Bereft of its orchestral colouring it surely presents a formidable challenge. Yet the plasticity of Gerhaher’s story telling is enhanced as, freed from breasting a large ensemble with exaggerated gestures, his default intimacy responds to Huber’s sensitive pianism.

[Der Abscheid] Gerhaher is at his very best here, creating subtle mood shifts and phrasing with sensitive regard for the text. Nobody has sung a passage like “Die Welt schläft ein” so softly and intimately, almost to the vanishing point. At the same time, he unleashes the full power of his voice in climactic passages, so that the entire range of a Lieder singer’s capabilities is brought to bear.

There’s a huge amount to admire here, and Gerhaher’s songs, in particular, make a persuasive case for hearing the piano version of the work.

Beczała’s performances of his [latter] two songs are immaculately weighted and coloured, providing a perfect counterpoint to Gerhaher’s explorations, which lead inevitably to a wonderfully searching account of the final Abschied, in which every phrase seems to be individually imagined...Orchestral colours are missed more than ever here, but the sheer range of Gerhaher’s inflections, the way in which he treasures every word, is a treat in itself.

[Gerhaher shades] each note and word with such beauty and subtlety that it feels as if he’s whispering into your ear. Huber’s extensive piano contributions, too, are always expressive and well-judged. Mahler’s orchestral version in the end might be preferred, but that doesn’t stop this album being a fascinating listening experience.