Jakub Józef Orliński’s work in the mirror of modern trends in the art of countertenors
Authors: Zaporozhan Dmytro 
Published: August 2024

Statement of the problem. The art of countertenors is a phenomenon of today’s world musical culture. Within the limits of historically informed performance, the art of countertenors is gaining a new round of popularity, taking into account new forms of musical communication. The interest in carriers of this type of singing voice was stipulated by the development of baroque culture, which, in turn, after a period of loss of relevance, became an object of stylization and a sign of stylistic pluralism of the culture of the second half of the 20th – the beginning of the 21st centuries. Today, the directors of the leading Europe opera houses, in particular of Ukraine, and attract countertenors to participate in opera performances of the composers of the Baroque era, and also the tradition of training countertenors, which includes several generations of singers, was formed. Objectives, methods, and novelty of the research. Despite a certain interest of researchers in the revival of the art of countertenors in the European cultural space (Ravens, 2014; Reetz, 2018; Braithwaite, 2020; Sherman, 2021; Hovorukhina, 2017; Hiholaieva-Yurchenko, 2022, etc.), the work of the Polish singer Jakub Jo&#769;zef Orlin&#769;ski, one of the most famous countertenors in the modern musical world, has not yet been the subject of special research in Ukrainian musicology. The purpose of the research is to carry out an interpretative and stylistic analysis of J. J. Orlin&#769;ski’s creativity, in the context of modern trends in the art of countertenors. To reveal the topic, the following methods are used: the historical to reveal the genesis of the art of countertenors; the value-based one for understanding the singer’s outlook; and the interpretative and stylistic one to examine the creative evolution and psycho-type of the performer. Results and conclusion. On the example of J. J. Orlin&#769;ski’s work representing the latest stage of developing the art of countertenors, the main features of his performance style were determined. 1. Historicism, which manifests itself in several important aspects. The singer researches and analyses of little-known and unknown works of baroque music; actively cooperates with orchestras and ensembles that perform baroque music on authentic instruments; consults with musicologists and historians to ensure the accuracy of his interpretations. At the same time, the desire for authenticity is combined with the search for modern methods of reading in order to bring baroque music closer to the audience. 2. Technical arsenal. Orlin&#769;ski demonstrates the perfection of vocal technique basing on a deep understanding of the anatomy of the voice. The free operation of the vocal apparatus allows him to perform complex baroque coloraturas, ornaments, controlled vibrato, and legato singing. A wide range, purity of intonation and flexibility, perfect mastery of breathing, phrasing, dynamic contrasts, and articulation help him to convey all the nuances of musical works and stylistically accurately interpret baroque music. 3. Vocal and stage image. Reincarnation. Artistry. The vocal and stage image of the singer is formed thanks to the combination of his exceptional vocal abilities, stage and acting skills. Orlin&#769;ski is able to skilfully interpret a wide range of roles, from classical baroque characters to modern opera heroes, demonstrating impressive vocal and vivid emotionality. The singer uses his excellent physical training as a break-dancer to emphasize the characters’ gestures and movements. In addition, he experiments on stage, brings elements of modern choreography to the performance of ancient music, thereby increasing his charismatic influence on the audience, satisfying the aesthetic needs of viewers of various age categories. 4. Psychological features. The singer’s approach to creative work is characterized by thoroughness and attention to detail, which allows him to achieve high results. The transformation of Orlin&#769;ski into stage images is the result of a deep study of the typology of each character, psychological and emotional aspects of the role. He demonstrates an exceptional capacity for empathy, which allows him to deeply feel and convey the emotional state of his scenic characters. This ability creates an impressive suggestive effect, which allows the singer to be a brilliant performer, especially of baroque works, from the point of view not only of vocal technique, but also of a singer’s psycho-type, which is characterized by inner emotionality and the ability to reincarnate as a key feature of performance style. Interest in the creative work of one of the most famous singers of our time, the bright representative of the Polish culture in modern musical world, served as the basis for developing a methodology for researching the phenomenology of the performer’s personality. The specified parameters of the performance style analysis can serve as milestones on the way to the study of such a complex phenomenon as countertenor singing.