Gratuitous Wednesday – Jakub Józef Orliński at the Eiffel Tower

...and because I need to get a post in before the end of July. This is exquisite, especially considering he is: (1) singing outdoors; (2) miked to death; (3) in a huge, open space; (4) with a giant symphony orchestra (why is there even a harpsichord there?); (5) to an audience who may not have heard of Vivaldi; (6) beneath the Eiffel Tower (I'm not distracted, you're distracted!) The man is charming to watch as well as to listen to. No breakdancing this time, but, oh, what singing!

Thanks to the YT poster who shared this.  

Gratuitous Friday – Jakub Józef Orliński, Countertenor

I don't know how this young Polish countertenor snuck onto the scene, but I am glad I stumbled upon him:

I even missed his master class with JDD at Julliard (and oddly, sadly, this video seems to be a trimmed version of his session.)

He's so expressive, even in a casual setting:

Oh, and in his spare time, he like to break dance:

For more about JJO, here's an article/interview with him from about two years ago. Who knows what he's up to these days? Let's Google and find out!

P.S. I just found this interview that's just about a month old. 

P.P.S. A little gratuitous beefcake: