It is extremely difficult to comment constructively on the theoretical basis of this disc, since the insert-notes are not really very enlightening as to how the music was arrived at. A brief note by Suzanne Haik-Vantoura informs us that there are 19 musical signs (illustrated, and some of them certainly visually reminiscent of Byzantine ekphonetic notation), hidden among the vowel signs of the Hebrew text of the Psalms. This is in itself reasonably plausible, but one would be grateful for some more details of the system of transcription used, and how it was decided which symbol represented what.
It is also not stated whether there is any connection with traditional styles of singing used in the worship at the synagogue, but certainly Esther Lamandier's performances have a distinctively 'Jewish' sound (I was in fact rather alarmed to be immediately reminded of Bernstein's Chichester Psalms on hearing the first piece!).
The interpretations themselves are curious. As usual, Lamandier sings accompanied only by a harp (again, what justification is there for the harmonic support she adds? The signs are undoubtedly monophonic in intention, and no mention is made of anything resembling an ison, or drone such as may be found in various Orthodox Christian chant traditions) and the sound becomes rather wearing after a short time, partly due to her unvarying timbre and rather frequent breaths. I cannot believe that on musical grounds this is a disc to which I should want to return very often but perhaps more frequent listening may be encouraged by the mystery surrounding it.'