It’s rare in opera for the mezzo soprano to have a big aria alone on stage. More often than not she’s telling a story: how her mother got burned in a bonfire, and how she threw her own son into the same bonfire by mistake, or she’s setting out her view of the world: how love is like a bird that you can’t hold in your hand. Some get around this by hoisting themselves up to planet soprano, but others are happy with a career in the ensemble, happy to be in the middle of things. Making things happen, making the whole scene or event look good.