The 46 songs that make up Wolf’s Italienisches Liederbuch show the composer at his most captivatingly individual; and history has proven that only singers of the utmost artistry can do them justice. Dame Janet Baker and John Shirley-Quirk are such singers, taking the listener from the depths of pathos through frissons of ecstasy with searching perception. Together with pianist Stuart Bedford, who also devised a new sequence for the songs, the singers performed the set at the 1977 Aldeburgh Festival, where the warmth and ambience of the performance was captured in this BBC stereo recording.
"...baker and Shirley-Quirk were at the top of their artistry when this was recorded. Neither was as closely associated with these songs as other singers, notably Fischer-Dieskau and Schwarzkopf, but they give a captivating reading. The superb vocal qualities for which each of them is remembers are captured in this fine sound recording from the BBC archives, released here for the first time... lovers of Wolf songs will not want to miss this."
Robert A Moore - American Record Guide - January/February 2013