MUSIC REVIEW : Buckley Conducts at Center With Poise, Energy and Balance

With the appointment of Carl St. Clair last month, the search for a music director for the Pacific Symphony came to an end before Richard Buckley could make his own scheduled bid for the job.

But when he finally made it to the Performing Arts Center Wednesday for a program of Haydn and Mahler, Buckley--former music director of the defunct Oakland Symphony and sometime visitor to the Southland--conducted like anything but an also-ran.

With a light, deft touch, he paid due attention to Haydn’s Sinfonia Concertante in B-flat, with a quartet of principals drawn from the orchestra. Post-intermission, he securely tackled Mahler’s sprawling traversal from funereal ceremonies to exultant celebrations of life in the Fifth Symphony.

Buckley captured the fresh, sunny poetry of Haydn with aristocratic poise, energy in reserve, well-judged balance among orchestral sections and lively attention to line.

Still, with his warm, detailed phrasing, concertmaster Endre Granat too easily dominated the other, rather self-effacing soloists--oboist Barbara Northcutt, bassoonist David Riddles and cellist Kevin Plunkett. (Plunkett has served as acting principal cellist of the orchestra since January. Designated principal Stephen Erdody has left the orchestra, along with principal second violinist Brian Denbow, to devote themselves full time to the Angeles Quartet.)

The monumental moods of Mahler found Buckley well prepared. From initial crisp, surging rhythms to towering points of tension, he knowingly steered between restraint and bombast.

He did not offer a soul-searching interpretation but an intelligent and informed one full of judicious choices and some remarkable moments. But he could also address Mahler with surprising leisure. In the famous Adagietto, instead of pursuing achingly ethereal visions, Buckley compensated with floating line. He also, however, demonstrated an unfortunate tendency to hobble tempo.

The orchestra responded with fervor. Although in major onslaughts the strings could sound underpowered and insufficiently rich in tone, the brass proved newly strong and secure.

Principal horn James Thatcher, trumpeter Burnette Dillon and trombonist William Booth made fine solo contributions. Among other worthy principals, clarinetist James Kanter drew particularly witty, folklike and poignant lines.