MUSIC REVIEW : Familiar, Pleasurable Fare at Bowl

Is it one’s fervid critical imagination, or has the repertory at Hollywood Bowl this summer turned even more pops than usual?

Thursday night, the performance, under benign climatic conditions in Cahuenga Pass, became thoroughly enjoyable through the expertise and talents of the combined forces--the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conductor Eri Klas and soloist Lynn Harrell.

But the musical agenda held no unfamiliar items, not even sometimes neglected ones.

The 53-year-old conductor brought vigor and a clear sense of style to Verdi’s “Forza del Destino” Overture, Ravel’s “La Valse,” and the same composer’s brilliant orchestration of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.” Cellist Harrell revitalized Saint-Saens’ First Concerto with impeccable technique and songful restraint. Still, all these pieces remain chestnuts, even when nicely roasted.

That small complaint aside, the event, reportedly attended by an audience numbering 8,382, created pleasure consistently.

Klas gives the impression of knowing what he is about, and conveys his musical ideas efficiently and without grandstanding; his authority seems palpable, not least in the clear picture he presents on the podium.

For the most part, our orchestra played splendidly, a few ragged moments notwithstanding--as with most Bowl concerts, this one was prepared in a single rehearsal. In both the Verdi excerpt and “Pictures,” the many solo lines emerged solid and convincing.

In the context of virtuosity and affection created by Harrell, the performance of Saint-Saens’ A-minor Concerto became a fresh visit to a cherished spot in a shared musical past. Following the cellist’s impassioned rhetoric, Klas and the orchestra dug deep into the kaleidoscopic emotional content of this beloved work, with fully resonant results. Then, when Harrell took his first bow, his colleagues on the stage led the cheering.