The list of really successful albums of Broadway song by operatic singers is a short one, and there are still fewer by those whose native language is not English. Credit French soprano , now retired from opera performances, for appreciating the challenges involved. She neither applies an operatic voice to these songs nor tries to compete with popular singers on their own terms. Instead, like , she creates a new voice, lower in register, rather quiet, and reflective of the dramatic approach of opera. takes an additional step: she commissions distinctive orchestral arrangements and works them out in detail with the under . The results are indubitably a mixed bag, but the whole thing comes off quite a bit better than you might think, and it will stick in your head rather than evaporating like so many similar products. is a breathy mess, but in general does well to choose songs that although not terribly famous fit her ideas here. is the only French-language track; it's a French setting of 's . You might sample the opening (from ), which sets out with clarity and verve what is trying to accomplish. apparently conceived this project herself after viewing paintings by , and it does not have the feel of one of 's profit-inspired crossover outings. Quirky indeed but recommended. ~ James Manheim