Sparks from Ashes
Nicky Spence, Dylan Perez
- Label
- Chandos
- Release date
- 7 August 2025
Nicky Spence possesses unique vocal skills and a rare musical honesty that have earned him a place at the top of the classical music world. He is particularly admired for his interpretation of the music of Leos Janacek, whose operas he has performed throughout the world. Together with the outstanding pianist Dylan Perez, he presents a varied programme of Czech and Slovak art songs. Bela Bartok discovered his lifelong enthusiasm for folk music in 1904 during a holiday in Slovakia when he heard a nursemaid singing. "Village Scenes" is an arrangement of five folk songs from a large Slovak collection, published in 1915, depicting various aspects of a country wedding. Jaroslav Kricka became a central figure in Czech musical life and held positions as choir director of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and professor of composition at the Prague Conservatory. His "Three Fables for Soprano and Piano" are arrangements of traditional fairy tales. Vitezslava Kapralova was a promising composer who died in 1940 at the age of 25 from tuberculosis. She studied conducting with Vaclav Talich and composition with Vitezslav Novak before moving to Paris, where she took lessons with Bohuslav Martinu. Her song cycle "Glowing Ashes" deals with themes of love - found, blossomed and lost - just like the eighteen songs of Antonin Dvorak's song cycle "Cypressen". The poignant "Winkend Abschied nehmen", which Kapralova composed four years later, was inspired by her departure from Prague and her move to Paris.
Tracklist
- 01 Sbohem a šáteček, Op. 14 06:08
- 02 Cypresses, B. 11: No. 1, Vy vroucí písně spějte 02:31
- 03 Cypresses, B. 11: No. 2, V té sladké moci očí tvých 01:59
- 04 Cypresses, B. 11: No. 3, V tak mnohém srdci mrtvo jest 01:43
- 05 Cypresses, B. 11: No. 4, Ó duše drahá jedinká 01:18
- 06 Cypresses, B. 11: No. 5, Ó byl to krásný zlatý sen 02:49
- 07 Cypresses, B. 11: No. 6, Já vím, že v sladké naději 01:52
- 08 Cypresses, B. 11: No. 7, Ó zlatá růže spanilá 02:07
- 09 Cypresses, B. 11: No. 8, Ó naší lásce nekvete 02:06
- 10 Cypresses, B. 11: No. 9, Kol domu se teď potácím 01:32
- 11 Cypresses, B. 11: No. 10, Mne často týrá pochyba 02:06
- 12 Cypresses, B. 11: No. 11, Mé srdce často v bolesti 01:32
- 13 Cypresses, B. 11: No. 12, Zde hledím na ten drahý list 01:35
- 14 Cypresses, B. 11: No. 13, Na horách ticho 01:37
- 15 Cypresses, B. 11: No. 14, Zde v lese u potoka 03:17
- 16 Cypresses, B. 11: No. 15, Mou celou duší zádumně 02:12
- 17 Cypresses, B. 11: No. 16, Tam stojí stará skála 02:06
- 18 Cypresses, B. 11: No. 17, Nad krajem vévodí lehký spánek 01:57
- 19 Cypresses, B. 11: No. 18, Ty se ptáš, proč moje zpěvy bouří 03:23
- 20 Village Scenes, Sz. 78, BB 87a: No. 1, Pri hrabaní 01:16
- 21 Village Scenes, Sz. 78, BB 87a: No. 2, Pri neveste 01:38
- 22 Village Scenes, Sz. 78, BB 87a: No. 3, Svatba 03:05
- 23 Village Scenes, Sz. 78, BB 87a: No. 4, Ukoliebavka 04:38
- 24 Village Scenes, Sz. 78, BB 87a: No. 5, Tanec mládencov 02:15
- 25 Jiskry z popele, Op. 5: No. 1, Ty staré písně v duši zní mi 02:57
- 26 Jiskry z popele, Op. 5: No. 2, Jak na hedvábný mech 02:23
- 27 Jiskry z popele, Op. 5: No. 3, Ó zůstaň ještě, moje dívko drahá 03:04
- 28 Jiskry z popele, Op. 5: No. 4, A táhnou myšlenky teskné 04:34
- 29 3 Bajky, Op. 21: No. 1, O neposlušných kozlatech 04:48
- 30 3 Bajky, Op. 21: No. 2, Pohádka o kohoutkovi a slepičce 04:29
- 31 3 Bajky, Op. 21: No. 3, Jeřáb a volavka 06:37
Source: MusicBrainz
