Kaprálová
Sbohem a šáteček, Op. 14
Dvořák
Cypresses, B152
Bartók
Village Scenes, Sz. 78, BB 87a
Kaprálová
Jiskry z popele, Op. 5
Kricka
3 Bajky, Op. 21
Nicky Spence (tenor)
Dylan Perez (piano)
Recorded at Potton Hall, 11 to 13 November 2024
Reviewed by: Rob Pennock
Reviewed: August 2025
CD No: Chandos CD, download and stream: CHAN20338
Duration: Running time: 85 minutes
This, the first solo album Nicky Spence has recorded with his husband Dylan Perez, features Czech and Hungarian composers and is better than his Janacek recital, where the two high Cs in the final song of The Diary of One Who Disappeared were strained.
The recital opens with a song by Vitezslava Kaprilova (1915-40), where she waves farewell to ‘the most beautiful city of Prague’ and later a cycle of melancholy songs, Sparks from the Ashes, which, within a fairly conventional musical language, are full of alluring melodies, harmonies and gentle chromaticism. The other rarity is Jarolsav Kricka’s (1882-69) Three Fables, which again don’t frighten the horses and rely on delightful conversational, occasionally strident, declamation, without sacrificing lightness of touch.
Bartok’s five village scenes, which derive from Slovakian folk melodies, are better known but Dvorak’s Cypresses, like so much of his vocal music, remains strangely neglected. The eighteen songs date from 1865 when he was virtually unknown, but later in his career he would use many of them into other works including twelve for string quartet.
The performances are exceptional. Spence has sung loads of Janacek and his Czech is excellent, although unsurprisingly Pavel Breslik’s (Supraphon) diction and tone are even more authentic in Cypresses. But wherever you go both artists pay scrupulous attention to the text using a huge range of tonal and dynamic shading encompassing ppp to fff and behind every note there is an immense sense of conviction and enjoyment.
On the 24/96 stream the sound is excellent, with a nice middle-distance balance and sense of the acoustic, although 24/192 or better still DSD would have brought even more realism. The booklet contains excellent programme notes, texts and translations.
Very highly recommended.