by usia review
A Baroque Evening of Transcendence at the Gulbenkian
The late-afternoon concert on Sunday, November 26, was undoubtedly one of the finest ever presented at the Gulbenkian Foundation. A powerful wave of emotion and spirituality filled the hall, culminating in frenetic applause and a sense of collective joy born of musical perfection. The protagonists of this unforgettable evening were the Polish countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński and the celebrated Baroque orchestra Il Pomo d’Oro.
The countertenor voice—often undervalued within the broader lyrical world, except in Baroque and 17th-century repertoire—found here one of its most compelling advocates. Orliński’s voice, technically secure and emotionally profound, demonstrated the full expressive potential of this vocal category.
The program ranged from Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643), with excerpts from L’Incoronazione di Poppea, to Giulio Caccini’s famous “Amarilli, mia bella”, whose expressiveness, as delivered by Orliński, surpassed anything I had previously studied or heard. Other composers featured included Francesco Cavalli, alongside lesser-known but fascinating figures such as Biagio Marini, Johann Caspar von Kerll, Barbara Strozzi, Carlo Pallavicino, Giovanni Cesare Netti, Antonio Sartorio, Adam Jarzębski, and Sebastiano Moratelli—a rich and intelligently curated panorama of early Baroque music.
The orchestra performed on period instruments, including violins, viola, viola da gamba, lirone, cello and double bass, theorbo, archlute and guitar, harpsichord and organ, harp, cornetto, and flute. This instrumental palette produced a warm, transparent, and deeply evocative sound world.
A succession of emotions permeated the audience, heightened by Orliński’s extraordinary stage presence and empathy. He did not merely sing: he moved, danced, interacted, and even remained on stage during orchestral-only pieces. In one particularly striking moment, he sang an aria from within the audience, barefoot, erasing the distance between performer and listener and creating an atmosphere of intimate communion.
It is worth noting that Baroque pitch is not standardized at 440 Hz, but often closer to 432 Hz, a tuning that offers singers greater comfort and produces a distinctive warmth and resonance. This undoubtedly contributed to the unusual beauty and ease of Orliński’s vocal emission.
Jakub Józef Orliński, one of the most acclaimed artists of his generation, has elevated the countertenor voice to the level of the great operatic performers. On this evening, he exceeded all expectations.
Bravo to the Gulbenkian Foundation for offering the audience a truly magical night of superlative music, artistry, and emotion.
#JakubJózefOrliński @Gulbenkian
Thanks to: Gulbenkian Music