Jenny Lin has always shown a knack for thematic programme-building, and this collection of pieces inspired by the night ranges from the thrice familiar to the rarely heard, and from wistful lyricism to muted agitation. Her opening selection, Debussy’s ‘Clair de lune’, is starkly deliberate, straightforward and kitsch-free. It slips easily into the composer’s recently discovered Les soirs illuminés par l’ardeur du charbon, setting the stage for a supple, flickering Schumann ‘In der Nacht’. Next, Lin’s shapely delicacy in Glazunov’s La nuit lightens the mood, while her mellow, instrospective way with Tchaikovsky’s Op 10 No 1 Nocturne suggests a Brahmsian sound, as does her prominent left hand in Fauré’s Op 33 No 3.

While she intelligently scales the dynamics and climaxes of Chopin’s Op 48 No 1, Op 9 No 1’s decorative lines don’t quite shimmer and soar to the magical specifications of Horszowski’s extraordinary recording (Nonesuch, 12/93). One could imagine Grieg’s Op 54 No 4 Nocturne slightly faster and cast in lighter colours than in Lin’s brooding rendition. She adheres to the marked articulation of Paderewski’s Op 16 No 4 to much smoother effect than in Jeffrey Biegel’s recent, relatively vehement interpretation (Steinway & Sons). The Griffes, Glinka, Turina and Lourié selections inspire some of Lin’s most ravishing playing on disc.

Finally, her discreetly doled-out rubatos and thoughtful textural contouring liberate Liszt’s Liebestraum No 3 from more than a century’s worth of vulgar encrustation. In sum, this beautifully engineered release is a welcome addition to Lin’s diverse and distinct discography.