MUSIC REVIEW : Finesse Under Pressure : Brown Leads L.A. Chamber Orchestra in a Trying Concert

Professionals, some sage once observed, are people who can do it even when they don’t feel like it.

At Ambassador Auditorium on Thursday, Iona Brown and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra proved most emphatically that they are professionals.

Even under normal conditions, this might have been a difficult evening for Brown, who has served as music director since 1987. The management of the orchestra had announced just last week that her contract would not be renewed, and that her duties--or unreasonable facsimiles thereof--would be assumed in 1992 by the German conductor Christof Perick.

It seems unlikely, however, that the imminent changing of the directorial guard was foremost on anyone’s mind on this occasion. War was a reality. Missiles had begun to explode in the Middle East.

Although one saw patches of empty seats in the hall, a surprisingly large audience did turn up to hear a typically sophisticated, potentially provocative program of Handel, Vivaldi, Stravinsky and Schubert. Brown looked grave as she took the microphone at the outset.

“We would like to play an especially beautiful concert tonight,” she said quietly. Her voice choking, she requested “a moment for thoughts and prayers” for those actively engaged “in this tragic conflict . . . and for the innocent victims.”

The audience rose. Brown fought to regain her composure. The moment of silence seemed to go on forever.

Then it was concert time. Even more subdued than usual, Brown led the orchestra from the first violinist’s chair. She offered cues only when absolutely necessary, with a bob of the head or a wave of her bow. Essentially, she seemed intent on playing with her colleagues rather than aggressively leading them.

Sometimes in the past, her insistance on double duty in the authentic baroque manner threatened to be more hindrance than help. Not this time.

The string orchestra--which, incidentally, enlisted only six men--played for her with extraordinary cohesion, with subtlety of inflection and unanimity of spirit. The dedication was obvious.

Handel’s G-minor Concerto Grosso, Opus 6, No. 6, was dispatched with festive allure, even a touch of theatrical bravura. Vivaldi’s D-minor Concerto for viola d’amore, F. II, No. 4, served as a stylish if somewhat pedantic showcase for Roland Kato, principal violist of the orchestra. Stravinsky’s Concerto in D buzzed and chugged with finely muted elegance, and energy to match.

The piece de resistance came after intermission in Mahler’s transcription of Schubert’s quartet, “Der Tod und das Madchen.” Here, Brown managed to define and sustain the delicate balance between grace and pathos. She made the enlargement seem perfectly apt and, more important, perfectly intimate.

It will be interesting to see if intimacy remains a hallmark of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra under the new regime. Perick has no special credentials as a chamber-music expert. His expertise involves large-scale endeavors: symphony and opera.

He will bring with him good connections with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Music Center Opera. He may provide a useful name on record covers. Still, there must be more to his unexpected selection.

Perick has the obvious advantage of a podium presence. He looks authoritative in the romantic tradition. He stands up front. He waves a baton. He can make dramatic gestures.

Our audiences like heroes to tower above their mortal cohorts. Our stars aren’t supposed to be part of the gang. Brown may have been too democratic in her artistic instincts to assure the survival that comes with mass appeal.

Under Perick, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra no doubt will be a more conventional ensemble. Probably it will be more versatile.

It won’t necessarily be better.