Franziska Hirzel actually does a wonderful job with some very difficult music–and really makes us sit up and take notice when she floats that high B-flat in “Phrase”, allowing it to trail downward in a lovely little glissando. It’s beautiful, and her intensity and expressive range are truly first-class throughout–as is the orchestral work here. The performances are recorded with a noticeable resonance that somewhat buffs up the orchestra’s body, but we still hear the inner-voice detail along with generously full climaxes, and Hirzel’s almost mezzo-quality tone comes through in proper balance with the instruments..