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Michael’s primary instrument is the trumpet; Lucifer’s, the trombone; Eve’s, the basset horn.

Like that piece, its orchestration calls for basset horns and leans heavily on the lower strings, setting a richly somber tone that conjures an organ-like timbre.

His conducting and the orchestra’s playing conveyed audible delight at exploring a whole new corner of Mozart, complete with occasional deep-diving solos on the rarely used basset horn by clarinetist Stuart Clark.

It was his encounter with Anton Stadler — an instrument maker and virtuoso on both the clarinet and the deeper, more veiled-sounding basset horn — that inspired Mozart to write groundbreaking clarinet parts.

Mr. Benjamin’s rumbling, spectral and mysterious music, scored for an unusual ensemble including basset horns and a banjo, worked its magic in Sunday’s taut, intense concert performance.