Music critic Clive Paget wrote in Britain's The Guardian newspaper that in a programme featuring music by early Baroque composers, performed with Italy's Il Pomo d’Oro ensemble, "the irresistibly likable Polish countertenor ran the gamut from A to Z, embodying pining lovers, men on the verge, and one of those comical cross-dressing old ladies with which baroque opera abounds."
'In a word, stellar'
Paget said that Orliński’s voice was "in magnificent shape, firm, flexible and easily ample enough to fill the cavernous space."
The critic added: "The acting, across an unbroken dozen musical numbers, was bold and winning. Costumes, lighting, and yes, a burst of his trademark breakdancing, were all part of a generous mix that roamed across 17th-century Italy and beyond. Orchestral contributions were tight and tangy. In a word, stellar."
In a wide-ranging pre-concert interview with Fiona Maddocks of The Guardian, Orliński referred to his breakdancing skills, saying: “I was a very active kid. Always jumping and tumbling, climbing trees, snowballing, skiing. I used to collect old bottles from the street for cash that I spent on trampolining sessions, teaching myself backflips. I was a skateboard champion at 14 and then a breakdancer too. The physicality and acrobatics helped me keep fit, mentally as well physically.”
'Lovely voice, at the top of its game'
In its review of Orliński’s BBC Proms debut, Music OMH, a London-based online music magazine, wrote: “These were beautiful performances. Orliński himself was in fine voice, and he approached the material with his usual vocal dexterity, shading volume and tone with the surety of his knowing the material inside out. The music, it must be said, is indeed a little samey and predictable in its trajectories, but this is a lovely voice, at the top of its game, and that alone gave pleasure.”
On August 3, Orliński will appear with the same programme at the Edinburgh International Festival, followed by performances in France, Austria, Germany, and London’s Wigmore Hall on September 12.
(mk/gs)