French-Danish soprano Elsa Dreisig has built her latest recording around moments of prayer, supplication and reflection. It might sound heavy-going, but the overall effect is anything but; rather, one walks away feeling lighter, consoled by these moments of communion, and impressed by the range and interpretive skill of a singer still early in her career. Remarkably, Dreisig has only performed one of the roles represented on this album onstage (Lauretta, from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi), a fact which belies the depth of feeling and nuance she brings to the 15 arias and two songs gathered here.

The best example of this is her take on Casta diva. While she’s by no means a classic Norma type, in voice or stage temperament, Dreisig brings an appropriate lunar beauty to this plea to the moon. It’s a deeply felt interpretation, and her vocal purity and dynamic control are commendable. Another aria that seems out of the soprano’s wheelhouse, but which she shows to great effect here, is Vissi d’arte. Although Dreisig doesn’t have the typical vocal lushness or heft...