No texts are supplied, but Keith Anderson's insert-notes follow the programme from song to song, briefly outlining the subject-matter of each. This is as well, for the singer's mood and meaning would otherwise present her non-German-speaking listeners with an almost infinitely open field for speculation and conjecture. The last two songs, Der Tod und das Madchen and Der Erlkonig, do convey some awareness of dialogue, that is true Gretchen am Spinerade has a distinct climax, the end of Die junge Nonne is sung in quieter, more peaceful tones than the start. But in expressiveness, the art seems here to work within roughly such limits as those. In the Mignon songs, for example, Heiss mich nicht reden and So lasst mich scheinen, the manner is so neutral that an uninformed listener could hardly begin to guess at the character or her feelings. In Heidenroslein and Die Forelle we would hardly suppose ourselves to be listening to a story. The broader lines of Der Zwerg bring more involvement, and even a little colouring of the voice, but that probably is accounted for by its relatively operatic quality, recognizable as a tale that might conceivably be told round the bonfire in Il trovatore. There is little of that more intimate kind of communication essential to the Lieder singer's art.
The voice itself can be heard as a fine instrument, and at best its usage is well-controlled. Singing softly or at no more than mezzo forte, as in Wandrers Nachtlied, she preserves the purity of an opulent near-contralto tone, without spread or suspicion of a beat. With more pressure, as in the turbulent verses of Die junge Nonne, the tone becomes a little more unruly. She phrases well and conscientiously refrains from exploiting her full power except in the climactic moments of the 'bigger' songs. I had a curious sense of listening-in on some rather depressing examination session where all is formal and correct but without the spark of spontaneous communication. The pianist contributes to this, for while everything is clear, nothing suggests a new perception or an instinctive knowledge of how to lift the notes from off the page, separating the strands or bringing their colours into the light.'