Georges Bizet

If the low female voice became the epitome of the erotic in music, it is mainly due to Carmen's famous song, the "Habanera." Here Maria Kataeva has the opportunity to show why she is one of the rising stars in the mezzo-soprano firmament. When Kataeva first appeared on stage at the age of four, she said she was "not afraid at all" – the perfect qualification for playing Bizet's daring heroine decades later. But the Habanera is just one hit among many: Carmen includes innumerable melodies that sound just as fresh today as they did in 1875 at the time of the world premiere.