In Old Fashioned he performs songs made popular by the great American baritones of the 20th century, such as Nelson Eddy, Lawrence Tibbett and Leonard Warren, sailing through them from a whisper to a roar. He sounds very comfortable in this repertoire, from the ardent romanticism of d'Hardelot's Because to the goonish On the Trail of the Lonesome Pine, famously performed by Laurel and Hardy.
Opera Now
“The home page of Brian Mulligan’s website highlights a review stating that he possesses ‘a voice that rich, secure, and really, really big’, and I am happy to concur – it is indeed a very generous and at times noble baritone. This recording is very forward in its sound, but I can confirm that heard live (as in Puccini’s Le Villi a few months ago in London), Mulligan’s voice is indeed pretty sizeable. In Old Fashioned he performs songs made popular by the great American baritones of the 20th century, such as Nelson Eddy, Lawrence Tibbett and Leonard Warren, sailing through them from a whisper to a roar. He sounds very comfortable in this repertoire, from the ardent romanticism of d’Hardelot’s Because to the goonish On the Trail of the Lonesome Pine, famously performed by Laurel and Hardy. So it is not claiming to hit the intellectual heights, but it is hugely enjoyable. Mulligan is abetted by his skillful pianist, Craig Rutenberg, who as well as providing endless spread chords also makes his own spontaneous vocal exclamation of joy in one song – how Mulligan keeps singing I don’t know; it certainly made me laugh out loud.”
Opera Now