The primary appeal of this album of 19 of Charles Gounod's songs is the fact that it includes a dozen that have not been recorded. Nearly half of the composer's songs remain unrecorded, so any additions should interest his fans. The songs on this album are consistently lyrical and graceful. Most of the songs are in French, but a handful are in English, written during the composer's sojourn in England during the Franco-Prussian War. Mezzo-soprano Bernadett Wiedemann and baritone Gyula Orendt divide the songs between them. Pianist
Emese Virág makes an especially strong contribution, playing with warm, Romantic tone and a sure grasp of the subtleties of shaping phrases. Hungaroton's sound is clean and well-balanced.