MUSIC REVIEW : Richman Conducts His First Complete Pacific Symphony Concert

Though he is about to enter his second season with the Pacific Symphony, assistant conductor Lucas Richman only got to conduct his first full-length concert with the orchestra on Saturday, at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre.

And the Spanish-flavored program--works by Rimsky-Korsakov, Rodrigo, Turina, Copland and Ravel--gave rise to cautious optimism more than unbridled enthusiasm about the 25-year-old conductor.

Richman looked comfortable with the orchestra, and the musicians appeared to show him support and respect. He knew his music. But the program--weighty with complex rhythms and dependent upon orchestral color--did not emphasize his strengths.

Richman showed no genius for incisive rhythms and attack and tended to soften and blur contours by conducting in large, broad beats and generalized phrases.

Best were Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Capriccio Espagnole” and parts of Copland’s “El Salon Mexico.” But Turina’s “Danzas Fantasticas” lacked profile. Ravel’s “Bolero,” plagued by intonation problems by a substitute horn player and a mismatched variety of approaches from the soloists, proved monotonous for all the wrong reasons.

Richman did prove a game accompanist for guitarist Angel Romero in Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez.” Dressed in a summer tuxedo instead of the turtleneck sweater he often sports at concerts, Romero was a bit of a puzzle. There was no question of his accomplished virtuosity. He played with speed, security, accuracy, brightness and flamboyant flourish.

Still, he approached the outer movements with steely, unyielding drive, and in the dreamy middle movement ventured nothing more than a kind of throwaway introspection. There was little caressing of phrases or exploitation of colors. It was as if one were eavesdropping on a flamenco virtuoso who would not reveal his or the composer’s deeper emotions.

There were problems in coordination between soloist and orchestra, and Richman was not above taffy-pull stretches of tempo. However, Leanne Becknell etched a poignant English horn solo, and the orchestra often demonstrated light, disciplined ensemble work.

The amplification system offered minimal distortion. Only the brass continues to sound tubby.

Official attendance: 5,674.