Jakub Józef Orliński‘s new album ‘Beyond’ with music by early baroque composers
Jakub Józef Orliński‘s sixth project with Erato features music by early baroque composers, including Monteverdi, Caccini, Frescobaldi, Kapsberger, Saracini, Netti, and Jarzębski. Musicologist Yannis François researched the program and uncovered some extraordinary repertoire, now recorded for the first time – there are 10 world premiere recordings.
With this album – says Orliński – and this very specifically selected programme, I want to focus on the general meaning of word ‘beyond’.
Beyond comprises vocal and instrumental music provided by Il Pomo d’Oro. Most of the repertoire is 17th-century Italian, the earlier phase of the Baroque era. Among the 18 composers are familiar names – Monteverdi, Cavalli, Caccini, Frescobaldi, Strozzi – and lesser-known figures such as Netti, Saracini, Kapsberger and Jarzębski. Nine of the vocal pieces are world premiere recordings.
Orliński says that he wants “to show people that this music is beyond its times. It is still relevant, it is still alive, vibrant, touching, engaging and entertaining … But the aim is also to go beyond the frame of a classical music concert …”
François acted repertoire expert for as Orliński’s previous collections of arias – Anima Aeterna and Facce d’amore. He intended that the album was not a succession of tracks but “a real concert, with some pieces running directly into the next, improvised instrumental transitions and a carefully considered succession of moods, tonalities and musical themes”. The programme includes items from operas, cantatas, serenades and individual songs.
François feels that the ‘headline’ composer for Beyond is Giovanni Cesare Netti. He says,
I found his manuscripts by chance as I was doing my research and I was struck by the beauty of his compositions.
Netti was born in the southern Italian region of Puglia in 1649 and trained as a musician in Naples, where he made his career and died in 1686.
The variety in his scenes is incredible. Sometimes, within a single scene, a character will be given a sequence of several recitatives and several arias which have totally different textures and colours in the orchestra – as can be heard here in Berillo’s scene from Netti’s opera La Filli (also known as La moglie del fratello).
The scene, making its first appearance on a recording, embraces three arias.
Another of the world premiere recordings on the album is by Francesco Cavalli, well-known for works such as Calisto, Egisto and Ormindo. The aria here is ‘Incomprensibil nume’ from the rarely heard Pompeo Magno, in which the Roman general Pompey gives thanks to the god who has granted him victory in battle.
We are going to take you on a journey which will really fly you off to some new places, beyond the places you know – says Orliński.
TRACKLIST CD & DIGITAL– BEYOND
[* = World Premiere]
Claudio MONTEVERDI
1. E pur io torno (Ottone) – L’Incoronazione di Poppea – aria
2. Voglio di vita uscir – canzone a voce sola (SV 337)
Johannes Hieronymus KAPSBERGER
3. Kapsberger – Libro quarto d’intavolatura di Chitarone – zither solo
Giulio CACCINI
4. Amarilli, mia bella – madrigale a voce sola, Le nuove musiche
Girolamo FRESCOBALDI
5. Così mi disprezzate – aria di passacaglia (F 7.16), Primo libro d’arie musicali per cantarsi
Barbara STROZZI
6. L’Amante consolato – Cantate, ariette e duetti, op.2
Francesco CAVALLI
7. Incomprensibil nume (Pompeo Magno) – Pompeo Magno *
Johann Caspar KERL
8. Sonata for 2 violins and Continuo in F major – instrumental only
Claudio SARACINI
9. Udite, lagrimosi spirti d’Averno – Le seconde musiche, n°1
Carlo PALLAVICINO
Sinfonia – Demetrio * instrumental only
10. I. Grave
11. II. Affettuoso
12. III. Presto
13. IV. Adagio
Pietro Paolo CAPPELLINI
14. Tarantella (Chi vuol ch’il cor gioisca) * joyeux et festif
Giovanni Cesare NETTI*
Act I, scene 9 (Berillo) La moglie del fratello
15. Misero core (aria)
16. Datti pace Berillo…Sì, sì scioglia sì… (recitative – aria)
17. Ah che miei voi non siete (recitative)
18. Dolcissime catene (Berillo) (aria)
Antonio SARTORIO
19. La certezza di sua fede (Pompeiano) – Antonino e Pompeiano *
Giovanni Cesare NETTI
20. Quanto più la donna invecchia (Crinalba) – L’Adamiro*
Biagio MARINI
21. La vecchia innamorata (instrumental version) – Scherzi & canzonette, op.5 – instrumental only
Giovanni Cesare NETTI
22. Son vecchia, patienza (Crinalba) – L’Adamiro *
Giuseppe Antonio BERNABEI
23. A battaglia, sù, mio core (Eugerio) – Il segreto d’amore in petto del Savio *
Adam JARZĘBSKI
24. Tamburetta – concerto a 3 voci & continuo (c.1627) – instrumental only
Giovanni Battista VITALI *
Donde avvien che tutt’ebro – contralto cantata with strings & continuo
25. Sinfonia
26. Donde avvien che tutt’ebro (recitative)
27. Nell’anglica sede (aria)
28. Maria germe real del tronco estense (recitative)
29. Frema l’Erebo adirato (aria)
30. Ma di fatti sì, degni (recitative)
31. Se nuncia fedel con tromba sonante (aria)
Carlo Francesco POLLAROLO *
32. Come allor che più densi…
33. Son tanto avvezzo a piangere – La Costanza gelosa negl’amori di Cefalo e Procri
Sebastiano MORATELLI
34. Lungi dai nostri cor (Amore) – La Faretra smarrita
TRACKLIST LP – BEYOND
[* = World Premiere]
Side A
Giulio CACCINI
1. Amarilli, mia bella
Girolamo FRESCOBALDI
2. Così mi disprezzate
Claudio SARACINI
3. Udite, lagrimosi spirti d’Averno
Francesco CAVALLI
4. Incomprensibil nume *
Claudio MONTEVERDI
5. Voglio di vita uscir
Biagio MARINI
6. La vecchia innamorata (instrumental version)
Giovanni Cesare NETTI
7. Son vecchia, patienza *
8. Quanto più la donna invecchia *
Side B
Giuseppe Antonio BERNABEI
1. A battaglia, sù, mio core *
Giovanni Cesare NETTI
Act I, scene 9 (Berillo) La moglie del fratello
2. Misero core (aria)
3. Datti pace Berillo…Sì, sì scioglia sì… (recitative – aria)
4. Ah che miei voi non siete (recitative)
5. Dolcissime catene (aria)
Pietro Paolo CAPPELLINI
6. Tarantella (Chi vuol ch’il cor gioisca) *
Giovanni Battista VITALI
Donde avvien che tutt’ebro *
7. Sinfonia
8. Donde avvien che tutt’ebro (recitative)
9. Nell’anglica sede (aria)
10. Maria germe real del tronco estense (recitative)
11. Frema l’Erebo adirato (aria)
12. Ma di fatti sì, degni (recitative)
13. Se nuncia fedel con tromba sonante (aria)
Sebastiano MORATELLI
14. Lungi dai nostri cor (Amore)
Artists:
Jakub Józef Orliński Tracks CD & Digital 1, 2, 4-7, 9, 14-20, 22, 23, 25-33 // LP Side A 1-5, 7, 8; Side B 1-14
Il Pomo D’Oro Tracks CD & Digital 1-33// LP Side A 1-8; Side B 1-14
Tour Dates:
24 October Wroclaw [Opera Wrocławska]
26 October Warsaw [Warsaw Philharmonic]
29 October Valencia Palu des arts
31 October Oviedo Philharmonie
2 November Murcia TBC
6 November Paris, Philharmonie
8 November Brussels, Bozar
10 November Toulouse, Capitole
12 November Montpellier (Opéra comedie)
14 November Bordeaux
17 November Luzern [KKL]
19 November Amsterdam [Concertgebouw]
21 November Cologne [Cologne Philharmonie]
22 November Arnhem [Stadstheater]
24 November Essen [Philharmonie]
26 November Lisbon [Gulbenkian]
28 November Luxembourg [Philharmonie – Main Hall]
30 November Berlin [Philharmonie Großer Saal]
2 December Linz [Musiktheater]
4 December Versailles
6 December Torino Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
