Classical: Lisa Della Casa

Lieder And Arias, EMI

Choosing one disc from EMI's current series of legendary singers isn't easy. But among the household names, one slightly less well-known name stands out: the Swiss soprano Lisa Della Casa. Della Casa's principal quality was tenderness – a radiant vulnerability that made the longest and most artificial of vocal lines seem as natural as speech. Her recordings of Strauss are her most famous legacy; here both lieder and selections from Der Rosenkavalier and Ariadne are included, alongside a slightly disconcerting Tosca. But the real delight is Della Casa's intimate account of Schumann's Frauenliebe und Leben.