When Jane Eaglen, the renowned English soprano accepted our invitation to star in the role of Ariadne in Pittsburgh Opera's production of the same name, I had already known that she had kept some fascinating journals of other productions, particularly one of her first encounter with that mega masterpiece, TRISTAN UND ISOLDE, by Richard Wagner (see www.Janeeaglen.com). At that time, blogging was just getting under way, and it was somewhat unusual for a singer from the classical music world to engage in such edgy activity! So, a couple of days ago, as we were chatting during a break in rehearsal, it suddenly occurred to me that I should ask her to do the same here. Jane is a great lady who, though she mostly sings goddesses or grand dames, is actually an incredibly down-to-earth kind of person, with her feet firmly planted on the ground.

So here's our attempt to de-mystify the mysterious. Opera singers are people. Newsflash! If this catches on, we're going to play with this so that our audience can get a whiff of what it's like to put together an opera, one of the most fascinating (if often misunderstood and stereotyped) art forms out there. Welcome and enjoy.