The Golden Voice
RUSSIAN NATIONAL
ORCHESTRA
ORCHESTRA
Dubai, UAE
Fatma Said is one of the most important classical artists in present-day Egypt. The young soprano has not only been acclaimed for her appearances on stage, but is also a sought-after singer for Lied and concert repertoire. The exclusive Warner recording artist was appointed Opera for Peace Ambassador by Opera for Peace – Leading Young Voices of the World. Fatma Said is a vibrant singer who perfectly combines words with music. The concert that she gives together with the Russian National Orchestra opens with George Frideric Handel’s majestic ‘Arrival of the Queen of Sheeba’ from the German composer’s oratorio ‘Salomon’. It is a brilliant and festive orchestral piece that became famous to such an extent that it was even used during the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The contrast could not be bigger, when Fatma Said continues with ‘Lascia ch’io pianga’ (from ‘Rinaldo’), one of the most melancholic and famous arias in operatic history.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s concert-aria ‘Chi sà, chi sà qual sia’ is a marvellous opportunity to show off the singer’s virtuosity. The overture that Mozart composed for ‘Le nozze di Figaro’ shows the musical complexity and emotional mastery he had attained at the point he wrote this opera buffa. Like ‘Le nozze di Figaro’, Gioachino Rossini’s ‘Il Barbiere di Siviglia’ is based on the comedy ‘La folle journée” ou Le mariage de Figaro’ by Pierre- Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais. The opera’s overture, as well as Rosina’s aria ‘Una voce poco fa’ are stuffed with musical humour and esprit. Like Mozart’s and Rossini’s operas, Georges Bizet’s ‘Carmen’ is set in the vibrant Andalusian metropolis of Seville. With its melodious flute-solo, the famous overture to the opera’s third act is of such lyrical beauty that it perfectly matches with Giacomo Puccini’s ‘O mio babbino caro’ from Gianni Schicchi.
The aria in which Lauretta pleads with her father to let her marry Rinuccio is a true gem, and a perfect example of Puccini’s artful characterization. Fatma Said combines this masterpiece en miniature, one of the best known operatic arias there is, with ‘Aksamtu Bismik ya belady’ by Mohammed Abdel Wahab. The famous Egyptian singer and composer, who lived until 1991, started a new era in the music of his homeland. He also wrote the melody of the national anthem of the United Arab Emirates. After these vocal fireworks, the programme conducted by Felix Korobov turns to ‘Sheherazade’ by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov, popular for its use of exuberant orchestral colours and vivid melodic inventions, and flavoured with oriental harmonies and a rhythmic vitality which is absolutely outstanding within the context of 19th-century music.
arr. by J. Whitbourn
Graduated from The Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatoire in two disciplines: cello (Professor M. Tchaikovskaya’s class) and opera and symphony conducting (Professor V. Sinaissky’s class). He continued his postgraduate studies in string ensemble (Professor A. Shilov’s class). Most outstanding professors of the Moscow Conservatory like T. Gaidamovich, A. Bonduryansky, R. Davidyan, K.Khachaturyan were among his teachers.
Mr Korobov started his career as a conductor in the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia. For three seasons he was Principal Conductor in two major opera theatres of Moscow - the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre and the Kolobov New Opera Theatre where he directed Norma, The Tsar’s Bride and others.
Since September 2004 Mr. Korobov has devoted himself solely to the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich- Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre. He has been working as music director and conductor of the performances: Aida (G. Verdi); Werther (J. Massenet); War and Peace (S. Prokofiev); Hamlet (Prince of Denmark) (Russian) Comedy (V. Kobekin); Eugene Onegin (P. Tchaikovsky); Cinderella (S. Prokofiev); L'Italiana in Algeri (G. Rossini); The Stone Flower (S. Prokofiev); Cafe Socrate (D. Milhaud, E. Satie); May Night (N. Rimsky-Korsakov); Petite Mort/Sechs Tanze (to the music by W.A. Mozart); Manon (J. Massenet); Naples (music by E. Helsted and H. S. Paulli, Niels W. Gade, H.C. Lumbye); The Little Mermaid (L. Auerbach), La forza del destino (G. Verdi); Tatiana (L. Auerbach); La Traviata (G. Verdi), Medea (L. Cherubini). He has collaborated with such renowned choreographers as John Neumeier in The Seagull, Little Mermaid and Tatiana, Oleg Vinogradov in Cinderella and Yuri Grigorovich in The Stone Flower. Mr. Korobov conducts thirty operas in Moscow theatres on a regular basis, including five operas by Rimsky-Korsakov, The Queen of Spades, Madama Butterfly etc.
He often tours both as conductor and cellist. He has worked with symphony orchestras in Russia, Germany, Finland, Italy, the Philippines etc.
He is a Principal Guest Conductor at the Saint-Petersburg Camerata orchestra of the State Hermitage Museum headed by S.Sondeckis. Besides, he is Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Chamber orchestra at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory.
Since October 2017 Mr. Korobov has started the cooperation with Teatro alla Scala ("Onegin" 2017, "Manon" 2018, "The Sleeping Beauty" 2019, "Balanchine / Kylián / Béjart" 2019, "Onegin" 2019) .
Egyptian soprano Fatma Said is one of the most exciting young artists of her generation. Hailed by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as “a discovery”, Fatma has not only distinguished herself in opera houses and on concert stages, but also in a humanitarian capacity, regularly representing her home country as an ambassador for culture and education.
In 2016, Fatma made her sensational role debut at Teatro alla Scala as Pamina in Peter Stein’s critically acclaimed new production of Die Zauberflöte, conducted by Adam Fischer. The production, in which Fatma was described as “luminous”, “warm and mature” and full of “incredible depth”, was broadcast by ARTE and has since been released on DVD.
Fatma will begin her exciting 2021-22 season with a gala concert in Istanbul with Rolando Villazón, followed by recitals at the Schubertiade, Wigmore Hall, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, deSingel Antwerp and DeutschlandFunk Cologne. Fatma will also appear in concert with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Le Concert Spirituel, DSO Berlin and Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo. Fatma ends her busy season with a debut at the Opéra de Rouen as Pamina and Zerlina Don Giovanni at the Verbier Festival.
Fatma has established a reputation as an extraordinarily gifted musician and was previously a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist. In 2019, Fatma became an exclusive Warner recording artist. The 2019/20 season saw performances of Mahler 4 with Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Fauré Requiem with Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and performances as Pamina in China with the Teatro alla Scala. Highlights of Fatma’s 2020/21 season included concert appearances with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo and the Orchestre national de France, a gala concert for Rolex with Sonya Yoncheva at the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, and recitals at Wigmore Hall, Leeds Lieder and the Victoria de los Ángeles Festival Barcelona. Fatma was recently named BBC Music Magazine’s Newcomer of the Year, in addition to winning the Vocal Award for her critically acclaimed debut album with Warner Classics, El Nour.
Previous highlights include Mozart Requiem at the BBC Proms under Nathalie Stutzmann, Die Schöpfung and a recording of Mahler 8 with Adam Fischer at Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Strauss lieder with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, plus Suor Angelica with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Andris Nelsons and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra under Omer Meir Wellber. Fatma has also given recitals in Perth, Dresden, Bonn and Mallorca, concerts in Lucerne, Vienna and Salzburg with Rolando Villazón, and gala concerts at The United Nations in Geneva and in Muscat with Juan Diego Flórez. Fatma also appeared as L’Amour in the new John Fulljame/Hofesh Schechter Orphée et Eurydice at Teatro alla Scala, in addition to making her debut at the Salzburg MozartWoche in a production of Mozart’s T.H.A.M.O.S by La Fura del Baus.
Fatma is an alumna of the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler and the prestigious Accademia del Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where she was the first Egyptian to ever have debuted at the house. Fatma represented Egypt twice at the United Nations to highlight children’s right to education and dignity through music and was part of the 2018 “Silk Road Concert” at the Temple of Luxor. In 2016, Fatma Said received an honorary award from Egypt's National Council for Women and was singled out for one of Egypt’s highest accolades during the first National Youth Convention: she became the first opera singer ever to be awarded the state’s Creativity Award for her outstanding artistic achievement on an international level.
The Russian National Orchestra was founded in 1990 by pianist and conductor Mikhail Pletnev. Of its debut at the BBC Proms in London, the Evening Standard wrote, 'They played with such captivating beauty that the audience gave an involuntary sigh of pleasure.' The RNO has been described as 'a living symbol of the best in Russian art' (Miami Herald) and 'as close to perfect as one could hope for' (Trinity Mirror).
Maintaining an active international schedule, the RNO appears in the music capitals of Europe, Asia and the Americas, is a frequent guest at festivals such as Edinburgh, the BBC Proms and Festival Napa Valley, and presents the RNO Grand Festival each September to open the Moscow season.
RNO concerts are often aired on National Public Radio, the European Broadcasting Union, and Russia’s Kultura channel. Their discography, launched with a highly praised 1991 recording of Tchaikovsky's Pathétique, now numbers more than 80 critically acclaimed recordings. Notable releases include the complete Beethoven symphonies and piano concertos on Deutsche Grammophon, Tchaikovsky’s six symphonies for Pentatone, and the RNO Shostakovich project, also on Pentatone, cited as “the most exciting cycle of the Shostakovich symphonies to be put down on disc, and easily the best recorded” (SACD.net).
Their recording of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf and Beintus' Wolf Tracks, conducted by Kent Nagano and narrated by Sophia Loren, Bill Clinton and Mikhail Gorbachev, received a 2004 Grammy Award, making the RNO the first Russian orchestra to win the recording industry's highest honor. Their recording of Shostakovich Symphony No. 7, conducted by Paavo Järvi, was awarded the Diapason d’Or de l’Année 2015 as the year's best symphonic album, and was nominated for a 2016 Grammy Award.
