Two of Norway’s brightest artists – the rising star soprano Lise Davidsen and pianist Leif Ove Andsnes – have come together to put out this lovely collection of songs by their compatriot, Grieg. Following two recitals in which Davidsen is accompanied by orchestra, this more scaled-down affair continues to chart her formidable but still developing artistry, as well as showcasing a dynamite voice suffused with old-school glamour. 

She is more than matched by Andsnes’ atmospheric, painterly playing, which is unfailingly refined and subtle. Together they prove some of the composer’s very best advocates, which is all to the good as many of the songs here will be unfamiliar to non-Norwegian listeners. Some may be familiar with the Haugtussa (The Mountain Maid) cycle from mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter’s splendid 1993 recording of Grieg songs, which is performed no less beautifully here. Considered by the composer to be the pinnacle of his Lieder output, these eight songs are settings of poems by the Norwegian writer Arne Garborg, and tell the story of a young herd girl who has suffered her first disappointment in love.