Strauss, Fauré, Debussy, Poulenc, Wolf, Berg

Songs about flowers and songs about the night dominate this recital, recorded by soprano Christiane Karg at London's Wigmore Hall in July 2012. The biggest representation went to fellow Bavarian Richard Strauss. Karg is a performer who makes the act of singing seem utterly straightforward. With a voice that's tightly focused (no pitch is ever even slightly indistinct), Karg gives the impression that she can turn to reach any note or shift into any mood with effortless ease. Her approach is not so much to project outwards to her listeners as to draw them in, as if everyone is sharing a space in which nothing needs to be exaggerated. The style may be too cool for some listeners, but the sense of communicative intimacy is wonderful. url.ie/fa5t