Gens, as one might expect, is exceptional in this repertoire. Most of the songs are about erotic anticipation and tristesse, and her dark, slightly smoky tone adds to the sensuality of it all. She sings as much off the text as the line, but nothing is nudged or forced in an overtly interventionist way... ‘A Chloris’ is one of the best there is, and Hahn’s ‘Néère’, which gives the disc its title, leaves you open-mouthed with its beauty.

ravishing performances from Gens and her superbly insightful pianist Susan Manoff; much of the music lies in Gens' clean but voluptuous lower-middle register, and her palette of wonderful autumnal colours coupled with her unfussy but keen responsiveness to the texts make for a very special disc indeed.

Néère, which opens the disc and provides its title, has a grave, austere beauty that Gens captures perfectly...nothing in these performances is overdone; Gens allows the lyric beauty of each song to speak for itself, with the minimum of interference and the maximum of tonal beauty.