Just as Swedish mezzo Anne Sofie von Otter was a forerunner in establishing the songs of Nordic composers firmly in the repertoire of today’s recitalists, so with this disc we find Czech mezzo Magdalena Kožená doing exactly the same for the songs of her native Moravia. It’s a wonderfully varied and attractive selection inspired by Czech folk melodies and poetry, and (as the title suggests) draws on songs that her mother sang to her as a child. Among the more familiar items are three of Dvořák’s Gypsy Melodies, including Songs My Mother Taught Me, which receives here a touching, unhackneyed performance. Three charming settings of Moravian folk poetry by Janáček are in direct contrast to his setting of a Silesian song, brimful of motifs used in his later operas. Martinů’s Songs on Two Pages speak very directly to the listener, the unadorned melodies sung simply and clearly by Kožená. In contrast are the five songs that make up Novák’s Fairytale of the Heart, much more sophisticated, warmly romantic and similar to the songs of Richard Strauss in their sweep, especially the magnificent Isn’t it a dream?. Schulhoff was one of the earliest Czech composers to take jazz seriously, and the jazz influence comes through in the colours and rhythms of his folksongs. One of this disc’s loveliest surprises is the cycle Lute Songs by Petr Eben – a composer more usually associated with sacred music. His songs are in French, German and English as well as Czech. The German setting in particular is reminiscent of Dowland, while the last of the six sets a lilting melody with a very Scottish feel. Kožená is accompanied in these gentle jewel-like works by Michael Freimuth on guitar. Elsewhere, pianist Malcom Martineau is a sensitive partner, revelling in the music’s many challenges. And as an added bonus, soprano Dorothea Röschmann joins Kožená in idiomatic performances of two of Dvořák’s Moravian Duets. This ranks as one of the most enjoyable vocal recital discs of the year.

Reviewed by Anne McAlister