The pen poised to write a large N for ‘No’ changes direction and forms a Y. That of itself is a tribute to Heppner: I didn’t think the non-Italianate voice and what had seemed a too-well-moderated musical and emotional temperament could achieve a satisfying authenticity in this. But he does. Heppner maintains a true singing-line, nourishes his tone, feels the music and the words, doesn’t stint, doesn’t overdo and succeeds wonderfully well in adapting his voice and its timbre to a type of music not readily associated with it. Doubters should go straight to Io ti sento (track 13) or Chitarrata abruzzese (track 10).

Sceptics in the matter of Tosti might try ‘Lasciami! Lascia ch’io respiro’, the first of the four Canzoni d’Amaranta to words by D’Annunzio. Roger Pines’s well-informed notes tell that it was the best-known of these, ‘L’alba separa dalla luce l’ombra’, that first attracted Heppner to Tosti. I hope he realises that there are plenty more of his songs to make up a worthy second volume.

This is a good record, and the accompaniments (often at fault in this kind of repertoire) are tastefully arranged and performed. I still have to draw attention to a CD which, had it achieved wider circulation and kept its place in the catalogue, would be (to my mind) a superior competitor. If at all interested, and if you don’t have it already, do try to beg, borrow or…at any rate get hold of the Tosti song recital by Ernesto Palacio (teacher of Juan Diego Floréz) on Akademia (1/95, nla). Even in this company – and greater company from the past – it shows the way to do it.