Asmik Grigorian - Dissonance - All Music

4.5*

A program of Rachmaninov songs might seem an odd choice for the debut album by soprano Asmik Grigorian, who is more known for opera than for art song. However, Grigorian knew what she was doing. Grigorian inhabits each of these little dramas, and her voice, rich but with a distinct edge, is a thrill in itself, with a clean set of high notes, some of them quiet, in a song like They answered from the 12 Romances, Op. 21. Pianist Lukas Geniušas is unfazed by the technical challenges Rachmaninov posed himself, achieving a delicate balance between his own virtuosity and Grigorian's starring role.