MUSIC REVIEW : Bernstein Birthday Feted at Bowl

Leonard Bernstein, the eternal enfante terrible, turned 70 Thursday. The man himself was in Tanglewood, celebrating with celebrities, but his music has been much with us at Hollywood Bowl. Last weekend the Los Angeles Philharmonic offered a sampler of Bernstein’s show music, and on Thursday a crowd of 9,036 heard his Second Symphony, “The Age of Anxiety.”

A programmatic interpretation of Auden’s poem of the same title, “The Age of Anxiety” is a musical morality play of sorts, preaching faith through neuroses. It is tough music, both for listeners and performers--a characteristic admixture of polyrhythmic jitters, Broadway sentiment, self-conscious nobility and jazz parodies.

It is also a piano concerto of considerable compass. The composer labeled it a Symphony for Piano and Orchestra, but his 1965 revision--adding new work for the soloist in the Finale--enhances its display potential at the expense of psycho-narrative consistency.

Thursday the protagonist was James Tocco, who is busy championing the work. He snapped off the bright and brittle jazzy hysteria of the Masque section with flair, but placed his emphasis on the brooding noodling that fills--and inflates--most of the piece. He lost some notes along the way, but merged his effort with its intricate orchestral shadows nicely.

Guiding the busy orchestra was Andrew Litton, a 28-year-old American now leading the Bournemouth Symphony. He presided with a sort of fussy determination, making details pertinent while leaving the whole unpersuasive.

The Philharmonic played stolidly, some apparent lapses in concentration notwithstanding. The many individual solos were urged more eagerly than the concerted work, which tended toward the raw and raucous at major climaxes.

After intermission, Litton allowed Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony to happen. It ran its buoyant course--truncated in this case, as Litton ignored all the big repeats--without hindrance from the conductor, but without much encouragement either, despite occasional broad gestures. The straightforward results proved sufficient for the moment, but no threat to memories of more distinctive performances.