Personally, I discover there to be no higher option to get to know an artist than attending his or her recitals in an intimate setting. Not solely the viewers will get a full show of the artist’s skills up shut, however the viewers additionally discovers the non-musical points of the artist, from the preparedness and inspiration, background tales, all the best way to how the artist presents his or her artwork. In a method, it’s all the time more durable for me to criticize a recital as a result of it’s oh so private, tailor-made particularly by and/or for the artist.
I, nonetheless, had no such issues reviewing the extraordinary Polish countertenor Jakub Józef Orlinski’s recital with the esteemed Baroque period-instrument ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro on lase weekend at Bing Live performance Corridor in Stanford. Dubbed Past, the live performance was the third of the 6-cities 2024 North America Tour with Il Pomo d’Oro in help of his October 2023-released album of the identical title. Bay Space was fortunate to obtain two legs of this superb live performance, because it was additionally offered at Zellerbach Corridor in Berkeley 5 days prior (with a seminar and live performance at SF Conservatory of Music in between).
Writing in this system notes for Cal Performances, Orlinski talked about that:
“Past options music by Monteverdi, Caccini, Frescobaldi, Cavalli, Netti, Sartorio, Moratelli, and different early Baroque composers. In it, I delve into the that means of the phrase “past,” significantly within the sense that this music resonates past its personal time. It’s nonetheless related, nonetheless alive, vibrant, touching, partaking, and entertaining.
Along with Il Pomo d’Oro and its acclaimed musicians, I’m taking you on a journey of discovery “past” the bounds of a classical live performance or musical idea. I’m helped in my endeavour by my expensive buddy Yannis François, whose interval analysis dug up some extraordinary items, a lot of which—like some on my earlier solo albums—turned world premiere recordings.”
Moreover, within the Past CD booklet (that Stanford Reside included as a part of its digital program), Yannis Françoiswrote the next:
“The thought of growing a programme for Jakub’s voice primarily based across the Seicento (the seventeenth century in music) had been gestating in my thoughts for fairly a while, given the actual expressiveness of his musicality on this repertoire. So huge are the chances afforded by this period that compiling the album, making the correct selections, felt a frightening activity: from operas to cantatas, serenades to canzoni for solo voice, the prospects appeared limitless. I selected then not to decide on, taking as an alternative only one instance from every of those kinds, thus providing the listener an aural glimpse of the riches of this century.
Every programme I’ve constructed for Jakub has featured a core composer, a guiding mild whose music evokes me by way of the event of the recital or brings that lacking environment to its total steadiness. […] Right here, for Past, our most represented determine is Giovanni Cesare Netti (1649–1686). It was solely by probability that I found his manuscripts in the middle of my analysis, and I used to be struck by the fantastic thing about his compositions. The variability that inhabits his scenes is unbelievable; a single scene could function a personality producing recitatives and arias of completely completely different textures and colors. That is definitely the case right here in Berillo’s scene from Netti’s opera La Filli (La moglie del fratello) (1682).”
The Sunday recital, 75-minutes lengthy with out intermission, basically mirrored the programming for the CD above, because it showcased a lot of the arias and smaller variety of instrumental items from the set in the identical order, apart from Biagio Marini’s instrumental “Passacalio” from Per ogni sorte di strumento musicale, Op. 22, No. 25.
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I had the chance to overview Orlinski a number of occasions on these pages a number of occasions earlier than – from his title position debut in George Frideric Handel’s Tolomeo at 2020 Karlsruhe Handel Pageant to the spellbinding flip as Orpheus in San Francisco Opera’s manufacturing two years in the past – and he appeared to have gone from power to power every time I encountered him. True to his phrases, Past expanded the bounds of a classical recital because it explored all Orlinski’s appreciable skills and wrapped them in a single coherent presentation that I hadn’t been anticipating once I stepped into the auditorium.
The present was mainly a staged recital, full with costumes and lighting (pity there wasn’t any lighting designer/coordinator talked about, as a result of it wasa fairly important effort). It began in full darkness, then the members of il Pomo d’Oro wearing all black one after the other entered the stage to face behind their respective devices, virtually cult-like. Orlinski entered final, donning an extended black rope adorned with gold trimmings (he wore a cream-colored swimsuit with black undershirt beneath), and the stage was lighted up. From there the efficiency was launched into with no break or perhaps a single spoken phrase (naturally, no rating or stand for Orlinski in sight, both)!
Simply the like CD, the present started with Ottone’s entrance aria “E pur io torno qui” – “one of many Seicento’s most well-known scores for alto voice” in line with this system – from Act 1 of Claudio Monteverdi’s final opera L’incoronazione di Poppea. The aria, with its ever-changing moods (from amorous to anger to resignation), was an ideal car to provide the viewers a style of issues to return. Aided handsomely by the ten members of il Pomo d’Oro, proper from the beginning, Orlinski absolutely embodied the lovelorn Ottone together with his voice and his mannerisms, his voice sounded heat and spherical. Much more noticeable than earlier than was his dynamic phrasing and the colourful nuances of his voice, necessary points for dramatic aria like this. Canzone “Voglio di vita uscir” was appended to this scene to spherical off the journey of feelings, the sensation of despair and demise.
The primary instrumental portion got here from the aforementioned Marini’s “Passacalio” performed superbly by il Pomo d’Oro. On this live performance, il Pomo d’Oro weren’t solely an accompanying ensemble, however importantly, additionally they offered a much-needed construction for the efficiency and contributed considerably to its success. It was actually exhilarating to see the camaraderie of every member of the group; with winks and smiles they acknowledged and supported one another they usually discovered pleasure in performing the items, regardless of what number of occasions they carried out collectively. Throughout the piece (and a lot of the different instrumental items) Orlinski retreated to the again, permitting il Pomo d’Oro to get full highlight remedy.
Two different lost-love arias adopted, Giulio Caccini’s “Amarilli, mia bella” from Le nuove musiche (1602) and Girolamo Frescobaldi’s “Così mi disprezzate” from Arie musicali, Ebook I (1630) – the latter properly demonstrated Orlinski’s appreciable coloratura talent and breath management – earlier than il Pomo d’Oro started a bit by Frescobaldi’s pupil, Johann Caspar Kerll’s Sonata for Two Violins in F main, which highlighted Alfia Bakieva and Jonathan Ponet’s experience.
Orlinski pulled completely different methods for the subsequent few items. For L’amante consolato from Barbara Strozzi – the primary professionally acknowledged feminine composer, in line with this system – he took a transportable LED mild with him, walked up and right down to the Terrace ranges of Bing Live performance Corridor, and sang there, giving the recital an immersive really feel. He then slipped again into the black gown and in dignified method portrayed Pompeo as he attacked Francesco Cavalli’s “Incomprensibil nume” from his 1666 opera, Pompeo Magno. The breakdancing Orlinski made an look through the prolonged Sinfonia from Carlo Pallavicino’s first opera, Demetrio.
The present reached its apex with the primary look of Past’s core composer, Giovanni Cesare Netti, the aforementioned Berillo’s scene from Act 2 of Netti’s second opera La Filli. Much like Ottone’s entrance aria to start with, this mesmerizing scene was marked with a full vary of feelings, from anger to acceptance. Right here Orlinski trimmed down the antics and earnestly carried out the scene with searing depth each in his voice and his appearing, drawing the viewers deep into his interpretation. After such an emotional draining second, guitarist Miguel Rincon started the subsequent piece, Antonio Sartorio’s “La certezza di tua fede” from his 1677 opera Antonino e Pompeiano, with a guitar solo to loosen up the temper, earlier than the entire ensemble and Orlinski joined in to sing concerning the fidelity of affection.
As soon as once more, the live performance took a special path for the ultimate three songs, beginning with Orlinski exploring his comedic timing because the cross-dressing nursemaid Crinalba in Netti’s 1681 opera L’Adamiro. With the black gown wrapped round his waist as his skirt and a black head veil, he contorted his physique to resemble a frail outdated girl, even demanding one of many instrumentalists to deliver him a chair! Vocally, he sang the primary of Crinalba’s aria “Quanto più la donna invecchia” in an exaggerated accent and damaged phrasings, which drew massive laughs from the viewers. “Son vecchia, patienza,” however, was carried out with elevated weariness and resignation. After a short instrumental piece from 17th Century Polish composer Adam Jarz?bski (his Tamburetta from Canzoni e concerti), the recital was concluded with Sebastiano Moratelli’s “Lungi dai nostri cor” from his serenata La Faretra smarrita, carried out in a solemn meditative method, earlier than Orlinski turned off the moveable mild and left the stage in full darkness.
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On that day, the viewers actually appreciated Orlinski and il Pomo d’Oro’s efforts and showered the artists with thunderous and prolonged applause. He gave the impression to be very moved by the reception, a lot in order that he offered three encores, all of which got here from his 2019 album Facce d’amore, additionally with il Pomo d’Oro. The primary was “Chi scherza con Amor” from Giovanni Antonio Boretti’s opera Eliogabalo, adopted by his calling card, “Lucidissima face” from Francesco Cavalli’s La Calisto, the place he challenged the viewers to imitate his coloratura with rising difficulties. The ultimate, and lengthiest, was “Che m’ami ti prega” from Giuseppe Maria Orlandini and Johann Mattheson’s Nerone, throughout which he inserted a pair “breaks” to point out off his vocal ranges to the viewers’s delight.
This recital was actually a exceptional achievement for each Orlinski and the members of il Pomo d’Oro, a collaborative effort that was marked by excessive ranges of showmanship, respect, and dedication to the misplaced artwork. It was actually certainly one of a sort! I actually want I may have skilled it as soon as once more! There are solely 2 reveals left within the collection, April 20th in Peace Middle, Greenville, SC and April 21st on the College of Georgia, Athens, GA. Belief me, you’ll be sorry to overlook this spectacle!
Images: Marek Grotowski (from Wroclaw)
