In the context of Liszt’s total output (86 pages in The New Grove), the songs (seven pages) may seem almost insignificant; and in the light (or more nearly darkness) of what until recently had been generally known of them they might appear hardly to merit a complete edition on records. But this is the first volume of a planned series, about which the booklet fails to answer some obvious questions. For instance, how many discs is it expected to require? On what underlying principles are the programmes assembled? Will the performing artists be the same throughout?

To take the last first, there would probably be few objections if (on the present showing) they were. Matthew Polenzani is evidently a tenor of the finest quality: a lyric voice, sweet and ingratiating, with the capacity to ring out excitingly, gloriously easy on high but with a perfectly adequate body to the tone in its middle and lower registers. He is firm and even, pleasingly expressive whether in the affectionately simple verses addressed to the “Angiolin dal biondo crin” or the turbulent declamation of “Es rauschen die Winde”. He sings with warmth, intelligence and conviction, matching the superb playing of his pianist Julius Drake.

And the songs themselves give amazingly consistent satisfaction. Of those in this first volume, probably only the Petrarch sonnets will be generally familiar, and they, certainly, are still outstanding. But there is much more that we should be told. Almost all of the songs exist in more than one version, and it seems that it is the intention to include everything. But it has also been decided (we infer) not to give all versions of a song on the same disc – which is going to be inconvenient if we want to compare (as we surely will). Perhaps in future volumes the introductory essay will make a point of commenting on the changes: actually we could have done with something here and now.