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The brilliant star of baroque musique Jakub Józef Orliński is well known even in Italy, though his appearences in our country are unfortunately rare. In a few years the young Polish singer has worked his way up to the top of the countertenors star system.
His last recital on CD is “Facce d'amore” for Erato, with the Orchestra “Il pomo d'oro” conducted by Maxim Emelyanychev, where he sings arias about the theme of the male lover in baroque music. His last appearance in Italy was in the Cathedral of Pisa where he sang in a superb concert for “Anima mundi”, conducted by Trevor Pinnock (here's the review by Silvano Capecchi [6]). He accepted to answer some questions about his career, his recordings, and his goals from his house in Warsaw, where he's spending his isolation days.
Can you describe the evolution of your voice and your style through the three recitals on disc, “Anima sacra”, “Enemies in love” and “Facce d'amore”?
"Enemies in love" is an album of an ensemble which is directed by my friend Stefan Plewniak and I was just a guest on that disc. It was my first sort of big recording and I remember that I have learnt a lot. We were recording in a church and there was always something happening. We had a super good take and then someone just came in the church. It was a very difficult experience but very good one. It helped me a lot when I arrived to record my first solo album under Warner Classics and Erato "Anima Sacra". I chose sacred music and a lot of forgotten pieces, because that is what I wanted to show as an artist. I wanted to show the beauty, simplicity, complexity and all the other facets of sacred music, also the ornamenting style. Because of my choice for the first album, then I decided to dedicate the whole program of the second solo album to operatic arias where I could show something different. From the very beginning I sort of knew what I want to do when it comes to releasing albums. I don't know if my style changed. I think more than style, my voice just got more mature and also with every single performance I have more and more experience which always helps. I already know what I want to record as my third and fourth album. Plus few other projects which I have in mind. So there is a lot to come, hopefully.
There's a popular video on YouTube where you sing “Vedrò con mio diletto” from Vivaldi's Giustino and you brilliantly performed Vivaldi's Stabat Mater in Pisa. Could we say that your voice loves this composer? Will your future performances be more centered around the music of Händel?
I always performed more Händel than any other composers, but it is true that during my studies in Warsaw I have sung a lot of arias, cantatas and mottets written by Vivaldi. I still do like to include some Vivaldi pieces in my concerts, but if it comes to operas, I mainly sing Händel works from the very beginning.
Opera singers usually have an evolution in their instruments through the years. Is that the same for a countertenor? Which operatic roles or repertoire would you like to sing in future?
Yes. It is the same for every voice type. My voice is still changing and will keep changing, that's normal. I hope to sing some day Händel's Orlando, Britten's Oberon and few other roles. I am sure that if I keep singing and practicing it will happen.
You are one of the youngest opera stars to have a contract with a major label. Once recordings and discs were the best vehicle to promote a career. Now an intense presence on social media is probably more important. You are very attentive to this aspect, aren't you?
I wouldn't say I am attentive to this. I am just using the tools of our modern world to make people understand that classic music is not dead. I have a website, I do have a YouTube Channel, Facebook page and I am active on Instagram. It is my personal goal to attract some new people into listenting to classic music. I want to fight the stereotype that this genre is boring and has nothing special to offer. It has plenty to offer and it is not boring if it's done well, so everyone can have fun and can feel entertained.
You are also a breakdancer. It probably helps you to keep in shape, but does the dance discipline also help your stage presence and acting?
Definitely dancing helps to keep the good stamina, awarness of my body and gives me a lot of opportunities. I can do so much on stage. I love that freedom. It is really good to know how your body works and to know that you are able to do things on stage. Then the staging might get much more interesting.
Last and inevitable question we are making to all artists in this period: how do you spend your time at home during the lockdown?
I have to say that I am loving it. I haven't been in my hometown for so long in eight years. Usually I am at home for like two weeks a year. Now I am finally spending some time at home and I have so much to do. So many things that I wanted to do and I never had time for them. Like drawing, dancing more, reading and studying. I am of course super sad that all my concerts are cancelled, but at the same time I just try to embrace the situation and do whatever I can to help and survive. I do produce quite a lot of new content for my listeners. All of those new pieces of music are available on my YouTube Channel, so I invite you to go and check them out there.
Thank you, Jakub, all the best for you career and hope to see you as soon as possible in Italy.
It's been a pleasure and I can't wait to visit Italy again.
Fabrizio Moschini
