Sans attendre

Céline Dion’s 2012 French-language album offers a stripped-down version of the emotionally charged performances that made her pop royalty. The dramas within the pulsing “Parler à mon père” and the delicate “Que toi au monde” are intensely personal, giving Dion a chance to show off her interpretative nuance; the sweeping strings and anthemic chorus of “Qui peut vivre sans amour?” recall Dion’s grandiose ‘90s power ballads, honed to a razor-sharp point. *Sans attendre* is gentle and thoughtful, showing a different facet of Dion’s immense strength.

Park those prejudices, Céline Dion’s return to her native language has some delights in store. CD review by Kieron Tyler