The Habanera from the opera Carmen

In 1863 Sebastián Iradier wrote the Habanera „El Arreglito“. Ten years after his death, in 1875, Georges Bizet was desperately searching for an opening aria for his star singer Célestine Galli-Marié. He had already composed a song with a chorus in six eighth time for Galli-Marié’s appearance. But the 35 year old Galli-Marié wanted something she considered to be „in the line of gypsies“, which in those times was synonymous with Spanish. She declined twelve compositions by Bizet. Annoyed, the composer wrote to the library of the music school in Paris: „Please send me a list of Spanish songs you own. Bizet. “ So he found El Arreglito, the Habanera by Sebastián Iradier. The thirteenth attempt at an opening aria finally pleased Galli-Marié. From the very beginning, there were rumors that the melody was reminiscent of a song by the late Sebastián Iradier. Bizet himself wrote that the Habanera was „after a Spanish folk song.“  A few months after the release of Carmen, Bizet died. His – or should we say - Iradier’s Habanera became one of or THE most famous aria in music history.