A Fink to a Flop

Shall we start with some singers? Not long ago, Bernarda Fink appeared in New York with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. She sang a Handel cantata and a Bach cantata—and she sang them brilliantly. This is a singer with everything: voice, of course; and technique; and intelligence. Even some spirituality, as a bonus. Her singing almost made up for the aural and interpretive offenses of the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra.

You may wonder about the nationality of Bernarda Fink. As her bio puts it, she “was bom in Buenos Aires to Slovenian parents.” She is not exactly a household name, but she has a strong cult following, and those ranks are growing. Her recordings are wide-ranging, as she is a wide-ranging singer herself.

About the Author

Jay Nordlinger

Jay Nordlinger was a senior editor of National Review and a book fellow at National Review Institute.

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Shall we start with some singers? Not long ago, Bernarda Fink appeared in New York with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. She sang a Handel cantata and a Bach cantata—and she sang them brilliantly. This is a singer with everything: voice, of course; and technique; and intelligence. Even some spirituality, as a bonus. Her singing almost made up for the aural and interpretive offenses of the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra.

You may wonder about the nationality of Bernarda Fink. As her bio puts it, she “was bom in Buenos Aires to Slovenian parents.” She is not exactly a household name, but she has a strong cult following, and those ranks are growing. Her recordings are wide-ranging, as she is a wide-ranging singer herself.