MUSIC REVIEW : Pacific Symphony in Outdoor Beethoven Program : Positive aspects of concert at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre are compromised by decidedly unsubtle amplification system.

It is difficult not to watch Carl St. Clair when he is on the podium.

Visually, he is an engrossing presence, his movements bold outlines of his musical intentions and reactions. He gets his entire body involved, yet never does so with undue showmanship. He is among the most eager conductors one is likely to see.

Luckily, the members of the Pacific Symphony think so too. They seem especially alert whenever St. Clair conducts, as he did Saturday night at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in a familiar Beethoven program.

These positive impressions were compromised by the decidedly unsubtle amplification system at Irvine Meadows. It is not that the volume level seems unnaturally loud, though certainly it is. Rather, it is the quality of the sound, its brightness and edginess, its phony reverberation and lack of warmth.

Though there seemed to be few microphones on stage, the sound emitted was overdetailed--one heard bows drawing across strings, every little brass mishap in vivid close-up. And balances can be strange--very strange. Saturday, for instance, the second violins popped unexpectedly into prominent sonic view on many occasions.

St. Clair began the concert with a properly athletic, brisk and brave reading of the Overture to “Egmont.” He followed with the Triple Concerto, Opus 56, with a solid cast of soloists: Andres Cardenes and Anne Martindale Williams--concertmaster and principal cellist in the Pittsburgh Symphony, respectively--and the Boston-based pianist David Deveau.

They proved a technically confident, robust trio, each player attacking solos in a firm and forthright manner. Cardenes and Williams revealed an especially close collaboration, their duo passages--played precisely both in terms of rhythm and nuance--sounding like a single large instrument.

Visually, though not aurally, Deveau seemed removed, placed at the far right of the solo group with his back to the others. Why not the traditional piano-trio setup? Also, the miking reversed normal balance problems: one had trouble hearing the orchestra, not the soloists. Still, St. Clair & Co. were involved supporters and spirited in their own featured moments.

After intermission, St. Clair led an assured and energetic performance of the Seventh Symphony.

The orchestra proved most impressive in its responsiveness here, as it attended to the slight feints, jabs, coaxings and in-air sculptings of the conductor.