Here's a welcome, classy and gorgeous discovery: 24 poems by such iconic writers as Percy Bysshe Shelley, Langston Hughes, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and e. e. cummings that were set to striking music by the late Gerald Ginsburg, recorded by up-for-the-task actor-singers who include Broadway veterans. Only occasionally does a performance have the heavy air of a distancingly formal "art song" recital. Generally, the interpretations are refreshingly accessible, emotionally vulnerable, and nuanced. If you are poetry-phobic, don't hesitate to give Parting Gift: The Songs of Gerald Ginsburg a chance. It's a bonanza of beauty and tenderness, gracefully executed.

Some artists appear twice, others only once. I wish Kelli O'Hara had more than a single song - It's called "A Single Song," from Sara Teasdale's poem "Compensation" - but it's glorious, starting Parting Gift with a shimmering showcase. Colin Donnell and Patti Murin, Mr. and Mrs. offstage, have a splendid solo each and one shared track. Jordan Donica's two appearances recall the grandly heroic persona he exhibited in his recent role as Lancelot in Camelot and Jason Danieley, likewise, shows both vulnerable and bravura sides. Other standouts are the contributions by the reliable messengers of poignancy Victoria Clark, Elizabeth Stanley, and Philip Chaffin. The rich voice of Elena Shaddow deftly handles Parting Gift's titular poem by Elinor Wylie.

Reappearing subject matter that give the cornucopia some connective tissue are the references to the changing seasons, images of Nature, intense love, the pang of memories, and the specter of time. Those more acquainted with famous poems set to music may well have come across the words married to melodies of other composers who got there first. There's more than one way to coat and enhance language (and comparisons can be intriguing and interesting). Others may just know some of the pieces unmarried to melodies - or not at all. I find these performances enchanting and rich, packing much impact despite their mostly short playing lengths (often well under two minutes). Richard Carsey conducts a 17-piece orchestra, with often glorious orchestrations by various contributors, including musical theatre veterans Jonathan Tunick and Michael Starobin.

Special thanks to PS Classics for this oasis of elegance in our contemporary world of musical noise and razzamatazz. What a treat to have this combination of theatricality, melody, and artful verbiage.

Review by Rob Lester at www.talkinbroadway.com