Five stars
Hilbert Circle Theatre; Sept. 25-27.

Could the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s second program be called quixotic? Yes, if the reference hearkens back to 16th-century Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes and his creation of Don Quixote (KeeHOteh) and the Man of La Mancha’s transformation by Richard Strauss into an enduring orchestral masterpiece. Last weekend’s ISO classical program saw music director Mario Venzago, three soloists, and a huge orchestra at their collective best in this ambitious Strauss tone poem from 1898 — two years after the composer’s Also sprach Zarathustra — which Venzago had conducted two weekends earlier. Principal cellist Arkady Orlovsky was supported by principal violist Michael Strauss and ISO concertmaster Zach De Pue for the prominent solo parts vying with an orchestra bent on mixing tender lyricism with shattering climaxes. Venzago had as much the measure of this work as he’s had with any piece he’s performed since arriving here in 2002. Both his conception and the players’ — and soloists’ — execution exuded perfection. All his interpretive nuances seemed right on target: They spoke in a way making Don Quixote seem a greater work than Strauss’ printed score might suggest. It climaxed an evening that offered the “Four Sea Interludes” from Benjamin Britten’s opera Peter Grimes and the Suite from Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, the latter including the overly familiar “Flight of the Bumblebee.”