A thrilling exploration of the world of Alma Mahler; works, both old and new, are infused with the emotional toxicity of her affair with Oskar Kokoschka.

Madylus is quite wonderful in The Art of Love, her mezzo warm, sensual and finely in tune with the heartbeat of the songs…[Tomlinson] is simply superb. With a vocal part marvellously written to some of his legendary strengths, he is charismatic, conjuring a quiet, intensely reflective mood in a performance that is marvellously crafted, beautifully enunciated and deeply expressive...Alma is yet to be the centre of her own story on the operatic stage. While we wait, this is strongly recommended.

Gustav Mahler’s music slips into Casken’s brilliantly effective score, and Tomlinson “speech-sings” his part with vibrant robustness.

Tomlinson’s bass lustre is powerfully combined with the atmospheric and pungent timbres of Counterpoise, featuring violin, trumpet, clarinet/saxophone and piano — a miniature orchestra in itself...a fascinating portrait of an extraordinary woman, time and place. For its ambition and general achievement, this is an album worth cheering.

Casken’s achievement is to make the quartet of violin (Fenella Humphreys), trumpet, saxophone (Kyle Horch) and piano sound like a much bigger ensemble, and to write in such a way that it feels of our time while catching the atmosphere of Schoenberg and Webern’s writing in the period of the affair it is describing. This a rewarding and fascinating disc, showing the best sort of curatorship.