A sparkling account of Emmanuel Chabrier’s España Rhapsody opened last night’s Sydney Symphony Orchestra concert with festive joy. This year is David Robertson’s swan song season as Artistic Director, so he’s been pulling out all the stops, but yesterday was also his birthday, and to celebrate he was breaking out the musical bubbly – all of it French, naturally.

Susan Graham, David Robertson and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Photo © Vienna Fornolles

Robertson’s reading of España – inspired by Chabrier’s Spanish holiday in 1882 and establishing a vogue for Spanish flavours in the music of other French composers like Ravel and Debussy – was charming and effervescent, with just a hint of mystery. From the taut pizzicatos of the opening, to castanet-like bouncing bows and some brilliant sectional showcases – the quartet of bassoons, the trio of trombones – Robertson made sure this music was a party right to the cracking final chords.

Robertson ushered in a more intimate mood following the Chabrier, joined by American mezzo-soprano Susan Graham – a frequent collaborator with whom he celebrated a combined birthday in 2017 when Graham last joined the SSO for Mahler’s Third Symphony (her own...