Latest news with #NickySpence
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem, Winter Words (arr Holloway), etc album review – confirms Gardner's status as an outstanding conductor of Britten
If Edward Gardner's performances and recording of Peter Grimes had not already firmly established his credentials as an outstanding Britten conductor, then this collection, taken from Gardner's concerts with the London Philharmonic at the Festival Hall in London and at Saffron Hall in Saffron Walden, superbly confirms them. It contains an outstanding account of one Britten's greatest orchestral achievements, the Sinfonia da Requiem, and a fine one of a suite (Gardner's own selection) from Britten's only full-length ballet, The Prince of the Pagodas, together with the first recording of a fascinating orchestration by Robin Holloway of Britten's Thomas Hardy song cycle Winter Words. In a note on his orchestrations, Holloway declares that Winter Words is his favourite among Britten's song cycles and that Britten and Hardy 'seem made for each other'. But in its general tone and subject matter – nature, the changing seasons, and man's place among them – and Britten's treatment of them there's an introspection and intimacy, which doesn't automatically suggest the large scale 'public' exposure of an orchestral song cycle. But Holloway's interventions are wonderfully discreet and subtly imaginative, especially in his use of the marimba and xylophone, and tenor Nicky Spence's careful performance certainly respects that. (Not available on Apple music and Spotify)
Daily Mail
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I was once compared to a small bungalow...fat shaming is still rife in opera, says star
Opera stars are still being 'fat-shamed', according to one of Scotland's top singers. Tenor Nicky Spence, 42, is internationally renowned after being snapped up by Universal at the age of just 21. Billed as 'The Scottish Tenor', he recorded an album with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra called My First Love as part of a £1m record deal. He also toured with Katherine Jenkins and Shirley Bassey and was a regular on TV. Despite this, he turned his back on his recording contract to pursue an opera career on stage, where the likes of Luciano Pavarotti - known for being overweight - made his mark. The singer, of Dumfries, said he had been 'fat-shamed' in the past - and that it was still going on in the opera world. Opera stars are often seen as 'overweight', although it is more a myth than reality. Mr Spence said he knew he was a 'slightly obese balding man', but says he was once compared to a 'small bungalow' by a costume designer. He said: 'I've had such a great career by not looking like a god. 'I remember when I did The Magic Flute one of the first times, the designer looked at me and said 'I'm so sorry. I drew this image before I knew'. 'And I said 'Knew what?'. 'Basically, you know, insert 'You look like a small bungalow'.' He told the Review supplement of The Times earlier this month: 'It still does go on, absolutely. 'When I was younger I was always active to show that I am not fat because I'm lazy. I'm fat because I have trauma attached to food.'
