In this article, the author offers a perspective on opera's child prodigy problem, one that addressess unflinchingly the historical elephant in the room. For most of its 400-year existence, opera has embraced voices that we would consider immature. Our modern pedagogic practices present a well-justified break from that tradition. Focusing on the historical circumstances of the standard bel canto repertory, the author will provide evidence that the average female singer's career peaked between about age 20 to age 35, implying that most successful singers have been doing exactly what Laura Bretan did: learning and singing mature repertory in their teens. The author highlights these facts not because he seeks some return to the old abuses of the Italian bel canto tradition. Far from it: He believes we have a moral imperative to use hard science as our guide and not damage voices. If anything, acknowledging the history of bel canto practice can serve as a warning. The author highlights these facts, rather, to show that we evoke traditions and frame our art as purely traditional at our peril. To understand why, we first need to understand and contextualize more honestly some of opera's old traditions.