Make no mistake, Romaniw is a great talent. The plush richness of her soprano is astonishing...Romaniw taps into the melancholy of the Russian songs especially well…The selection from Janáček’s Moravian Folk Poetry in Songs positively burst with character – aided by the Czech pianist Lada Valešová as ever-attentive partner – while the five Novák songs that close the disc are a revelation...Strongly recommended. Remember the name; you’ll not forget the voice.

At 32, this commanding Welsh singer has already established herself as one of the finest Tatyanas and Lisas around, and her affinity with Slavic repertoire is equally in evidence on this thrilling debut recital-album, which showcases her big, bright, appealingly gritty soprano and visceral dramatic gifts to perfection. Valešová, a guiding light for so many of today’s singers in this repertoire, is equally arresting, especially in the Rachmaninov songs.

Star quality oozes from every note sung by the Welsh soprano in this selection of songs from Russia and the former Czechoslovakia. Indeed, I can think of no other British singer from my lifetime who brings such an idiomatic sound — a big, bright lirico-spinto soprano shot with melancholy — to this repertory...Valesova’s limpid playing is an outstanding feature of this superb disc.

Lada Valešová captures the varied colours of the piano writing expertly, an equal and supportive partner. These 28 songs, especially the folk-rich examples by Janáček and Novák, suit Romaniw’s generous, big-toned voice, its timbre flecked and speckled with character and emotion.