From the dazzling coloratura of Amor to the innigkeit of Morgen and the broad expressiveness of Zueiningung.
In this, her best disc until now, Diana Damrau sings a wide selection 22 of Richard Strauss´ songs accompanied by the Strauss-specialist Christian Thielemann, the leading Strauss conductor of our times. Diana Damrau has the legato lines this music demands as well as perfect textual understanding and projection. Together with perfect coloratura lines when when in demand, which are the songs she does best. In the heavier sungs, like Zueinigung she does sound slightly strained, but nevertheless her overall control is admirable.
Thielemann is simply perfect, sumptuous, detailed, as we know him in Richard Strauss, such as accompanying Renée Fleming on her Strauss disc.
I only have one problem with this disc: I simply do not really find Diana Damrau´s voice attractive. What some calls a silvery timbre, I find dry. Diana Damrau cannot be faulted for this, as she really uses what she has to perfection on this disc.
Small quibbles aside, this is an excellent introduction to Richard Strauss´ songs.
The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average): 4