The easy chemistry between these two big personalities is palpable, and the pair seize opportunities to play to the gallery with a relish. Don’t expect a linear narrative in the tradition of Schumann’s Frauenliebe und -leben, but the musical and textual parallels with Carmen which pop up in almost every song speak of a thoughtfully-curated recital which is much more than a grab-bag of crowd-pleasers.

The title track, written by Elena Roussanova especially for the Bashkortostan-born mezzo-soprano, sets the tone. Akhmetshina’s supple instrument wraps itself around the languid vocal lines while Pappano’s sensitive touch draws out the music’s delicate melismas...She’s at her classiest inhabiting Bizet’s sultry Adieux de l’hôtesse arabe and Ravel’s hip-swaying Vocalise-étude en forme de habanera.