MUSIC REVIEW : Parkening in Slight Program at the Bowl

The Los Angeles Philharmonic management routinely ignores the guitar in its indoor ventures. The world is well-populated with hot, young guitarists and strong concerted vehicles--any of the Brouwer concertos, say, or the Arnold--that we know only through recordings.

Instead, almost annually the instrument is sacrificed in some form at Hollywood Bowl. Wednesday it was in the bland hands of Christopher Parkening, backed by members of the Philharmonic in a familiar and congenial--albeit oddly sorted--program.

The main problem, of course, is the amplification of the instrument, which is difficult enough in the most controlled circumstances. Here, only strummed chords and some bass projected reliably. The plunging scales in the “Concierto de Aranjuez,” for example, became articulate only when they reached the low E string.

Compound the poorly met balance challenge with interruptions--laughter from a parking lot party at several points, and a steady mechanical whine from the service area intruded on the best moments of the rapturous “Aranjuez” adagio--and frequently scrambled orchestral playing, and a long and underwhelming evening was set, although it mustered little over an hour of actual music.

Despite the travail, Parkening’s playing gained in confidence throughout the program. His unsteady contributions to Patrick Russ’ arrangement of Warlock’s “Capriol” Suite were audible mostly when they conflicted with the equally uncertain efforts of a small group of Philharmonic strings under David Alan Miller.

Parkening displayed more sheer determination than magic in the “Aranjuez” adagio, but he introduced a real measure of pertinent brio in the finale. In encore, he turned in buoyant accounts of the Sanz “Canarios” and Llobet’s arrangement of “El Noi de la Mare,” which he attributed to Segovia.

The orchestra for the occasion was “members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic,” this not being a regular service of the full band. The principal posts were occupied mostly by second and third chair players, with the famous English horn solo of the “Aranjuez” entrusted--with eloquent results--to Jane Green, who isn’t even on the Philharmonic roster.

On its own, Miller and this group gave a very brisk and serviceable account of the “Paris” Symphony, K. 297, of Mozart. Their reading of music from Falla’s “El Amor Brujo” had energy and sparkle whenever trumpeter Donald Green was playing, but otherwise proved dull and awkward, despite the massive dynamic contrasts Miller imposed.

Official attendence: 9,322.