Diana Damrau has wowed New York in three roles at the Metropolitan Opera — and, on Wednesday night, we got to hear her in recital. The venue was Weill Recital Hall, the pretty little space upstairs at Carnegie. We should enjoy this starry German soprano in such intimate quarters while we can. Before we know it, she may be singing in stadiums.

At Weill, she sang a mixed program, with no “theme” — oh happy day. She did not sing 20 songs about willow trees, or a program of music by left-handed Hispanics. It was just — just! — an appealing mixture of very good songs. Only musicologists and writers of program notes could be displeased. Before she started to sing, Ms. Damrau said she had a “little speech” to give, and she apologized for it: She was not feeling “100 percent,” and had to change the program a bit. Instead of beginning with her planned Liszt set, she would sing something less taxing (apparently): a Schumann group, including the famous songs “Widmung” and “Der Nussbaum.”

By the way, she had sheet music with her for the Schumann, and she would have music with her for the rest of the program, too. This is unusual in a voice recital, but she consulted that music rarely.

The first song was “Widmung,” and, true to her word, Ms. Damrau did not sound like herself in it. But she sang the song intelligently, with just the right amount of emotion: It was not too operatic, not too reticent. As she continued with her Schumann, she sounded more like herself, and her cries of joy were utterly Damrau-esque. “Der Nussbaum,” she rendered tenderly and sweetly.

She next sang Samuel Barber, but not in English — these were the “Mélodies passagères,” texts by Rilke (working in his alternative language). Barber is an Impressionist here, and when Rilke writes, “A swan moves over the water,” Barber has the piano express exactly this image (or close to “exactly”). Ms. Damrau’s accompanist, Stephan Matthias Lademann, played adequately.

The soprano would have been better in this set if she had had more of her silkiness available. She was also missing her tonal evenness. But remember that Ms. Damrau has established a very high standard — and even below that standard, she is a winning singer.

She closed the first half of her program with Rachmaninoff, four of his most famous songs, songs that her voice — and her whole being —should eat up. She did a good enough job with them. Some raspiness intruded, and she broke just a little on an otherwise great B. In “How Fair This Spot,” more energy and gladness from Mr. Lademann would have helped; and “Spring Waters” needed much more rhapsody and ecstasy from him.

After intermission, it was Berg’s “Seven Early Songs,” which Ms. Damrau sang straightforwardly and effectively. If she was not at her vocal best, she was at her mental best. “Die Nachtigall” was unusually big, and thrilling (not a word I have ever applied to that wonderful song). And here is an example of Ms. Damrau’s interpretive smarts: The final song of the set, “Sommertage,” ends with the words “und dich ganz erfüllt” — “and fills you entirely.” Ms. Damrau sang the phrase just this way, fillingly.

Ever heard Alexander Zemlinsky’s “Waltz Songs”? They are rare, and full of charm and grace. If you want charm and grace, Diana Damrau is your singer — and she delivered those qualities in spades. In one song, “Ich gehe des Nachts” — not charming and graceful, as it happens — this very high soprano showed a remarkable lower register. Were those notes abetted by a cold?

Ms. Damrau closed her printed program with a group by her beloved Richard Strauss — but first she announced that she would not sing the scheduled last song, “Amor,” that stratospheric, glittery thing. Given her condition, none of us would enjoy it (or so she said).

The other songs, she handled very nicely. “Schlagende Herzen” was giddy, delicious, and irresistible. “Ständchen” began in an interesting, unaccustomed quiet way. There was a speck of bad intonation in this song, which only reminded us that Ms. Damrau had basically not committed any all evening long. In “Muttertändelei,” she was adorable — positively adorable.

Ms. Damrau has adorability, yes, and charisma — the special ingredient of all really successful performers. Moreover, she is an unusual and much-to-be-prized type: the approachable glamour girl. Audiences love her, clutch her to their breasts, and they are quite right.

Worn as she must have been, she came out for an encore, and it was perhaps the most popular encore of all, among lieder: Strauss’s “Zueignung.” Ms. Damrau sang it more introspectively than we are used to hearing, and this was pleasing. Then she appeared for another encore, saying, “Okay, I risk it” — and she sang “Amor,” pretty darn well.

“One more encore: Brahms’s lullaby, after which the audience trailed out, sighing.”