Overview Myths and legends are at the fore of a program headed by charismatic mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard and conductor Fabien Gabel. Ravel’s riveting, Russian-accented song cycle Shéhérazade abounds in sensuous modal melodies and dynamic drama that are sure to leave you as spellbound as Shéhérazade’s sultan. D’Indy’s vivid Istar , derived from Babylonian myth, celebrates the goddess of love and fertility, Istar, who strips herself naked to rescue her dead lover from hell. Based on a 19th-century German fairy tale about an empress who lacks both shadow and soul, Strauss’s surging single-movement Symphonic Fantasy on Die Frau ohne Schatten showcases what he called “the best parts” of his similarly titled opera.