Zigeunerwiesen

Warhorses, strong in staying power, are rarely noted also for finesse; and much the same is true of their musical counterparts. Lalo's Symphonie espagnole, however, is something of an exception by reason of its crystalline scoring and its grace; and this particular warhorse, now more than a century old, seems to be well into its second wind. It was written for the Spanish virtuoso Sarasate, whose own showily brilliant but superficial Zigeunerweisen here makes a logical, if all too short, coupling.