The ninety-fourth classical recording: #453 Reynaldo Hahn - Melodies

As a sign that we're listening to a prodigy, the collection of melodies we listened to contained some written when he was fourteen. These songs set existing poems to music, an exercise that means only a piano accompanies work with the flourishes being in the vocals. One of the things that happens is that we get almost a modern album, with a baritone singing several songs that otherwise feel like classical works.

It's a varied set of pieces, as you can expect from a number of works put together, but what shines through is how they build on a simple melody, letting the words shine through and emphasizing their emotion. It's simple, but very effective.