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Maryan Mozatich’s work for two harps and orchestra, “The Passion of Angels,” was commissioned by the CBC, and written specifically for the Edmonton Symphony’s two harpists, Nora Bumanis and Julia Shaw. They are tonight’s soloists, playing with the CBC Vancouver Orchestra, under Mario Bernardi.

How’s this for an exotic title?—“Blue as the Turquoise Night of Neyshabur.” Neyshabur, known for its turquoise, was one of the oldest cities on the Silk Road and produced many of Iran’s greatest poets, including Omar Kyayyam. Kayhan Kalhor, who wrote the work on commission for Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project, says he “wanted to highlight the distinct qualities of Persian classical music.” You’ll hear Yo-Yo’s cello, as well as Indian tabla, santur, ney, and kemancheh. The Silk Road Ensemble will perform live at Zankel Hall on September 18th and 19th, so check it out!

More from the Canadians, as we hear pianist Angela Cheng in Isaac Albeniz’s “Rapsodia española,” along with the Calgary Philharmonic under Hans Graf.

James Conlon and the Rotterdam Philharmonic bring us one of Debussy’s most beautiful, powerful, and stylistically mature compositions, “Le martyre de Saint-Sébastien.” Drawing the evening to a close: Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem, one of the mere ten works published by this self-critical perfectionist. Plainsong is the core of this work, around which swirl sensuous harmonies and refined scorings that express anguish, hope, spiritual struggle, and finally—tranquility.