This disc is notable both for its programme and execution. Stephanie Blythe impressed me greatly in a recital of Baroque arias (A/01); here she is even more impressive. A fined-down account of Brahms’s Alto Rhapsody precedes chamber-music arrangements, by distinguished composers, of two romantic classics. Together they comprise a most satisfying experience.

There’s plenty of serious sentiment in the Brahms, but none of the sentimentality that sometimes mars its performance. Goethe’s profound words are uttered with equal profundity by Blythe, whose firm, rich voice, tinged with attractive vibrancy, is just right for the piece. Nelson and his small group of singers provide compact, finely limned support. This is a reading to set beside that of Dame Janet Baker.

At first I found Henze’s orchestration of the Wesendonck-Lieder disconcerting, but I came to appreciate the slimline instrumental support, especially in the context of Blythe’s unaffected, well-crafted interpretation. It’s far removed from the grand scale of performance we usually hear; some may also disapprove of the low keys here adopted.

The CD is crowned by a deeply eloquent account of ‘Der Abschied’ from Das Lied von der Erde, where Blythe surpasses herself in terms of steady tone, expressive phrasing and keen word-painting. I particularly admired the toneless gravity of the line ‘Er sprach, seine Stimme war umflort’ and the wonder in the singing of the intimations of eternity that follow. Nelson and his players make Schoenberg’s re-scoring seems as convincing as Mahler’s original. Full marks, too, for the clearly balanced, warm recording.