This star of the international conducting circuit has such a keen feel for dramatic flair, it hardly matters what music he chooses to play. Whether he's leading classics by Strauss or Beethoven or modernist touchstones like Messiaen's opera about St. Francis of Assisi, Nagano has a sly way of building to tremendous climaxes. When leading ensembles like the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra or the LA Opera, he often steers clear of obvious interpretations, the better to find his own powerful path through classical music's touchstones.