Jakub Józef Orliski moved the Colón Theater with little known music

The Polish Jakub Józef Orlinski, exceptional even in the universe of stellar countertenors, arrives at the Teatro Colón in full expectation. Born in Warsaw 31 years ago, trained in his homeland and in the United States, Orliński is a multifaceted figure, very active on the web and with a atypical profile; for example, he is a notable breakdancer.

The repertoire chosen for this debut in Buenos Aires, as part of his first South American tour and the subscription Grandes Intérpretes, replicated the album Face of love with which he recorded The Pomo d’Oro, precisely the ensemble that accompanies it in this round.

In its concept, the album / program tries to show different facets and expressions of love through almost a dozen arias of middle and late Baroque works written for castrati, including Farinelli, Bernacchi and Senesino.

Although one of the challenges of this mosaic is the contrast between one fragment and another, the format is not always pleasing to the public. In this case, a certain static was noted, above all because Orliński’s gestures remained fairly invariable and far from theatrical, as if they were songs written independently.

a musical journey

The journey begins in Venice, with works by Francesco Cavali (Hermes and solinghe … Polished face from The Callisto) and Giovanni Antonio Boretti (who jokes with love from heliogabalus Y Raw love, you have no mercyby Claudio Cesare) to switch to the contrasting style of GIvanni Battista Bononciniwith an air of Constancy not welcome (unhappy my constancy) which started the first ovation.

On this tour of beautiful and mostly unknown music (many of them were saved for the aforementioned record production), Orliński showed his splendid coloratura for the first time in hate, revenge, love from Don chisciotte by Francesco Conti.

Then he closed the first part beautifully with These eyes will have to cry from Scipio the Younger by Luca Antonio Predieri, a work of which another beautiful fragment has been heard in the second part (As long as except it is his love).

The conditions of a great artist

If Orliński showed anything from his first speech, it was that he is primarily a great musician and artist. It combines perfect tuning, surprising rhythmic flexibility, natural expressiveness and detailed knowledge of styles.

The variety of his musical resources allows him to conquer with a voice that, while not lacking in power, fails to convince in its projection or in its slightly veiled and opaque timbre. However, and as noted, the set of its virtues manages to convince even in the face of these objectionsand his charisma is beyond any doubt.

In the second part, focused on the eighteenth century, the singer shone in two arias from two examples of the mess: Wait for me to take care of you by Muzio ScevolaHandel) Y Always wander raiwritten by Johann Adolf Hasse for Orpheus.

The closure, with the beauty What are you asking me for from Nero by Orlandini, concluded with a performance of vocals already close to the circus which made the audience burst into applause.

The importance of a good ensemble

Orliński’s triumph would not have been the same if he hadn’t counted on andsupports The Golden Apple and its phenomenal director Maxim Emelyanychevwhich Buenos Aires remembered for their participation in Joyce DiDonato’s show in 2019.

Minimized numerical expression (a very young string quintet composed of Zefira Valova, the Argentine Lucia Giraudo, Giulio D’Alessio, Ludovico Minasi and Ismael Camanero Nieto, harpsichord by Emelyanychev and also by the Argentine Dolores costoyas in Theorbo) , the ensemble was a perfect machine and at times a real steamroller, thanks to the excellence of its components and the director’s inexhaustible energy.

And it shone especially in the symphony of The lover of Enemy of Love made by Bononcini and the Bagatellieri dance by Nicola Matteis for Don Quixote in the Sierra Morena.

After such a menu, the artists have chosen to continue to reveal exquisite jewelry: To people dear to Godby Francesco Nicola Fago, and Agitated gives ferocious storm by Riccardo Primo Handel.

Alone in front of the clamor of the room. Orliński offered something familiar: I will see with my beloved (The Justin by Vivaldi), the aria that gave him worldwide fame, since its live version is close to 10 million views on YouTube.

Thus ended an atypical concert, in which a young and exceptional singer and seven fabulous instrumentalists managed to drive Colón crazy to the rhythm of music for long sleepbut they sounded more alive than ever.

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Cycle great artists

Qualification: Very good

interpreters: Jakub Józef Orliński (countertenor), Il Pomo d’Oro Ensemble, Maxim Emelyanychev (harpsichord and conductor) Theater: Columbus, Monday, August 8

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