After her Mimìs in the springtime Bohème, she will perhaps be less under the radar here.

One of the great Rossini sopranos of the 1980s and sadly under-recorded in that rep.

Reading Dorothy Kirsten‘s autobiography twice last year made me revisit her work anew.

I discovered this magical soprano when I was a teenager, and came across a mixed program RCA Victor LP recital.

Maria Caniglia sings with unabashed commitment and honesty. She sings as if the music was born with her.

Aga Mikolaj (born Agnieszka Beata Mikolajczyk) sang Strauss and Mozart with a gorgeous, shimmering tone.

Not exactly obscure, but she has such elegance and poise

Karolina Bengtsson is just at the beginning – we are going to hear from her, I am quite sure…

Never saw her in anything, only on You Tube videos and in a few recordings.

For me, Renée Doria epitomizes the best of French style – pointed diction, a slightly lemon-y timbre that cuts through any cloying sentimentality…..love her!

… as Minnie in La fanciulla del west

She demonstrated impressive artistry in repertoire that ranged from Spanish music to Mozart and Verdi. I only saw her twice at the Met in Mozart but they were both memorable performances.

A drama/trauma-tic soprano in the model of Gencer and Olivero, Martile Rowland sang a brilliant Elisabetta in Roberto Devereux (a last minute replacement for Zampieri, another controversial pick) at a concert, did half a Puritani at the Met, and sang the other “Gencer” roles such as Paolina in I Martiri, the title roles in Caterina Cornaro and Linda di Chamounix, and then retired to teach in the midwest somewhere(?).

Joyce Guyer’s silvery soprano, impeccable musicianship and beguiling stage presence made her an invaluable member of the Met roster in the late 1990s and early 2000s, appearing most frequently in harmony with others in such assignments as Najade in Ariadne auf Naxos, Woglinde in Wagner’s Ring Cycle and as a Parsifal Flower Maiden.

Although not exactly unknown, why she isn’t a big star is mysterious to me.

I first encountered Karina Gauvin in 2003 in the Boston Early Music Festival’s production of Conradi’s Ariadne. It does not happen often that I encounter an unknown singer with such a gorgeous sheen to their voice. Her performance was a knockout.

Eugenia Burzio is the most demented soprano on record, for me at least.

Such clean, beautifully poised technique, rich timbre, gorgeous agility…the anti-Melba

A currently active dramatic coloratura who has the voice and technique for Odabella! how often do we see that?

I first saw her perform with Portland Opera in Lucia. I subsequently saw her in Traviata, also in Portland. Later, I saw her as both Gilda and Juliette as the Met.

Not sure if she’s under-appreciated per se, but hers is my favorite Manon Lescaut with Jussi Björling.

The assumption is that singers, singing in their own language, will be more expressive and idiomatic. The reality is that it often seldom makes a difference.