Amazon.comFrench soprano Jane Bathori championed the songs of modern French composers, inspiring and premiering many of their works. Born in 1877, she refused to make records until these sessions of 1928-1930. By then her voice had lost some of its freshness. It is amply sufficient, however, to convey the beauty of these songs and her idiomatic interpretations, some with the composer at the keyboard, are well-nigh definitive. Her singing embodies traditional French vocal virtues: elegance, rhythmic and verbal acuity, clarity, and precision. Bathori, who once aspired to be a concert pianist, accompanies herself on most of the songs--quite a feat in those days before multitracking and electronic wizardry. As usual, Marston's transfers are outstanding. This disc is a must for any lover of French art songs. --Dan Davis