I’ve wanted to blog for as long as I’ve known what a blog is, but quite frankly, up until now, I just didn’t know what to write about. There’s a lot to consider when you start this whole blogging thing. Not to mention, kick starting this particular beauty wasn’t as easy as you might think. Sure, it’s just clicking a few buttons, typing here, going there, presto, change-o, cue puff of smoke, and voilà, le BLOG! But, no, not for this Type-A personality. Who would’ve thought starting a blog would inspire such inner turmoil? OK, that’s a bit of an overstatement, but you get the idea. It wasn’t all that easy.

Let’s start with the name. What do I call this place? That alone was a daunting and exhausting task. The options are, quite simply, overwhelming, especially for a girl who gets easily hung up on the details and loves her options. Then there’s figuring out what I’m going to write about before anything happens that I want to write about. That’s a bit of a quandary. Is this going to be just about opera and singing? Or, about everything else and how life has taken me down so many different paths? Decisions, decisions. What… to… do?

And then one happy morning, ‘Dorabella’s Closet’ was born.

As a once-upon-a-time lyric mezzo, Dorabella’s my girl. She’s one of my favorite parts to play, and, on an emotional level, I can relate to her quite easily. She’s one of those roles I get lost in and just have fun with every time I meet her on stage again and again. As seen in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte, she’s a girl who wants to love and be loved and isn’t afraid of putting herself out there and following her heart. So, I’m taking on the task of assuming the role here in Blog-Land, and what I imagine to be quite the eclectic collection in her closet. I’m going to write about it all. No topic is off limits. This closet will be filled with my take on opera, singing, singers, life’s every day moments, and most of all, my love of the stage and the absolute wonder that is the performing artist.

Now that you know where I live, feel free drop by any time, rummage through my closet, and try on whatever you like.

Before I go, here’s a bit of Dorabella to acquainted yourself with. I’ve picked out a performance with Isabel Leonard singing my favorite of Dorabella’s arias, Smanie implacabili, in the 2009 Salzburg Festival production of Cosi fan tute and a blast from the past recording of the exquisite Act I finale trio, Soave sia il vento, with Price, Troyanos, and Flagello. As far as I’m concerned, this opera is all about the ensembles. Some of the most beautiful ensemble writing in all of Mozart’s operas can be found in this score.