Benjamin Appl - Forbidden Fruit - Europadisc

The closing account of Mahler’s ‘Urlicht’ – exquisitely poised – feels like both a relief and a final benediction. Throughout the disc, Appl’s wonderfully wide-ranging vocal technique, his alertness to meaning, and his frequent twinkles of knowing humour, are constant joys, and he is partnered superbly by Baillieu: together, they make a formidable team. Alpha have a track record of producing absorbing, convincing classical concept albums in recent years, and this is one you can’t afford to miss!