And now for something completely different... Brundibar!
People familiar with Aris's soprano may be surprised to learn that he can also sing as a baritone. It doesn't come naturally to him but "I know how it's done", he says. In fact, he can even get down to bass.
For those who only know his voice from CDs, it is easy to forget that Aris is a performer. He reminds us of it here, demonstrating how well he can act with his voice. This policeman, while not exactly a bad character, is certainly a very stupid one. When the children ask him for milk for their sick mother, he informs them that to obtain milk, one needs money - which they obviously haven't got. Indeed, he says, one needs money for everything in the world! Aris presents us with a clear picture of a foolish, pompous, complacent, overweight, 60-a-day man. It is equally clear that he had great fun singing this.
Aris's performance on this CD was entirely unplanned. He was musical director for this recording of Hans Krasa's Brundibar, an opera for children, and had no intention of singing in it. However on the day of recording, the baritone cast for the small comic character part of police commissaire was too ill to get to the studio. Delay was not an option so Aris took his place. With no time for practice or preparation, he recorded this little piece in the sample in a single take.