Friday, February 29, 2008

ARABESQUE MUSIC ENSEMBLE"The Music of the Three Musketeers"Xauen

THE EXQUISITE NEW CD "The Music of the Three Musketeers" from the Arabesque Music Ensemble reclaims the material of a trio of songwriters who composed for Arabic music's greatest diva, Umm Kulthum. She first recorded these seven pieces -- the work of Muhammad al-Qasabji, Zakariyya Ahmad and Riyad al-Sunbati -- between 1931 and 1944.

Rather than compete with Kulthum's longing alto, still revered in the Arab world 33 years after the singer's death, Arabesque enlisted a male vocalist, 75-year-old Syrian Youssef Kassab. He isn't as theatrical as Kulthum, who could ecstatically prolong a single love ballad for an hour. The longest track, "Habibi Yessa'ed Awkatu," runs only 10 minutes, but that's enough time to display its spiraling melody, roundabout structure and yearning emotion. One representative title, "Leh Tilaw'ini," translates as "Why Do You Make Me Suffer So?" The lyric provides no answer, but the music does: because these songs twist and stretch sadness until it becomes a kind of joy.

-- Mark Jenkins

Appearing Saturday at Georgetown University's Gaston Hall (202-338-1958,http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/arabesquemusicensemble.html). Show starts at 7:30.