Authentic Spanish music too often takes second place to foreigners’ musical impressions of Spain, so here is a welcome opportunity to hear the genuine article in a charming collection of songs from around 1810 to 1880. The best-known composer here is probably Manuel García, father of singers Pauline Viardot and Maria Malibran, but the bulk of the items are by Mariano Rodriguez de Ledesma, described as the first musical Romantic in Spain, and Marcial del Adalid, whose songs were composed much later to Galician words.

Spanish music of the 19th century was heavily influenced by foreign models, and there’s often little beyond the language used to distinguish the music here from German Lieder, French mélodies or Italian canzoni. Indeed, there’s one group here by Rodriguez de Ledesma set to Italian words. The main exceptions, perhaps, lie in the lively rhythms of a Spanish-language group by the same composer, among which Las señas del amor is especially invigorating. As for Adalid, his simple but beautiful Los dos miedos is especially enchanting. In altogether lighter vein are the final two songs – an anonymous cautionary tale (La caña), and a delightful piece in Andalusian dialect by Lázaro Nuñez Robres in praise of Havana cigars.

Much of the appeal lies in Zaragoza-born Marta Almajano’s attractively dark, richly expressive and flexible soprano, which gives these varied songs depth of feeling and tremendous vitality. Michel Kiener provides excellent support on an 1813 Johann Fritz piano and also contributes four short solos in Adalid’s Petits riens.