Under the baton of Music Director Andrea Battistoni, the Orchestra del Teatro Regio plunges into a whirlwind of mystery and sensuality. The enveloping, exotic scents of Saint-Saëns’ Bacchanale give way to the tragic intensity of Berlioz, whose La Mort de Cléopâtre paints the supreme and fatal ecstasy of the Queen of Egypt — brought to life by the suave voice and breathtaking vocal virtuosity of mezzo-soprano Antoinette Dennefeld. The concert then transforms into a celebration of sweeping rhythms, featuring music from two ballets radiating Iberian passion: the three dances from Falla’s The Three-Cornered Hat, with their proud Andalusian spirit, and Ravel’s hypnotic and overwhelming Boléro.