Most sang the works of Handle or Vivaldi and were huge celebrities of there day. It is a fascinating CD at every level and in Latin and again - Sacred Music. Go to You Tube and see Jakub Orlinski and you will be truly amazed at this fine voice and very talented artist. I'll be buying more of his CS's soon.
There are times when I think that a music-business story is “too good to fact-check,” and this is one of them. Young counter-tenor Jakub Józef Orliński agreed to substitute for an ensemble that could not appear for what Orliński believed would be the radio-only live broadcast of an outdoor afternoon concert in the south of France. The New Yorkerpicks up the story (after mentioning that Orliński was, on the day of the concert, nursing a mild hangover):
Orliński put on baggy shorts and beat-up sneakers, and rolled up the sleeves of a crumpled tattersall shirt: this was radio, after all, and it was ninety degrees outside. Only when he and his pianist, Alphonse Cémin, who was in shorts and flip-flops, arrived at the recording venue—a courtyard with a small audience—did they learn that the performance was also to be streamed on Facebook Live. It was too late for Orliński to change clothes, and so he sang just as he was—unshaved, and dressed as if ready for a day of sleeping it off under the Provençal plane trees.
Il Giustino, RV 717, Act 2: Sento in Seno Lyrics: Sento in seno che in pioggia di lagrime / In pioggia di lagrime / Si dile.egua / Si dilegua l’amante mio cor / Sento in seno che in pioggia di. Biography “Orlinski is the real countertenor deal, one of the best I’ve heard on the operatic (or any other) stage: an exceptional legato, no loss of power in the lower reaches, attentive diction, superb histrionic flair. He has, in short, raised the bar decisively for what we can expect of this voice type in this repertory.”.
This is obviously a superb job of singing; the YouTube view count of 4.7 million views is something I find very heartening. That’s in part because counter-tenors are in a way like harpsichords. In both cases, at times there seems to be a parity between the numbers of people who can enjoy the sound, and those who feel compelled to flee from it. And in that regard, I would have preferred a Baroque continuo rather than a Steinway grand (Vivaldi’s opera dates from 1724), but the piano accompaniment is very sensitive. And one must keep in mind that Orliński was substituting on less than 24 hours’ notice. (I do crack up every time I see the “page turner” reach up and touch the iPad.) Also, for an outdoor concert, what a lovely recording job! More, after the jump.
photo by Jiyang Chen Midi controllers for mac.
Jakub Józef Orliński was born (in 1990) and received his early education in Warsaw. He began his music career in the male choir Gregorianum. He graduated from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music, and from 2015 through 2017 studied at the Juilliard School. In 2016, he was winner of the Metropolitan Opera’s prestigious National Council Auditions. In 2019, he was selected as Gramophone magazine’s Young Artist of the Year. In addition, he is a breakdancer, and a fashion model whose credits include work for Nike and Levi’s.
Orliński has three recordings out at present: Anima Sacra, a sacred recital from composers mostly of the Neapolitan school (Durante, Fago, Feo, Hasse, Heinichen, Schiassi, Terradellas, and Zelenka ), including several first recordings; Enemies in Love, duos from Handel operas with mezzo-soprano Natalia Kawalek; and Facce d’Amore, featuring arias by Handel, Cavalli, Alessandro Scarlatti, Bononcini, Conti, Hasse, Orlandini, Predieri and Matteis. (The most recent release is also available on LP.) All three releases are available on CD and MP3 from Amazon (Amazon also sells the LP); the first and third releases are also available as hi-res downloads from HDTracks.
Here’s an audio-only YouTube from the most recent album; Cavalli’s La Calisto, Act 2: “Erme e solinghe cime … Lucidissima face” (Endimione).
With the caveat that for some listeners, counter-tenors are like harpsichords, highly recommended.
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Polish countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński is quickly gaining a reputation as a singer of striking vocal beauty and daring stagecraft. He has been hailed by critics and audiences alike, prompting the New York Times to write: “Jakub Józef Orliński combined beauty of tone and an uncommon unity of color and polish across his range.” Autumn of 2018 sees the greatly anticipated release of his debut album, Anima Sacra, a recital of 18th-century rediscovered sacred arias with the baroque ensemble Il Pomo d’oro, conducted by Maxim Emelyanychev, with Erato/Warner Classics.
Mr. Orliński’s star rose rapidly following major competition wins on both sides of the Atlantic, including the Metropolitan Opera National Council in 2016 and the Marcella Sembrich International Vocal Competition in 2015. In the summer of 2017, he was catapulted to international prominence when his poignant live performance of Vivaldi’s “Vedrò con mio diletto” on France Musique quickly amassed more than two million views.
“The Polish countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński 0003combined beauty of tone and an uncommon unity of color 0003and polish across his range in selections by Britten and Handel.”
Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim, The New York Times, March 2016
Highlights of the 2018-19 season include a multi-city, international recital tour with Il Pomo d’oro, promoting the release of Mr. Orliński’s debut album, as well as his Carnegie Hall solo concert debut featuring members of New York Baroque Incorporated. He will be presented in recital by the Fundació Victoria de los Ángeles in Barcelona and will sing additional concerts in Pennsylvania and Louisiana. He debuts with the Warsaw Philharmonic in Handel’s Messiah and Montreal Bach Festival in a program of Bach, Handel and Vivaldi arias. On the opera stage, Mr. Orliński will debut with the Glyndebourne Festival Opera as Eustazio in Handel’s Rinaldo, and returns to Oper Frankfurt to reprise his dynamic portrayal of the title role in the same piece. He will return to Oper Frankfurt as Unulfo in Rodelinda, which will also serve as his role and house debut with Opéra de Lille under the baton of Emmanuelle Haïm.
The 2017-18 season included critically lauded solo recitals at Wigmore Hall, Pierre Cardin’s Festival De Lacoste, Festival de Musique Chambre de Saint-Paul de Vence, and Festival Nits de Clássica in Girona, Spain. He made his house and role debut with Oper Frankfurt in the title role in Handel’s Rinaldo, and debuted with the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence as Orimeno in Cavalli’s Erismena, which was subsequently performed on tour at the Château De Versailles and Festival de Saint-Denis. He was featured in a concert tour of Handel’s Rinaldo with The English Concert under the baton of Harry Bicket, debuted at Chicago’s Music of the Baroque in a program of Vivaldi excerpts conducted by Jane Glover, and joined Capella Cracoviensis for performances of Handel’s Samson.
Mr. Orliński made Carnegie Hall appearances in Handel’s Messiah with both Musica Sacra and Oratorio Society of New York, and performed the piece for his debuts with the Houston Symphony and Portland Baroque Orchestra. He joined the Karlsruhe Handel Festival to sing Vivaldi’s Nisi Dominus and excerpts from Handel’s Dixit Dominus. While a student at Juilliard, he performed the roles of the The Refugee in Jonathan Dove’s Flight and Ottone in Handel’s Agrippina in conjunction with Carnegie Hall’s La Serenissima: Music and Arts From the Venetian Republic festival.
Orlinski Singt Vivaldi
Mr. Orliński has triumphed in multiple vocal competitions winning first place at the Oratorio Society of New York’s 2016 Lyndon Woodside Oratorio-Solo Competition, second prize in the International Stanisław Moniuszko Vocal Competition, the first and second annual International Early Music Vocal Competitions in Poland, where he received “Special Mention” and “Special Prize,” respectively, first prize at Rudolf Petrák’s Singing Competition in Slovakia, third place at the Debut Competition in Igersheim, Germany, Special Mention at the Eighth Annual Mazovian Golden Voices Competition in Poland, and third place at Le Grand Prix de l’Opera in Bucharest, Romania.
Orlinski Vivaldi
While completing his Master’s degree in vocal performance studying with Anna Radziejewska at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, he participated in the prestigious young artist program Opera Academy in Teatr Wielki-Opera Narodowa where he studied with Eytan Pessen and Matthias Rexroth. Mr. Orliński earned his Graduate Diploma at The Juilliard School, studying with Edith Wiens.
Orlinski Vivaldi
In his spare time, Mr. Orliński enjoys breakdancing, in addition to other styles of dance. His achievements in this arena include prizes in many dance competitions: fourth place at the Red Bull BC One Poland Cypher competition, second place on the Stylish Strike – Top Rock Contest and second place at The Style Control competition, among others. He has also been featured in a commercial for the street wear company CROPP, as well as featured as a dancer, model and acrobat in campaigns for Levi’s, Nike, Turbokolor, Samsung, Mercedes-Benz, MAC Cosmetics, Dannon and Algida.
Orlinski Vivaldi Il Giustino
Jakub Józef Orliński is an exclusive Erato/Warner Classics artist.