Spanish composers are MIA in a Spanish-themed program

Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos led the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a colorful Spanish-themed program -- which ironically included no music by Spanish composers -- Tuesday at the Hollywood Bowl.

The lineup listed Bizet, Lalo and Ravel, who were French, and Rimsky-Korsakov, who was Russian. At least Fruhbeck was a native. He brought an engaged attention to the opening set of excerpts from Bizet’s “Carmen” -- the Prelude to Act I, the three Entr’actes and, although it wasn’t listed in the program notes, the “Seguidilla.” The last was presumably added to end the set with a rhythmic snap rather than a fade-out.

There was no routine here, but rather alert and responsive phrasing and a series of wind solos that reveled in Bizet’s masterly orchestrations. Clarinetist Lorin Levee delighted with insouciant trills, and flutist Anne Zentner created a haunting night soundscape. As for the orchestra, few baritones make the “Toreador’s Song” as suave and seductive as it was played here.

Solos also helped make the performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Capriccio espagnol” vivid, bright and witty. Solo contributors included concertmaster Alexander Treger and again Levee’s perky clarinet.

The disappointment came with Lalo’s “Symphonie espagnole,” actually a violin concerto rather than a symphony. Kyoko Takezawa was the strong soloist, digging into a phrase with body English and then spinning out a long line.

But the performance sounded under-rehearsed. Takezawa and the orchestra seemed to be in different worlds, with tentative connection between the two. Both sounded better and more confident when they were essentially on their own.

Fruhbeck closed the program with Ravel’s “Bolero,” taking it a tempo too quick to induce a sinuous hypnotic spell. But the amplification allowed a clear hearing of the composer’s additive orchestration, even if audio engineers pumped up the snare-drum opening too loudly.