In February, tenor Nicky Spence and pianist Iain Burnside presented a special event for the RPS, inviting us into the rehearsal room, usually off-limits to the audience’s eyes. They delved into Czech composer Janáček’s song cycle The Diary of One Who Disappeared. It tells the tale of a tormented young man who falls headlong for a gypsy girl, and must decide whether to abandon his family and village to pursue this forbidden love. Nicky and Iain tenderly peeled back the layers of this fascinating work, revealing how much it resonates with the composer’s own personality and passions, and how even its tiniest musical gestures are loaded with emotion.

Filmed in the Recital Hall of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in February, you can watch an extract of the event above. If you’re an RPS Member, you can enjoy the whole conversation in full in the Members Area of our website. RPS Members can enjoy films of all our recent talks and events which have recently included baritone Roderick Williams and pianist Joanna MacGregor rehearsing Schubert songs, and Sir Thomas Allen and conductor John Wilson trading tales about their journey from humble beginnings in the North East to the world stage.

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