Along with blossoms and birdsong, the arrival of spring this year (finally!) brings one of Prague's favorite classical vocalists, Jennifer Larmore. As always, the world-renowned mezzo-soprano has been keeping a busy schedule, most recently in a recording studio in London, delving into obscure operatic works from the "golden" bel canto period of the 19th century.

"I just finished Maria Stuarta by [Giuseppe] Mercadante, and tomorrow morning I start Sofonisba by [Ferdinando] Paër," she tells The Prague Post via phone.

If you've never heard of those operas, you're not alone. They're part of a growing catalog being compiled by Opera Rara, a British group that unearths forgotten gems and preserves them on disc. For singers, it's a daunting process.

"They are a challenge," Larmore says. "They've never been recorded, so you don't have anything to listen to. And when you look at the music on the page, it seems so difficult and demanding, you think, 'This is unsingable.' But I enjoy the wonderful task of creating a character that's entirely mine, vocally, dramatically and emotionally."

Anyone who's heard Larmore in her previous Prague appearances can testify to the amazing range, color and warmth that she brings to everything she sings, enlivening even old chestnuts like the "Habanera" from Carmen. In person, she connects with her audience in a manner that seems almost magical, as if the rose that she teases musicians with in the character of Carmen is brushing across the cheeks of fans in the last row of the balcony.

"The beauty of being an artist is having that lovely privilege of communicating with your audience," she says. "I'm the kind of singer that looks at the faces of people in the audience because I want to know what they're thinking and I want to see if they're having fun — because let's face it, first and foremost, I am an entertainer. I'm there to make people forget that they've had a long, hard day, and make them smile or cry or feel something emotionally, hopefully in a good way."

It helps, Larmore says, to perform in a city like Prague, where she always fills the house with a receptive, enthusiastic crowd. "That audience was just fantastic," she says of her last appearance here in November 2004. "When you come in and feel a real electricity in the house and you know people are excited to hear you, it makes it about a hundred times easier to sing."

With an emphasis on audience favorites like Rossini and Mozart, her program this time will not be very different from that appearance. Though programs are always developed in collaboration with the conductor and the orchestra, the nod to audience preferences primarily reflects Larmore's generous, down-to-earth attitude about catering to popular tastes.

"You know me, I'm not a prima donna," she says. "In putting together a program, I feel I have to consider what the audience will want to hear and enjoy. Besides, I've found that if I don't do my standard Rossinis, people will come up to me afterward and say, 'Why didn't you sing "Una vocce" or "Per lui chi adoro?" ' So I've learned the hard way just to go ahead and put them on the program."

Other selections were still under discussion, but will probably include pieces by Handel, Gluck and Bizet. The sturdy Prague Philharmonia will once again provide accompaniment, this time under the baton of visiting French conductor Jean-Christophe Spinosi.

It was cold in London during Larmore's stay, but she's looking forward to more than a change in climate here. "I love Prague; it's one of the most beautiful cities in the world," she says. "I'm always trying to think of some reason to go there."