Anything performed by Veronique Gens is likely to be wonderful. Also,
try Natalie Dessay. And, Susan Graham has two CD's of interest. One
is of French operetta arias and her Carnegie Hall performance includes
works by Debussy, Poulenc, Messager and Hahn.
As for male vocalists, I particularly like the performances of Gerard
Souzay. In my view, his performances of Faure's melodies are definitive.
Regards,
Gary Hoffman