Concert Guests Mix Bubbly, Chitchat : Music: Flutes of champagne followed the <i> Angst</i> of Mahler after the Orange County Philharmonic Society season opener.

Party Scene

Two softly lit banquet rooms in the Center Club--the VIP hangout a few steps from the front doors of the Performing Arts Center--were filled with Orange County Philharmonic Society members and their friends Friday night following the season-opening concert hosted by OCPS. A harpist plucked easy-listening tunes. Servers brought flutes of champagne and Chardonnay. Bite-size buffet offerings included cheeses, fresh fruit and miniature French pastries. With their little plates and frequently refilled glasses in hand, half of the arts patrons took seats at white-clothed tables while the others opted to stand and mix. Point Counterpoint

It was late, but the patrons were lively--especially when discussing the Schumann and Mahler pieces performed that night by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. “Fantastic,” proclaimed Lucia Van Ruiten, who shared the concert and her table at the party with her brother-in-law, James Helfrich. (Van Ruiten and Helfrich waited in vain for the arrival of their “dear friend,” Concertgebouw principal cellist Godfried Hoogeveen. “He wasn’t invited!” said Helfrich, amazed, after leaving the party to search for Hoogeveen--and finding him in his hotel room. “That’s crazy! The musicians are always the most fun at a party.”) Meredith and Lyman Porter reported that they “loved the Schumann, but the Mahler was a little . . . long for us.” Phyllis and Dan Chiles loved the Mahler, but admitted it was “very heavy. I think for the casual concert-goer it was probably a bit tedious,” Dan said. It was tough sledding even for Joann Halvajian, whose husband is the chairman of the OCPS board of directors. “I love this orchestra, and I love Mahler,” said Halvajian, “but I wouldn’t have chosen that piece for the opening night. It’s very ponderous.” James Hanshumaker--a professor of music at USC who provided a preconcert explication of the program--agreed, in a way. “You have to be a Mahlerite to appreciate what they did tonight,” he said. “Mahler is very deep, dark, Angst -filled--very sophisticated. And that piece is the most sophisticated of all Mahler. I’m actually quite surprised they performed it here. It’s the kind of program they will love in New York.” And finally, a word from Erich Vollmer, OCPS executive director: “I knew I was taking a gamble with this program. It’s a little bit introspective, a little bit tougher than usual. (But) this orchestra is so synonymous with Mahler--to have them here and not take the Mahler would be like going to Vienna and not eating pastry.” Who Was There

Conductor Riccardo Chailly stepped into the banquet rooms early in the party--only to be battered with photo flashes and surrounded by schmoozers. He soon fled. Soloists Jard Van Nes and Goesta Winbergh mingled awhile longer. Also seen were Pat and Dick Allen, Nancy and Frank Posch, Petrina and Jerry Friede, Cindy and Bob Searles and Laila and William Conlin. Quote

Asked their thoughts on the program, Linda and Stephen Wagner said that although they couldn’t remember the names of the composers whose work was performed, they enjoyed the evening. “I’m not that big on knowing that much about (classical music),” said Linda, “but I know what I like. It’s like good champagne--if you like it you like it.”