The power and grace of Polish Baritone Mariusz Kwiecien’s voice is clearly apparent on his first solo recording on Harmonia Mundi. These are arias close to his heart, all from the northern reaches of the world. As I looked down the list of included operas and composers I thought, ‘Oh yes, of course’ and then was stumped by the name Stanislaw Moniuszko, who on earth was he? Turns out, he’s considered the father of Polish Opera. If these three arias included are to go by, I think I need to get into Polish Opera. Highly melodious and solid in compositional form, they nestle closely with the other more famous arias. You want a good vocal CD? This is your pick for the beginning of 2012.