In my book, Samuel Barber is one of the finest of all songwriters in the 20th century. Every poem he sets is carefully chosen, thought about, and – the true mark of greatness – enhanced. Every human emotion, whether delight in a cat or regret for lost friends, is astutely conveyed. He sees all aspects of humanity from all angles. Gerald Finley knows this well, and here sings some of Barber’s finest, such as the 10 Hermit Songs, the three powerful James Joyce settings of Op 10, the Op 27 Rilke settings, Mélodies passagères, and some impressively fluent earlier songs. Ably aided by the pianist Julius Drake, Finley communicates with finesse every poetic nuance, his golden baritone allied to rare poetic intelligence.

Hyperion CDA67528

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