Music and Dance : Yoav Talmi Begins San Diego Reign

It wasn’t just another opening--though it did sound like just another show--for the San Diego Symphony.

The orchestra was still recovering from nearly fatal financial and artistic crises Friday night. Nevertheless, the San Diegans began their 63rd season amid self-congratulatory speeches, searchlights, celebratory dindins, Champagne receptions and a welcome air of optimism.

At least the chronic real-estate woes had been cured. The renovated movie palace previously known as Symphony Hall had become Copley Symphony Hall, in recognition of a $2.5-million gift from newspaper publisher Helen K. Copley. Four local banks, moreover, had agreed to forgive the remainder of a $4.3-million debt on the 2,255-seat hall.

Although he had been a frequent guest in the past, Yoav Talmi assumed the official title of music director on this occasion. He is scheduled to lead nine more programs during the 24-week season.

The promising Israeli maestro wrote a spiffy antiphonal brass fanfare to inaugurate the festivities. Before the concert could begin, the orchestra manager asked Talmi’s wife and children to stand and take a bow from their seats in the balcony, to the apparent delight of the large though non-capacity audience. It was that sort of party.

A huge program credit, not incidentally, acknowledged the “generous support of Dr. Judson and Rachel Grosvenor for their sponsorship of Music Director Yoav Talmi.” Conductors now function officially as commercial commodities. To this we’ve come.

The piano soloist for the gala event was to have been Andre Watts. When a strained neck muscle reportedly caused his cancellation, Horacio Guttierez was engaged as stellar replacement. Unaccustomed to dealing with an artistic boss, the hasty management neglected to consult Talmi regarding the substitution. Luckily, Guttierez seemed to meet with the maestro’s approval.

The maestro, for his part, paid San Diego no compliments as regards his perception of subscriber sophistication. He selected a lazy inaugural program devoted exclusively to instant potboilers from everybody’s Greatest Hits list.

The concert began with the overture to Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino,” in a thoughtful but overly manicured performance that ignored the vocal characteristics of the operatic quotations. The evening ended with a brisk yet deftly balanced, slightly fussy yet ultimately climactic performance of Brahms’ First Symphony.

The best came in the middle. Guttierez--who will open the Los Angeles Philharmonic season next week with Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto--played the same composer’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with splendid poise, nonchalant brio and staggering power. He sustained crisp yet fluid articulation even in the most convoluted passage work. He also demonstrated the virtue of tasteful restraint, savoring the lyricism of the 18th (“Story of Three Loves”) variation without drowning the sentiment in honey.

Talmi and the reconstituted orchestra provided sensitive support. The ensemble playing turned out to be somewhat untidy, however, in the Verdi and Brahms. Sonic textures were further blemished by harsh brass and scrawny strings.

The brave new music director faces some interesting challenges in Copley Hall.