“Transforming a generic-sounding program titled “Impressions of France and Spain,” conductor Fabien Gabel captivated in works of Ravel, de Falla, and Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3, with which soloist Simone Lamsma won everyone’s heart.
First was a deft reading of Ravel’s “Alborada del gracioso” (Dawn Song of the Jester), the composer’s Spanish scherzo, an orchestrated movement from his Miroirs for piano. Gabel seemed to discharge electric current, sustaining a sense of tension — if not danger — throughout.
Daphnis and Chloé’s final fifteen minutes (the exciting bits), which Ravel labeled Suite No. 2, made for a satisfying conclusion. The splendor of the score saturated the night air and reminded everyone of the composer’s supreme abilities as an orchestrator. Gabel coaxed sultry sensuality from the strings, arresting color and precision from the winds and brass.”
-Kevin McLaughlin, for Cleveland Cleveland Classical