Across the Arab world from the mid ’30s until the mid ’70s, Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum merged the magnetism of Elvis, the easy virtuosity of Ella Fitgerald, and the panache of Jackie O. It’s said that her voice could quiet bustling marketplaces from Algiers to Baghdad. The classic 1940s period of her career is now being excavated, and here the Arabesque ensemble brings the precision, polish, and bow ties usually reserved for Beethoven to the languid, sinewy lines and intricate percussion of these Egyptian neo-classical pieces. The focus is on three of the composers who contributed to Kulthum’s first wave of popularity, separating her from the pack by infusing her repertoire with upscale Western instruments, pious, florid poetry, and instrumental virtuosity. The works of Zakariyya Ahmad, Mohamed al-Qasabji, and Riyad al-Sunbati are reanimated with pristine contemporary production. But the cello, violin, oud, zither, and percussion also benefit from the experienced advice of master vocalist Youssef Kassab. It’s a performance powerful enough to transport you to another era.

Arabesque | Granoff Music Center, Tufts University, 20 Talbot Avenue, Somerville | March 4 | 617.627.2253

-- by Angela Sawyer