The voice itself is a staggeringly lovely instrument, possessing as it does a youthful purity that at the same time admits to an intoxicating creaminess hinting at something altogether less innocent. And if you want an unforgettable example of that here try ‘Felicissima quest’alma’ from Apollo e Dafne, where apparent artlessness is undermined by Lezhneva’s weightlessly floated but subtly nuanced lines. These are indeed sounds to ravish the senses!

Lezhneva’s bell-like soprano is one of the most exciting emerging voices around, and she doesn’t disappoint in this recital of early Handel. Surely no instrumentalist’s fingers can move faster than Lezhneva’s vocal cords; she is able to somersault with the violin, hold her tone straight like the oboe, and then out-trill both of them. So there is lots to admire here – but also lots to love.

Her long-held notes in “Per dar pregio all’amor mio” are unwavering, while the fluttering coloratura passages separating them are positively birdlike; and the clarity and power of her intonation in “Disserratevi, o porte d’Averno” is quite outstanding. Lezhneva proves equally adept at secular and sacred demands

in “Disserratevi, o porte d’Averno,” the opening track of this impressive but curiously aloof recording, the young Russian soprano Julia Lezhneva runs circles around the instrumentalist with her pert and fleet coloratura.