The Grieg song edition continues rather as it began––with many causes for gratitude, a few occasions for quite intense pleasure, rather fewer for modified regret, and at least one major grumble. There is much to be said for the method of presentation, which, like the Faure edition on CRD, dodges about fairly freely over the years, though it would be more satisfying if there were evidence of a masterplanner at work, as in Graham Johnson's Schubert for Hyperion. That, however, is not the grumble, which (to get it out of the way till next time) is that the presentation is again so poor. For example, of the six songs Op. 4 only one (''Das alte Lied'') is attributed to its poet (in this instance, Heine). Of Op. 48 the writer of the introductory notes mentions that each has a different author, but to discover who the six authors were and who wrote which poem it is necessary to look elsewhere, as in the booklet of Anne Sofie von Otter's recent recital on DG, which shows how easy it is to do the thing properly. Once again, the introductory note would be barely adequate for an ordinary issue, but for a complete edition it is not even that. The texts and translations instead of being printed across the page and parallel, for easy cross-reference, are given successively, and in one instance (''Die verschwiegene Nachtigall'') the English is missing. Misprints in English abound, and random checks of translations raise a few doubts as when in Op. 44 ''sa dunkelbla'' (''so dunkelblau'' credibly enough in German) becomes ''in rapt surprise'' in English.
The programme is arranged chronologically and is drawn from a 30-year period. Opp. 4 and 48 are set to German texts, Op. 44 to some rather selfconscious poems by Holger Drachmann, Op. 58 to what in translation read as the more genuine verses of John Paulsen. In the earliest it is interesting to see Grieg finding his own song-writer's voice, and several of the late songs have a haunting quality that is entirely personal. Of the singers it would have been good to have heard more from the mezzo, Christa Pfeiler, who sings with pleasing tone and expression. The tenor Sandve, sometimes a trifle throaty and not always steady, rings out well and commands a vivid, eager style. Knut Skram has only two songs, and to Marianne Hirsti falls the very beautiful Op. 48, recorded recently by von Otter in her excellent Grieg recital. Nearly always the deeper colours and richer expressiveness of von Otter's singing tend to reduce Hirsti's to a near-monochromatic prettiness. Yet to many of the songs (such as the lovely Goethe setting, ''Zur Rosenzeit'') she is well suited, and always Rudolf Jansen is a sensitive and skilful accompanist throughout.'