal Fach «Dramatic mezzosoprano»

Carmen is written for a «Dramatic mezzosoprano». The dramatic mezzosoprano must have a strong, voluminous voice. The demand for vocal creativity is high, which is why these roles are usually entrusted to vocally mature and experienced singers. The role requires a high resilience and endurance of the singer.

Famous interpretations of Près des remparts de Séville

A great example seduction Elina Garancas Aria. A textbook for seduction

Près des remparts de Seville (1)  –  Garanca

Leontyne Price was an excellent Carmen, very sensual and exotic. Listen to Price in this beautiful passage. Fischer: «Whoever has such a pronounced sound character as she does, whose voice exudes a downright sexual scent, will not be in the right place as Violetta or Butterfly, as Adriana Lecouvreur or as Elisabetta in Don Carlos, but when she sang Aida and Carmen, Leonora and Tosca, then one could hardly escape the effect of this vocal cat of prey.»

Près des remparts de Seville (2)  –  Price

Jessye Norman’s Carmen had excellent critics. Her french is excellent and was highly praised. She convinced with her musicality, though rather artificial than seductive

Près des remparts de Seville (3)  –  Norman

And finally a fourth interpretation by Maria Calls. A great and very convincing interpretation playing with tone colors and highly dramatic, perhaps a little less seductive. Maria Callas had a more fatalistic approach to Carmen. She condemned throughout her live Carmen as morally coarse and out of the question: “Carmen takes what only men take.”

Près des remparts de Seville (4)  –  Callas

Peter Lutz, opera-inside, the online opera guide to PRÈS DES REMPARTS DE SÉVILLE from the opera Carmen