Marlis Petersen is one of those singers who deserves a far greater reputation than she currently enjoys. The 52-year-old German coloratura soprano is a musician of the highest order, with a questing intelligence and a canny way with text, all topped off by serious stage presence.

Dimensionen

At home in Bach and Mozart as well as Berg and Reimann, Petersen is a versatile artist whose sterling work in Lieder is also undercelebrated. So, this new box set, gathering together a previously released trilogy of albums consisting of mostly German and French song – Welt, Anderswelt, and Innenwelt – alongside a new recording of Lieder, Neue Welt, is a welcome thing indeed for Petersen’s fans.

The common thread throughout all four recitals is an exploration of a particular state of being in the world,...