Opera lovers will argue over the relative merits of a Kirsten Flagstad versus an Erna Sack, and musical afficionados may come to blows debating the superiority of Bernadette Peters versus Patti LuPone, but thankfully all can agree that whatever the genre, diva Carlotta Castafiore has them all beat.

Possessing a vocal range as large and powerful as her emotional instability, the magnificent Carlotta (or CieCie to friends) is surely the most critical component of Zarnesti's hopeful rise to cultural ascendancy.