Soprano Kate Royal has an open, unaffected, honest voice that draws the listener in with its glowing, emotional transparency. Her vocal production is unforced and sounds effortless and spontaneous. These qualities make hers a voice that's beautifully suited to the songs collected here, some of which require the utmost vocal discipline, but many of which have a tone of folk-like directness and artless expressivity. Royal has arranged the songs of A Lesson in Love into a first person narrative in four sections that describe the stages of a young woman's first love: Waiting, The Meeting, The Wedding, The Betrayal. The songs, in three languages, ranging from the early Romantic to the contemporary, offer a potent emotional trajectory of the anticipation, excitement, and heartache of love, beginning and ending with William Bolcom's poignant cabaret song, "Waitin." Malcolm Martineau offers expert and sensitive accompaniment. EMI's sound is exemplary -- clean, natural, and intimate. Royal's lovely recital should be of interest to any fans of the art song.