Nicky Spence - Sparks from Ashes (2025) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

Hailed by The Daily Telegraph as 'a voice of real distinction', Nicky Spence possesses unique skills as a singing actor and a rare honesty of musicianship, all of which has earned him a place at the top of the classical music profession. Admired in particular for his interpretation of the music of Janacek, he has appeared worldwide in the composer's operas. Performing here with the outstanding pianist Dylan Perez, he presents a varied programme of Czech and Slovak art song. Bela Bartok found his lifelong enthusiasm for folk music sparked whilst on holiday in Slovakia in 1904, when he heard a nursemaid singing. Village Scenes sets five folksongs from a large Slovakian collection published in 1915, and depicts various aspects of a country wedding. Jaroslav Kricka became a central figure in Czech musical life, occupying the posts of chorus master of the Czech Philharmonic and professor of composition at the Prague Conservatory, amongst others. His Three Fables are settings of traditional fairy tales. Vitezslava Kapralova was a composer of great promise who died of TB in 1940, aged just twenty-five. She studied conducting with Vaclav Talich and composition with Vitezslav Novak before moving to Paris where she was taught by Bohuslav Martinu. Her song cycle Sparks from Ashes deals with themes of love - found, flourishing, and lost - as do the eighteen numbers of Dvorak's song cycle Cypresses. Written by Kapralova four years later, the haunting Waving Farwell was inspired by having to leave Prague for her new life in Paris.

TRACKLIST

1. Nicky Spence - Sbohem a šáteček, Op. 14
2. Nicky Spence - Cypresses, B. 11: No. 1, Vy vroucí písně spějte
3. Nicky Spence - Cypresses, B. 11: No. 2, V té sladké moci očí tvých
4. Nicky Spence - Cypresses, B. 11: No. 3, V tak mnohém srdci mrtvo jest
5. Nicky Spence - Cypresses, B. 11: No. 4, Ó duše drahá jedinká
6. Nicky Spence - Cypresses, B. 11: No. 5, Ó byl to krásný zlatý sen
7. Nicky Spence - Cypresses, B. 11: No. 6, Já vím, že v sladké naději
8. Nicky Spence - Cypresses, B. 11: No. 7, Ó zlatá růže spanilá
9. Nicky Spence - Cypresses, B. 11: No. 8, Ó naší lásce nekvete
10. Nicky Spence - Cypresses, B. 11: No. 9, Kol domu se teď potácím
11. Nicky Spence - Cypresses, B. 11: No. 10, Mne často týrá pochyba
12. Nicky Spence - Cypresses, B. 11: No. 11, Mé srdce často v bolesti
13. Nicky Spence - Cypresses, B. 11: No. 12, Zde hledím na ten drahý list
14. Nicky Spence - Cypresses, B. 11: No. 13, Na horách ticho
15. Nicky Spence - Cypresses, B. 11: No. 14, Zde v lese u potoka
16. Nicky Spence - Cypresses, B. 11: No. 15, Mou celou duší zádumně
17. Nicky Spence - Cypresses, B. 11: No. 16, Tam stojí stará skála
18. Nicky Spence - Cypresses, B. 11: No. 17, Nad krajem vévodí lehký spánek
19. Nicky Spence - Cypresses, B. 11: No. 18, Ty se ptáš, proč moje zpěvy bouří
20. Nicky Spence - Village Scenes, Sz. 78, BB 87a: No. 1, Pri hrabaní
21. Nicky Spence - Village Scenes, Sz. 78, BB 87a: No. 2, Pri neveste
22. Nicky Spence - Village Scenes, Sz. 78, BB 87a: No. 3, Svatba
23. Nicky Spence - Village Scenes, Sz. 78, BB 87a: No. 4, Ukoliebavka
24. Nicky Spence - Village Scenes, Sz. 78, BB 87a: No. 5, Tanec mládencov
25. Nicky Spence - Jiskry z popele, Op. 5: No. 1, Ty staré písně v duši zní mi
26. Nicky Spence - Jiskry z popele, Op. 5: No. 2, Jak na hedvábný mech
27. Nicky Spence - Jiskry z popele, Op. 5: No. 3, Ó zůstaň ještě, moje dívko drahá
28. Nicky Spence - Jiskry z popele, Op. 5: No. 4, A táhnou myšlenky teskné
29. Nicky Spence - 3 Bajky, Op. 21: No. 1, O neposlušných kozlatech
30. Nicky Spence - 3 Bajky, Op. 21: No. 2, Pohádka o kohoutkovi a slepičce
31. Nicky Spence - 3 Bajky, Op. 21: No. 3, Jeřáb a volavka



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