Recorded in October 2001 in the helpful acoustic of Watford Colosseum, Robert Craft’s version of Gurrelieder is among the most beautiful ever. Craft directs a performance which brings out the work’s warmly romantic qualities rather than its foretastes of later Schoenberg. He is helped by an outstanding team of soloists, headed by the clear, strong tenor, Stephen O’Mara, as Waldemar and the radiant, fresh Natalie Diener as Tove , with Jennifer Lane firm and cleanly focused in the Song of the Woodbird. David Wilson-Johnson as the Peasant and Martyn Hill as Klaus-Narr both characterize well, and the veteran tenor, now retired from singing, Ernst Haefliger, copes with the sing-speech of the Speaker’s role in a high-pitched way that Schoenberg himself evidently wanted. The Philharmonia plays with passionate conviction throughout, with textures consistently refined, and the Simon Joly Chorale provides a glorious choral conclusion. Craft himself provides an informative note, and Schoenberg’s own detailed comments on performing the work are given in full; but sadly there is no detailed synopsis of the story and no texts. A remarkable bargain, just the same.