Orfeo in Gluck’s opera Orfeo & Euridice has become a signature role for Jakub Józef Orliński on stages around the world. Now the countertenor embodies the mythical Greek bard in a recording that for him is the realisation of a dream. Made in his native Warsaw, it is conducted by the dynamic Stefan Plewniak and the instrumentalists and chorus are drawn from his ensemble Il Giardino d’Amore. The roles of Orfeo’s wife Euridice and the god Amore are taken by two further rising stars of the opera and concert stage: the sopranos Elsa Dreisig and Fatma Said. Orliński has acted as producer, casting director, and, with Stefan Plewniak, joint artistic director of the recording. “One of my great dreams as a student was to sing the role of Orfeo,” says Orliński, “and now I’ve been lucky enough to perform Orfeo & Euridice in different settings … Working on those different versions I achieved my very own interpretation. I knew that I would love to create my own personal version of the piece, to record my dream role, expressing myself in the way I wanted … I had a clear vision of what I wanted to do with it and how. The most important thing for me as a musician is to have great collaborators, and I couldn’t imagine a better team. Everyone was so willing to make the most of every single take during our long recording sessions. I am really grateful that I can work with people with so much passion … And now I invite you to follow Orfeo on his journey and listen to what the power of love can do.”