For those who think that classical music is fit only for the drawing rooms of ancient ladies, it may be a surprise to learn that some of the greatest works in the medium received their inspiration from steamy, passionate encounters. The Belgian composer Cesar Franck, for example, wrote a chamber piece – the Piano Quintet – so whitehot in its carnal intensity that his wife walked out of the premiere performance, understanding by its naked sensuality that it had to have been inspired by his mistress.

Or take the events that transpired when Richard Wagner was hiding out from the law (he had participated in a failed coup) at the home of his benefactor, Otto Wesendonck. Not only did Wagner seduce the man’s wife, the poetess Mathilde, he also romanced and eventually married another houseguest, Cosima von Bulow, wife of the conductor Hans and daughter of Franz Liszt.The most intensely romantic music in all of opera was granted to the heroines modeled after these two memorable women – Isolde was inspired by Mathilde, Brunnhilde by Cosima – and Mathilde also composed the lyrics to Wagner’s “Wesendonck Lieder.”

This highly dramatic song cycle is almost exclusively performed by women. But at Alice Tully Hall on Tuesday evening, it was intoned by baritone Matthias Goerne. Mr. Goerne has a remarkable voice. A true ut de poitrine, it originates from deep in the chest cavity and comes out velvety and supple. Although a beautiful voice, it is not a big one, and volume levels, even in this small venue, were sometimes problematic.

The excruciatingly affecting music that begins Act III of “Tristan and Isolde” was originally worked out in the Wesendonck lied “Im Treibhaus” (“In the Greenhouse”). Here Mr. Goerne was a model of pitch control and bellows-like breath: He reminded me a little of an organ when he got going. But there was little sense of the intensity of feeling for which both the Isolde poet and the Tristan composer were striving. Making a decision on whether or not these songs are appropriate for a man will have to wait for a more sensitive rendition.

Mr. Goerne, who will return in March to sing in Bela Bartok’s “Bluebeard’s Castle” with the Philharmonic, began with Mahler, specifically nine unisex songs from “Des Knaben Wunderhorn” (The Youth’s Magic Horn). Mr. Goerne’s prodigious instrument allows him to spin a golden web of a lyrical line, seemingly endless in its melodic development. Thus his “Urlicht” (Primeval Light) was extraordinary in its architecture and his “Wo Die Schonen Trompeten Blasen” (Where the Beautiful Trumpets Blow) – my personal favorite of all of the Mahler songs – was profound and breathtaking. It is hard to imagine a version more technically impressive.

Once alliteration and alacrity were added to the mix, however, Mr. Goerne stumbled a bit.A heavy breather, he often swallowed the ends of the phrases in the bouncy tongue-twister “Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt” (St.Anthony Preaches to the Fish). Also, his phlegmatic thespian approach to vocal characterization made nine songs seem about three too long. I would have preferred to hear a singer with a lesser voice; Thomas Quasthoff, for example, would have invested the music with some interpretative personality. At intermission I could only judge this performance as uneven at best.

But the second half of the program was far superior to the first. Before singing the “Wesendonck Lieder,” Mr. Goerne performed the “Four Songs,” Op. 2, which contain the maiden voyage of Alban Berg as an atonal composer. These songs are filled with drama, and some of the jumps from one note to the next are extremely difficult, but Mr. Goerne, employing his plush, cave-dwelling instrument, sang the stuffing out of these miniatures. This was the best set of the night; in fact, it was the best version of these songs I have ever experienced.

Finally, a note on Mr. Goerne’s accompanist,Wolfram Rieger. He is a fine artist in his own right, and wandered as needed this evening between the two poles of self-effacing helper and equal interpretive partner. Mr. Goerne – and we – were lucky to have him on hand.