Mind you, who really knows Massenet's great opera these days? A much subtler score than Puccini's early belter. And what cast could we muster to do it justice? It's only had a handful of decent recordings, the last (and possibly best) back in 2000 with Gheorghiu and Alagna under Pappano. An opera once familiar and with a performing tradition is now cast adrift, virtually unknown except for a few highlights. But then, the performing traditions of much of 19th century opera, whether French, German, Italian or Russian (to name the main ones), have faded with the disappearance of singers trained in those traditions, leaving very few capable of mastering the roles involved. Yes, Bru Zane are doing a sterling job in the French repertoire, mostly with lesser-known works and excellent production values, but are there performances to match the great ones from the past? Historic recordings - and even ones from the days of LPs - suggest otherwise.