Something for everybody here. Netrebko is nothing if not adventurous in her choice of “lollipops”, and sings in nine languages. Inevitably the Russian items come off best: the lovely little Rimsky-Korsakov song about the wind whispering love into the poet’s soul, and then the “Oriental romance” of the rose and the nightingale. Both of these have been discreetly orchestrated for this disc by Andreas Tarkmann. The Yiddish lullaby “Schlof sche, mein vögele” is done with great tenderness, as is the Pie Jesu from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Requiem. This is one of three duets, Netrebko joined here by the boy soprano Andrew Swait. For the Barcarolle from Les contes d’Hoffmann she has Elýna Garanca on hand as Niklausse; they make a convincing pair of Venetian serenaders. Even better is “Im Chambre separée” from Heuberger’s Der Opernball, heard for once in its authentic form as a duet, taken slowly but done with great style, Piotr Beczala contributing a nice turn as the youthful Henri, eager to learn about the demi-monde.

Of the other operetta items I preferred Netrebko’s raunchy “Zapateado” from Giménez’s La Tempranica to the rather effortful “Heia, in den Bergen” from Kálmán’s Die Csárdásfürstin. Two French opera arias make a neat contrast: “Depuis le jour” from Louise, very dreamy, the words well defined, and with a beautifully executed leap up to the exultant “Je suis heureuse!” Then there is the little song from Messager’s Fortunio, a moment of quietness sandwiched between “Solveig’s Song” and “Songs my mother taught me” – this done in Czech, to the apparent delight of the Prague Philharmonie, conducted throughout with gentlemanly care by Emmanuel Villaume. Although the fireworks of Arditi’s “Il bacio” bring the disc to an exuberant finish, the introspective songs fare best.