Hynninen is a strong interpreter, and his partnership with Ralf Gothoni is a formidable one. Together they explore the full dynamic and expressive range, while avoiding anything that might seem a mere performer's tour de force. The third song in the Lieder um den Tod cycle is a good example of their strength in restraint (which, perhaps one should add, has not always been their apparent policy). This is a dialogue between Death and a drunkard: Death asks the questions, the drunk replies with the tippler's invariable ''health'' (''Dein Wohl'')... Hynninen makes Death a traveler, at first an almost casual acquaintance who might well pass by, and the drunk, though tipsy, is less of a caricature. In the other songs...Hynninen brings weariness and pallor into his voice, which can still ring out with exciting power and vigor when the need arises... The recording is clear and well-balanced.
