Facce d'amore

Countertenor Jakub Orliński’s second album—the title of which translates into English as Faces of Love—paints a portrait of the Baroque male lover in all his madness, rage, despair, and delight. But this is no regular Baroque album: There are treasures by lesser-known composers to be discovered alongside the Handel and Scarlatti, including arias by Predieri, Matteis, and Boretti, plus no less than eight world premieres: the ravishing, tender Hasse that closes the album is a miniature miracle. Orliński’s voice, velvety and rich, versatile and nimble, is perfect for this seductive music, while Il Pomo d’Oro, utterly alert, follow him every step of the way with playing of boundless energy and drive.