The athletic ballet displayed by hotshot Italian conductor Nicola Luisotti and incomparable American violinist Joshua Bell set the tone for Wednesday’s exceptional Festival del Sole concert at Yountville’s Lincoln Theater.

In unfolding the lyric Prokofiev “Concerto No. 1 in D for Violin and Orchestra” with the dynamic Russian National Orchestra, the two young men played off one another in an artistic manner usually reserved for the ballet stage.

This unique pas de deux played out as conductor sculpted the score by throwing his entire body into the effort. Luisotti encouraged, mugged, prayed, sang (sotto voce, of course) and often stretched his hands from podium to orchestra as if trying to extract additional sound from the players.

The hard-working orchestra responded in kind, as did the soloist. Bell was nearly as animated as Luisotti — up on his toes, throwing his shoulders into the bowing in workmanlike fashion, tossing his head and hair as if some notes had become entangled. And he cut quite a figure in the spotlight, attired in satin-placketed and cuffed black shirt and razor-sharp creased black slacks. He was as dashing in appearance as in mien.

Here were two incredible talents seemingly making new music on the spot, as if they could improve on the score that took Serge Prokofiev eight years to write.

Employing a measure of emotional restraint as well as brilliant tone, jaw-dropping technique, flawlessly centered intonation and exquisitely beautiful phrasing, Joshua Bell offered yet another memorable performance in wine country. His sparkling account conveyed the music’s mercurial shifts of color and mood and turned wonderfully evocative in the ethereal passages. The backing of Luisotti and the Russian National Orchestra proved quite ravishing, an exceptional maestro working with outstanding musicians who seemed to anticipate every inflection the soloist was creating.

A Prokofiev feast

The lion’s share of the program belonged to one of Russia’s leading cultural figures, Serge Prokofiev. In 20th century music, Prokofiev holds a solitary place. It is difficult to mark him with a neat and tidy label. His music is precise, formal, often cynical and always cool and astringent. We admire this master craftsman at work, even tough some of his efforts are unaffecting. He may not touch our hearts even though he most assuredly appeals to our intellect.

Wednesday night’s program featured a vivid reading of Prokofiev’s loftily heroic “Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major.” This is pre-purge Prokofiev from 1944, before the commissars were breathing down his neck. It’s a powerful, solidly constructed work that was immensely popular during the composer’s lifetime and continues a staple of the repertoire today.

Whether begging or browbeating, uplifting or upbraiding, Luisotti’s shaping of this work — which at times reflects the anguish of war — with his most responsive orchestra gave just the right glitter and hardness to the score that made it truly convincing.

Marked by spontaneity and an unexpected emotional force, Luisotti and the Russians turned in a truly spirited performance, the strings especially notable for their silky smoothness and deep, rich warmth, the brass and percussion simply glorious. For some 45 minutes, we were transfixed, swept up in this song of praise of free and happy mankind. From shimmering pizzicati in the opening passages to the go-for-broke finale, this was a definitive Prokofiev Fifth.

The Prokofiev wasn’t the only concerto on Wednesday night’s program. Camille Saint-Saëns’ first cello concerto in A Minor is somewhat different than others in the repertoire because it contains only one movement. This one movement is a fuse of three somewhat distinctive segments linked to each other through clever transitions.

Although Saint-Saëns knew the cello quite well, and wrote highly professional cello music, this concerto can become rather tiresome.

However, cellist Nina Kotova, Festival del Sole artistic director, took the work’s technical hurdles in effortless stride and was very well supported by Luisotti and the Russian National Orchestra. Even the normally sober Kotova couldn’t resist Luisotti’s conducting charms — she smiled. Perhaps the opening was a bit tight, nevertheless the performance was an enjoyable one.

Considering Luisotti’s body-movement conducting style, a decision to open with music from a ballet score seemed quite appropriate.

Italian composer Marco Tutino — who was in the audience the other evening — wrote a ballet score based on the murderous Shakespearean king, Richard III. As cellos signaled underlying danger in the king’s court while violins and harp did their best to mask it, the dramatic ballet music from “Scene Terza” limned the Shakespeare drama. However, with Luisotti the only “dancer” on stage, this work for ballet did eventually seem a mite repetitive and long.