اقتباس:AlBaalbakiya (Baalbeck 1961)  

The Plot:

"Baalbeck was destroyed and the gods are going to leave.
On the steps, there lies the tale of a departure and the story of the Baalbakiya."  
As they are leaving, they want to take the Baalbakiya whose voice is enchanting in order to have something from the land. They offer to let her sing in their high and beautiful palaces. But the people of Baalbeck want her to stay, and they ask the gods to leave her with them. The Baalbakiya decides to stay. Then the gods ask her to keep singing and they leave.  
Quick Notes:
While the the story could have been developed into an entire play, the Rahbani Brothers opted to use it as a premise to present their songs. It contains no dialogue and the story is told through the first couple of songs and some narrated text. The booklet contains no information but it's safe to say that the first twelve tracks are of AlBaalbakiya while the other twelve are of Return of the Soldiers. The play itself is great to listen to, I only wish they would have wrote more on the gods and the destruction of Baalbeck, and that how it started is how it would have ended. Maybe I should start a petition demanding a prequel!



The Credits:
Fairuz ... Albaalbakiya
Nasri Shameseddine ... Annatour
Assy/Mansour (?) Rahbani ... Narrator
Written by the Rahbani Brothers execpet for:
Music of Kam Banafsaj by Philemon Wehbe and words of Karm Al Alali by Michel Trad  

The Album Tracks:
1. Rahil ...
2. Baalbeck: Ana Chamaa Ala Drajek
3. Rahou
4. Raksa Min Jadid
5. Annatour
6. Ya Zarif Attoul
7. Kam Banafsaj
8. Karm Al Alali
9. Chetti A Haqla
10. Laweyn Rayhine
11. Tela Azziraine
12. Medwiye