A short music film, a feature illustration of Vivaldi’s opera Stabat Mater performed by Jakub Józef Orliński and Capella Cracoviensis. The music here accompanies events in which the theme of the Sorrowful Mother is originally interpreted by the director and set in an undefined contemporary time. Atmospheric, strangely wandering, emotional narrative with a surprising finale, starring Jakub Józef Orliński himself, not only as a countertenor but also as a stirring actor.
The show, recorded on December 16 and televised on France 5 on February 5, provides a different perspective on the international pop star. For the performance, MIKA was invited by the sumptuous Royal Opera of Versailles and accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra of the Royal Opera of Versaille, conducted by Stefan Plewniak. Throughout the production, MIKA was joined onstage by prestigious guests such as the “Gospel for 100,” pianist Vincent Bidal, cellist Gautier Capuçon, classical guitarist Thibaut Garcia and countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński.
With this DVD and Blu-ray of Rodelinda, one of Handel’s most emotionally complex operas, conductor Emmanuelle Haïm adds to her impressive Erato catalogue of the composer’s works. The imaginative production, by Jean Bellorini, was seen at the Opéra de Lille in Autumn 2018, and the cast features soprano Jeanine De Bique in the title role, countertenor Tim Mead as her husband Bertarido and another countertenor, Erato’s rising star Jakub Józef Orliński as Unulfo. Reviewing the production, Le Monde noted Emmanuelle Haïm’s “intimate connection with this music, which she knows how to unleash in all its violence, passion and heart-wrenching expressivity.”
