Behind the lines

"Songs seem to be chosen more for how they support the concept than for their quality. Thus, music that might not normally make much impression or be heard at all outside of comprehensive anthologies does indeed pull its weight ... the disc's sequencing is brilliant ... Prohaska's performances fully embody the hugely varying needs of each song, so much that one barely notices how she colours her voice ... She simply allows you to feel the song with the clean, crisp delivery that has made her an important early-music singer".