MUSIC REVIEWS : Yehuda Gilad Conducts Santa Monica Symphony

Founded in 1945, the Santa Monica Symphony is one of the better, as well as one of the longer-lived, local community orchestras; and conductor Yehuda Gilad, now in his eighth season with the ensemble, has proved a knowledgeable, skilled interpreter. Still, the results Sunday at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium were disappointing.

Gilad gave an emotionally underpowered account of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, failing to capitalize on tension and strong emotional conflicts. At his best, he offered a hushed, moody slow movement and a suave waltz but, at worse, he let complex musical ideas happen independently, almost disconnectedly.

The orchestra played securely, though the brass seemed restrained and the strings thin.

Bach’s Concerto for violin and oboe was marred for other reasons. The soloists--concertmaster Dorothy Wade and principal oboe Kimaree Titmus--took different approaches. Wade’s was a more romanticized style, with warm, cushy tone and shaped lines. Titmus’ was a drier, more authentic period style--plain, uninflected lines with even dynamics. The accompanying forces, reduced to 28 players, seemed divided between the two and proved somewhat muddied.

Gilad opened the program with a leisurely “Sunrise” and a moderate-size “Cloudburst” from Grofe’s “Grand Canyon Suite.”