At least, so says Rosina, the heroine from Rossini‘s opera, The Barber of Seville.

In Rosina’s well loved solo, she presents herself as coy and sweet, but wickedly clever. She sings “A thousand tricks I play until I have my way; be on your guard.” Then, working with her lover, she proceeds to make an idiot out of a cruel, elderly suitor. Don’t let the gorgeous bel canto singing fool you – and definitely don’t play games with this woman!

For the most part, the holidays are now over. Now comes the big let-down, as we begin to endure the long, cold winter with little respite.

American composer Samuel Barber won the Pulitzer Prize for his opera Vanessa. This aria, “Must the Winter Come so Soon?” is often used by voice teachers to introduce their students to modern American opera.