Daucé has assembled a talented cast for this stylish performance: soloists are well matched, giving a sense of integrity to the whole, and Shadwell’s text is clearly articulated (albeit with some seductive Frenchshaded accents). The real stars of the show are the instrumentalists who, under Daucé’s taught and exuberant direction, bring the score to pulsating life.

Daucé’s direction of Ensemble Correspondances is impeccable, the instrumental numbers going with a swing.

With the odd exception, great care has obviously been taken with English pronunciation and enunciation. Mention of individual roles and their singers in this context is hardly needed, but among standouts the tenor Marc Mauillon deserves mention, as does the beautifully sung Venus of Lieselot de Wilde and the Vulcan of the bass Étienne Bazola...This is an outstanding recording of a seminal work in the history of English music drama.