The concert opened with its most obscure work, the lovely Vistas al mar—beautifully played here—by the Catalan composer Eduardo Toldrá, originally for string quartet and later rescored for string orchestra. Pianist Javier Perianes joined the musicians for an exquisite account of the luscious, too rarely played, Nights in the Gardens of Spain, an Impressionist piece by the remarkable Manuel de Falla. The soloist rewarded the audience’s enthusiasm with a splendid encore, de Falla’s Serenata andaluza.

 

The second half of the program opened with another neglected work, a lucid performance of the enchanting The Bullfighter’s Prayer, by Joaquín Turina, originally scored for lute quartet and also later arranged for string orchestra. The flamenco singer Marina Heredia then took the stage for a captivating rendition of the de Falla masterwork, El amor brujo, usually vocalized by a classical mezzo-soprano — I would have preferred this as the soloist sounded underpowered in this grand hall. In response to the warm ovation, Heredia graciously returned to perform the traditional flamenco song, "De antaño”.