Lieder

A Song, a World

The art song (Lied) is one of the most intimate forms in classical music. It needs only a singer and a piano, yet can sing an entire world.

And this Lieder album, sung by Egyptian soprano Fatma Said, is a feast of German art songs.

From Schubert, the Mendelssohn siblings, to Brahms and Schumann, this album spans the golden age of the German Lied.

Schubert’s Shepherd on the Rock

One of the album’s highlights is Schubert’s late masterpiece “Der Hirt auf dem Felsen” (The Shepherd on the Rock).

What makes this song special is that, besides soprano and piano, it adds a clarinet—played here by the world’s foremost clarinettist, Sabine Meyer.

Meyer’s clarinet and Said’s voice converse amid valley-echoing melodies, creating an atmosphere both lonely and warm.

An Egyptian Heart

Fatma Said is one of the most prominent young sopranos of recent years. Born in Cairo and trained in Berlin, she carries a voice both classical and modern.

Her interpretation is praised as “colorful and agile.” In the German Lied—a field long dominated by Western singers—she gives these songs a fresh, cross-cultural vitality.

Why Listen

This album earned high praise from The Classic Review, hailed as one of the finest art song recordings in recent years.

Though the art song is “small,” it is the ultimate test of a singer’s skill. Said shows masterly command of text, music, and emotion—this is an album that lets you quiet down and listen closely.

Further Listening

If you love German art songs, explore Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony (also on Warner). And Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman shows another side of German vocal music.