Nicky Spence brings radiant intensity to Fauré’s lovestruck song cycle, supported by sensitive chamber forces and Julius Drake’s elegant pianism.

Gabriel Fauré’s most exuberant and emotionally open song cycle, La Bonne Chanson, exists in two versions: the original 1894 piano-accompanied format, and a lush 1898 arrangement for tenor, piano, and string quintet. It’s the latter version that tenor Nicky Spence explores here, capturing the heady mix of elation and longing in these settings of Paul Verlaine’s poetry—texts Fauré used to express his fervent, though ill-fated, love for Emma Bardac (who would later marry Debussy).

Spence’s performance is both technically refined and emotionally vivid. His crisp French diction and radiant tone bring out the near-uncontainable joy and romantic fervour threaded through each of the nine songs. The Piatti Quartet and double bassist provide a warm, responsive backdrop, never overwhelming the voice but always enhancing the emotional texture. While La Bonne Chanson occupies just under half of the album’s running time, the rest is filled with a carefully chosen selection of Fauré’s earlier mélodies, including gems like Lydia, En Sourdine, Clair de Lune, and the poignant Poème d’un Jour, Op. 21. Joined by pianist Julius Drake, Spence delivers these with the same sensitivity and polish, rounding out a recording that’s both intimate and illuminating.