Fatma Said (soprano) 
Lieder
rec. 2023/2024, Andreaskirche, Berlin-Wannsee & St Gabriel’s Church, Pimlico, London, UK
German texts and translations included
Warner Classics 2173245977 [69]

Fatma Said follows up her award-winning debut recital, El Nour (review), and her equally successful second album, Kaleidoscope, with a more conventional album of German Lieder, except that with this gifted artist, it isn’t quite that simple. For a start, she has collaborated with an array of different musicians, bringing in clarinettist Sabine Meyer for Schubert’s Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, the men’s choir Walhalla zum Seidlwirt for his Ständchen, harpist Anneleen Lenaerts for four of the Brahms songs, the Quator Arod for Brahms’s Ophelia-Lieder, baritone Huw Montague Rendall for some duets and three different pianists in Malcolm Martineau, Yonathan Cohen and Joseph Middleton. In the notes accompanying the disc, Said says that all of these artists were friends or became friends during the sessions, and, in a positive way it would seem so, as there is a real sense of joy and discovery in the music making.

In a disc of so many delights, it is difficult to highlight specific performances, and for once I found myself not making comparisons with other singers, so compelling is the artistry on display here. Said has a surpassingly beautiful voice, but she uses it for expressive ends and is not afraid to make the occasional ugly sound, as in the vividly characterised Hexenlied by Mendelssohn, and in Schubert’s Der Zwerg. The nocturne Ständchen is delivered as a dramatic dialogue between Said and the men’s chorus, with a touch of breathless excitement, which perfectly captures the meaning of the words, and the words are evidently very important to Said. Her diction is excellent, and indeed, in the notes accompanying the disc, Said states that she wanted there to be a strong emphasis on the text. This she has achieved, whilst maintaining a lovely legato line. 

The harp accompaniment brings a touch of delicacy to the Brahms songs and his Ophelia- Lieder are performed in Aribert Reimann’s arrangement for string quartet, which somehow contrives to make the songs sound more archaic. Sabine Meyer plays with great beauty of tone in Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, which here receives a performance of ineffable longing, which is totally dispelled in the joyful final measures.

I can’t close without mentioning the terrific contributions of her three pianists, Malcolm Martineau, Yonatan Cohen and Joseph Middleton, nor Huw Montague Rendall’s wonderful contribution to the duets, particularly in the final song on the disc, Schumann’s In der Nacht, where his mellifluous tones blend beautifully with Said’s – a fitting end to a disc that had me spellbound throughout.

Although I know these are early days yet, this is likely to be one of my discs of the year.

Philip Tsaras

Buying this recording via a link below generates revenue for MWI, which helps the site remain free.

Contents
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Ständchen, D957/4 (with Malcolm Martineau – piano)_
Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, D965 (with Sabine Meyer – clarinet, and Malcolm Martineau – piano )
Ständchen (Notturno) D920 (with Walhalla zum Seidlwirt – men’s chorus, and Yonatan Cohen – piano)
Auf dem Wasser zu singen, D774 (with Malcolm Martineau – piano)
De r Zwerg, D771 with Malcolm Martineau – piano)
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Die liebende Schreibt MWV K66 (with Joseph Middleton – piano)
Hexenlied MWV K33 (with Joseph Middleton – piano)
Suleika MWV K92 (with Joseph Middleton – piano)
Ich wollt meine Lieb ergösse sich MWV J5 (with Huw Montague Rendall – baritone, and Joseph Middleton – piano)
Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847)
Suleika und Hatem H-U 149 (with Huw Montague Rendal – baritone, and Joseph Middleton – piano)
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Lerchengesang, Op. 79/2
Wie Melodien, Op. 195/1
Da unten im Tale, Wo0 22
Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer, Op 105/2 (all with Anneleen Lenaerts – harp)
Ophelia-Lieder, Wo0 22, arr. Voice and string quartet Aribert Reimann (1936-2024) (with Quator Arod)
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
(all with Joseph Middleton – piano)
Widmung, Op25/1
Singet nicht in Trauertstönen, Op98a/7 
Unterm Fenster, Op 34/3 (with Huw Montague Williams – baritone)
Liebesled, Op 51/5
In der Nacht, Op74/4 (with Huw Montague Williams – baritone)