Selections recorded at Air Studios, London, England in July 1997, and at EMI Abbey Road Studios, London, England on August 31 and November 23, 1997.
Operatic baritones often wind up playing villains and incidental characters--the tenor's companion, the guy who gets bumped out of the love triangle at the end, the ones who stand by and sing through the ensembles that make the plot work out for other people--but at times there's relief. Bo Skovhus has selected nine good-guy baritone characters. They may not be the leading men, but they're not the bad guys either.
Skovhus' way with this music is entirely winning. As in his lieder recitals for Sony, he is in gloriously rich voice, bringing a warm tone and an apt interpretation to each piece. The romantic rapture of Korngold's "Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen" sounds as easy to him as the put-on jollity of the drinking song from 'Hamlet.' The selections in this recital run the gamut of situations in four languages, and Skovhus shows himself to be completely at home in all. James Conlon and the English National Opera Orchestra provide ample support for this talented young singer.