The compact collection

Rob Cowan chooses his christmas gift CDs

The singer as storyteller is the theme of Lesley Garrett's latest CD, The Singer – 15 judicious choices arranged by Tolga Kashif, occasionally with striking inappropriateness (Fauré's wordless Pavane set against a backdrop of African-style drumming), but more often than not quietly pleasing in its range of colours (a very Bachian "Let it be"). Garrett (pictured) is her usual sincere, beguiling and fresh-voiced self, always communicative and at her most winning in the cover number (by the underrated Michael Head), as well as a stirring "Jerusalem", "Love Went a-Riding", "Brezairola", "Lagan Love", "Abide with Me", and other favourites. Though not really my "bag", as a concept it works extremely well. (EMI 7243 5 57403 2 8)

A new CD of Arie antiche finds the mellifluous Mexican tenor Ramon Vargas following the example of his forebears by programming a seductive chain of sepia-tinted melodies, songs such as "Caro mio ben" and "Plaisir d'amour", with sundry sweetmeats by Caccini, Scarlatti, Caldara, Gluck, et al. Vargas treats all 16 songs with affection and respect, backed by a dozen or so skilful instrumentalists. The arrangements are delightful, "old world" in their palm-court textures, but never cloying. (RCA 09026 63913 2)

Part-tone poem, part-song cycle, Chausson's heart-rending Poème de l'amour et de la mer calls for a fulsome voice and subtle orchestral support, which is what it receives from Jessye Norman and the Monte Carlo Philharmonic under Armin Jordan, newly reissued on a cheap Warners Apex CD (0927-48992-2). Though fairly short measure, this all-Chausson programme is a useful repertory gap-filler, what with the rarely heard Chanson perpétuelle and a selection of Mélodies in which Norman is sensitively accompanied by the pianist Michel Dalberto.

And if a CD of 22 Mozart lieder appeals, then Barbara Bonney's programme with Geoffrey Parsons, again from Warners this time on its mid-price Elatus label (0927 467 38-2), is highly recommended. "An Chloe", "Das Veilchen", "Abend-empfindung", all the best-known lieder are there, even "Ridente la calma", which we now know isn't actually by Mozart. Bonney is also a prominent presence on four 1980s-90s Mozart opera recordings from the Drottningholm Court Theatre Orchestra. Così, Figaro, Don Giovanni and Zauberflöte, all are given aerated period performances, swift and busy under Arnold Oestman and with other quality voices adding to one's pleasure – Arleen Auger, Hakan Hagegard and Bryn Terfel among them. There's added rarity value in arias not normally heard (included as "appendices"), useful if you're starting a Mozart opera collection from scratch and want the whole musical story. No libretti I'm afraid, but the well-written synopses are more than adequate. (Decca 470 860-2, 10 budget CDs)

Jumping from Hagegard's Don Giovanni to Feodor Chaliapin's of 1923, all grainy burbling, is an odd experience, though Mozart is hardly the point of Naxos's Feodor Chaliapin: a Vocal Portrait (8.110748-49, two budget CDs). The death scene from Mussorgsky's Boris is what counts, recorded live at Covent Garden in 1928 – a humbling reminder of this greatest of all singing actors. A dozen or so folk and art songs will have you either in stitches or in tears, and rest assured that the transfers from shellac are truly top-of-the-range.