The debut album of Ensemble 1904, founded by the pianist David Jackson to explore the lesser-known 20th-century French and British chamber repertory, examines the work of the elusive figure nowadays usually called Régine Wieniawska, though we sometimes encounter her under other names. A pupil of d’Indy, she was born in Brussels in 1879, the youngest daughter of the violinist Henryk Wieniakwsi. From 1896 she lived in London, where she published a handful of works as Irène Wieniawska. In 1901, she married a British aristocrat and became Lady Dean Paul. Poldowski was the professional pseudonym she subsequently adopted, by which she was primarily known until her death in 1932.

Despite the championship of Henry Wood, much of her work remained unpublished during her lifetime, and has yet to be rediscovered. Her songs, however, are edging their way back into the repertory, and ‘Poldowski Reimagined’ gathers together for the first time her complete settings of Verlaine, her favourite poet. There is, however, a catch. Jackson has rearranged the accompaniments for the unusual combination of piano, violin and double bass, his argument for doing so being that Wieniawska herself frequently prepared chamber versions of her songs, the scores for many of which are now lost. Given, however, that some of these songs have not been previously recorded, what we have is a ‘reimagining’ of material that is neither readily available nor familiar.

There is, it must be said, plenty to enjoy. The influence of Duparc, Fauré and Debussy is more than once apparent, but Wieniawska has a real feel for Verlaine’s verse and frequently delves deep into its meaning. Her versions of poems from Fêtes galantes have an edgy, grotesque, even nightmarish quality, in contrast to the playful approach of many of her contemporaries. ‘Impression fausse’, using one of the prison poems from Parallèlement, is a real find, wonderful in its depiction of the scampering mice and tolling bells that rob the inmates of sleep. The performances are good, too. Jazmin Black-Grollemund sings with great warmth of tone and careful attention to text. Jackson’s playing is admirably clear and limpid. The double bassist, Jérémie Decottignies, has little to do beyond contributing pizzicato bass lines, though the violinist, Angélique Charlopain, is stylish and elegant throughout. Even so, the arrangements seem extraneous, and until we have the piano versions complete, Wieniawska is perhaps better served by Carolyn Sampson and Joseph Middleton’s ‘Verlaine Songbook’ (BIS, 12/16), which gives us five of the original songs, exquisitely done.