The massive orchestration of Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé under the direction of Jun Märkl takes France to center stage, but the spotlight is shared with Gil Shaham playing one of Saint-Georges’ Violin Concertos. Saint-Georges was the first classical composer of African ancestry, a contemporary of Mozart, and a highly regarded musical figure in pre-Revolutionary Paris. France couldn’t escape the influences of their neighboring country, so Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy borrows some of the best-loved melodies from French composer Bizet’s timeless masterpiece.