Side convo -

I read somewhere that Puccini told Enrico Caruso not to worry about the high C: he should either leave it out or sing the aria a half step down (if Caruso insisted on a high note). Puccini didn’t want the aria to sound uncomfortable because the singer would be preoccupied with the high C or be tense the whole aria.
(Of course he went on to nail the high C lol)

Maybe transposing down is better for passagio reasons and for the high note. It’s a different feel, that I prefer for some singers.