MUSIC REVIEW : Litton Conducts Gershwin at Bowl

Without demonstrating any particular sensitivity or insight into the jazz idioms, Andrew Litton led the Los Angeles Philharmonic in two Gershwin staples over the weekend at the Hollywood Bowl.

Four-square and dull were his interpretations of “Rhapsody in Blue” and “An American in Paris.”

For “Rhapsody,” which he led from the piano, he reduced the orchestral forces to approximate the original 1924 jazz band version. The logic of using about 30 instrumentalists in a 17,000-plus-seat facility was shaky, but the main lack was in failing to capitalize on such light scoring to highlight and encourage individual expressivity.

All the soloists, beginning with the clarinetist who minimally squeezed out the famous opening glissando, offered similarly surface, uninflected interpretations, devoid of personal voice.

In his own bravura solos, Litton was always clean, clear and crisp, but, unfortunately, he played them as if they were merely etudes. On Friday too, the piano, miked too closely, sounded unyielding and hard. The orchestra sounded distant and boxy.

In “American in Paris,” notwithstanding an occasional hop and jump on the podium, Litton failed to elicit the nervous energy and electricity in the score and had virtually no success in creating a sense of unfolding episodes or colliding characters. His sense of interpretation seemed limited to signaling the coming of big statements by slowing down the tempo. His overall approach seemed less akin to ‘20s hot jazz style than to later easy-listening dance bands.

The solo trumpet was straightforward, with few bluesy slides. The big tune failed to bloom.

The Philharmonic responded dully and dutifully throughout the evening, with the brass section particularly subdued, although possibly the amplification system contributed to the problem.

Mel Torme and George Shearing completed the program with a set of Gershwin songs.

Attendance: 16,835 on Friday; 17,669 on Saturday.