He has long since conquered the world of opera, whether in "La rondine", "Les contes d'Hoffmann", "Werther" or "Roméo et Juliette", but Benjamin Bernheim is also sure to delight his audiences in his lieder recitals. The French tenor has now recorded his first song album with 19th century mélodies and 20th century chansons. His duo partner Carrie-Ann Matheson accompanies him on the piano. "Douce France" explores French romanticism as well as classic chansons. Bernheim is aware of the nuances that the famous melodies of Berlioz, Chausson and Duparc call for. Bernheim shifts playfully between registers with the same elegance and "supple seamlessness" that the New York Times recently described him as having. The album ends with popular chansons written by three masters: Joseph Kosmas' "Les feuilles mortes", Charles Trenet's "Douce France" and Jacques Brel's "Quand on n'a que l'amour".