"The concert, led by guest conductor Fabien Gabel, opened with a decisive performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”) featuring pianist Louis Schwizgebel...

The program’s second half opened with a brash, splashy performance of Bernstein’s “Fancy Free,” capturing its musical essence. Swing rhythms, colorful brass lines, brief night-clubby piano solos, and a general air of musical abandon amid rhythmic precision were part of the mix...

French composer Florent Schmitt’s moody “Reves” ("Dreams") reminded the audience about a composer we should all stop forgetting. This fluid, engrossing piece—part programmatic and part cinematic—stirred the imagination. Gabel and the MSO created a huge palate of colors and effects.

The program ended with Maurice Ravel’s jazz-age homage to the Viennese waltz, “La Valse.” Gabel and the orchestra created the musical pull of a well-played waltz, filling it with wonderfully articulate musical dialogues and fine section and solo playing."