With the sea to the West and the Orient to the East, Lebanon is located exactly where both worlds meet. A remarkable blend of these influences can be heard in this exploration of three generations of Lebanese music, from Toufic Succar’s classically carefree Variations and Georges Baz’s “commemoration of Impressionism”, via the uncompromising modernity of Boghos Gelalian’s turbulent Toccata and Houtaf Khoury’s Third Sonata that represents “life in a country where politics shatter every dream .” The emotional intensity of these pieces reflects both a unique national temperament and the dramatic times in which they were written.