Fatma Said aimed to 'verbalize' rather than just 'sing' some Lieder, even taking risks with vocal technique to bring out the expression and atmosphere of the scene.
Performer Biography
Fatma Said's classical artist career began in Berlin, where she lived after enrolling in a German music conservatoire at age 18, a highly unusual choice for an Egyptian teenager.
Album & Artwork
The album's title, 'My Soul with My Friends', reflects the importance of friendship and collaboration to Fatma Said, as many participants are friends or became friends during recording.
Recording & Production
This album features more than the traditional singer and piano Lied forces, including clarinet, string quartet, a vocal ensemble, a baritone duet partner, and harp instead of piano for some Brahms Lieder.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The German art song, or Lied, is described as a unique world of inventive expression, combining great German poetry with the genius of composers like Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Brahms.
Performer Biography
Fatma Said, the soprano on this album, grew up in Cairo but attended German kindergarten and school, making German her second mother tongue.
Interpretation
For this album, Fatma Said's priority was to convey the characterization of the poetry, sometimes even transposing the music to fit her voice's speaking range.
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Selected Songs
Victoria de los Ángeles in Concert (Live, Royal Festival Hall, 1964)
