MUSIC REVIEWS : YOUTH SYMPHONY AT MUSIC CENTER

For an orchestra that seems to pride itself on producing a sound as brash and loud as any major professional ensemble, the American Youth Symphony proved most effective in the more introspective moments during the 18th annual AYS Benefit Concert at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Sunday.

Mehli Mehta chose two audience favorites by Tchaikovsky--the Piano Concerto No. 1 and Symphony No. 4--and vigorously drove his charges to deliver every hair-raising climax at full force. The collective spirit was willing, but. . . .

In the Symphony, discomforting passages of hesitancy in the strings surfaced all too frequently. Mehta was never able to achieve a proper balance between his strings and the powerful brass section. Ironically, the brilliant opening brass fanfare lacked the expected ominous snarl. The plucky string players fell short in producing a warm sound in the pizzicato Scherzo.

Naturally, when the final cymbal had crashed in the propulsive finale, the crowd stood and cheered. Yet, it was the quiet Andantino that proved more effective, more communicative, more balanced.

Before intermission, Jeffrey Siegel served as soloist in a full-throttle B-flat minor Concerto. For all their bravura, neither pianist nor conductor seemed to have a well-focused picture of just where the performance was heading.

This champion warhorse of a concerto can too easily become a puzzling, episodic patchwork of themes and semi-themes. The challenge is to bring an understated sense of logic and proportion to the music. Neither was in evidence in the outer movements, though the wistful longings of the muted Andantino did surface.

Siegel displayed ample virtuoso technique along with moments of introspection, managing to avoid over-pedaling--except in those treacherous octave passages. Mehta, meanwhile, allowed his orchestra to dominate the proceedings, once again providing an accompaniment of maximum energy and minimum sensitivity.