Previous releases from the American tenor Nicholas Phan include a couple of Britten discs, both well reviewed in these pages (4/12 and 12/12). His new album, however, takes us right into the heart of German Romanticism. Phan writes his own booklet-note, in which he talks of presenting Lieder to young schoolchildren in the US, of their openness to the stories that the songs contain. And throughout the disc, whose programme is subdivided into four sections and a postlude, his narrative prowess, care with words and desire to bring these stories to life immediately draw you in.

The voice is light, with a slight Schreier-like tang to it and a seductive pianissimo. It is heard at its best in the gentler numbers: he sounds delightfully fresh in the five songs (including ‘Rheinlegendchen’ and ‘Der Sänger’) that make up the ‘Knights and Kings’ section. This freshness of approach is matched throughout by the terrific playing of Myra Huang – listen to the bounce she brings to the introduction of ‘Ganymed’ or the brilliant sparkle of Beethoven’s ‘Song of the Flea’.

Where the recital is a little less successful is in those numbers that take Phan to the extremes or call for a bit more depth of tone and variety of colour. He’s stretched – as, admittedly, are many – by ‘Waldesgespräch’ and, especially, ‘Der Rattenfänger’. His ‘Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen’ is touching but doesn’t quite manage to convert sadness into tragedy, while ‘Der Zwerg’ (kicking off ‘Things That Go Bump in the Night’) fails for me to build up enough cumulative weight, despite telling its story incisively.

Taken as a whole, though, this is an appealing, charming and clearly lovingly planned recital, engagingly performed. Avie’s recording is resonant but rich and direct.