A senior statesman of music, Leon Fleisher, will give a recital at Carnegie Hall two days from now. This storied pianist was not able to use his right hand for about 35 years, owing to a neurological disorder. His twohand recitals are special occasions for rejoicing.

He has a new album, titled “The Journey.” (The label is Vanguard Classics.) It contains pieces of music that have been particularly important to Mr. Fleisher.It is a mixed lot, too, starting with Bach — but not the most familiar Bach: the Capriccio in B flat, “On the Departure of a Brother.” Mr. Fleisher plays the Arioso of this work with astounding purity, beauty, and maturity. And the rest of the sections go well, too.

Later in the disc, Mr. Fleisher plays more Bach, the Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D minor.It’s a pleasure to revisit this work, which seems to have fallen out of the repertory. Mr. Fleisher plays it with strength and intelligence. The Fugue has what I find myself calling a straightforward sneakiness. Please forgive that ridiculous oxymoron. If you listen to the recording, I think you will see what I mean.

Mr. Fleisher also plays Mozart, a sonata, but not the most familiar one: the Sonata in E flat, K. 282 (which, unusually, begins with an Adagio). Mr. Fleisher is both solid — disciplined — and feeling. Later, we have some Chopin, the wonderful Berceuse. You have heard smoother, glassier accounts, but Mr. Fleisher’s is good.

And he is really good in a Stravinsky rarity, the Serenade in A (1925). Why this should be rare is a mystery. It is a marvelous work, reflecting a happy side of Stravinsky. (And A can be a very happy key.) Mr. Fleisher’s understanding of the work is clear.

And what does this senior statesman end with? The classic children’s piece, “Für Elise” (which is Beethoven nonetheless). I myself like the piece a little straighter, less free; Mr. Fleisher is liberal in it. But he accords it great dignity, which is what it deserves.

I’m not much of a bettor, but if I were, I just might wager that Mr. Fleisher will play “Für Elise” as an encore Thursday night. It’s a good idea, regardless (and has been done before).

Incidentally, “The Journey” comes with a second disc, devoted to a conversation about all this music between Mr. Fleisher and Bob Edwards, the radio personality. Having interviewed Mr. Fleisher — and witnessed him in a master class — I can testify that it’s worth hearing this musician talk.

Renée Fleming has a new album, which is not big news: The starry American soprano pumps out CDs like Toyota does cars. But this is an extraordinary album. Called “Homage,” and found on the Decca label, it is meant to pay tribute to divas past: Geraldine Farrar, Rosa Ponselle, Maria Jeritza, Emmy Destinn … Their photos dot the CD booklet. Destinn is shown with a lion, which lies atop a piano (really).

Ms. Fleming herself is pictured on the cover in old-style diva wear, sort of like a classed-up flapper.The whole album has gimmick written all over it. But this is a disc of amazingly distinguished singing. Ms. Fleming lays on superb voice, and she deploys much musical intelligence. She is known for lush, creamy singing, and she provides plenty of that; but she can be scalding and slashing, too, hurling sound. She is not all velvet.

And how many lush, creamy singers can trip through coloratura like Ms. Fleming does? You should hear her, on this album, in “Ô légère hirondelle” from Gounod’s “Mireille.” She’s a “légère hirondelle” (light, swift swallow), all right.

Speaking of the contents of this album: What are they? They’re opera arias, about four of which are familiar. “Vissi d’arte,” from Puccini’s “Tosca,” is one of them. Otherwise, they come from vaults. Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera “Servilia” has apparently not been performed since the early 1900s. We hear music from Tchaikovsky’s “Oprichnik” (huh?) and Smetana’s “Dalibor” (ditto).We hear Strauss, a Fleming specialty — but from “Die Liebe der Danae,” which remains obscure.

And then there’s Korngold — not Marietta’s Lied, from “Die tote Stadt,” but arias from “Heliane” and “Kathrin.” These are thrilling, and thoroughly Korngoldian.

Joining Ms. Fleming is Valery Gergiev, who leads his Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater. Gergiev is sympathetic, and consistently alive. When he is in fired-up mode, good things result.

I have a strange opinion, which is that Ms. Fleming, famous as she is, is underrated. Critics, particularly, tend to overlook how good she is, because she’s something of a pop celebrity, and because her mannerisms — vocal mannerisms, I mean — can annoy. Really annoy. Like anyone else, she’s capable of performing badly. But she can also perform like an immortal.

And “Homage” is one of the best albums she has ever done. It is a tribute, not just to divas past, or to the diva present, but to opera itself, and the human voice.