For her first solo recital album, the mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča has chosen two composers – Schumann and Brahms – whose works have been with her for many years. The heart of this album is Schumann’s Frauenliebe und Leben op. 42, a musical setting about devotion to love. In addition to the Schumann cycle, she performs a selection of Brahms songs that express very different emotions and moods. Pianist Malcolm Martineau provides a highly sensitive and experienced accompaniment.