In this admirably multi-lingual recital, silk-toned German baritone Henschel and his accompanist perform Vaughan Williams almost as idiomatically as Mahler; only Duparc sounds a little harsh.

This four-language recital is something of a tour de force; the recording is excellent.

Henschel is frequently anguished and extreme: his balefully dark Duparc singing, in particular, is riveting if potentially controversial. He turns the emotional volume down for the Vaughan Williams song cycle, which is exceptionally beautiful in its restraint.

Henschel steers a sure and certain interpretative course stylishly accompanied throughout by pianist Schwinghammer in these subtle examples of lyricism.

Throughout the programme Henschel brings to mind the intelligence, flexibility, musical responsiveness, and even at times the very timbre of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau at his best.

an enterprising programme, superbly executed by Dietrich Henschel. His virile, incisive baritone is always a pleasure to listen to, his characterisation keen and imaginative.