MUSIC REVIEW : Levy Should Get With the Program

To the slashing strains of “Psycho,” the conductor rushed onstage in a black cape, hunched over, menace in his eyes.

Hardly an auspicious sign of serious music-making to come. But Micah Levy, the man in the cape, apparently wants to be more than just a serious musician; he wants to be a comedian, a breezy host, your genial guide to the classics. In short, he likes to talk.

His Sunday afternoon audience seemed to enjoy his Halloween program, the season-opener with the Orange County Chamber Orchestra at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. They even seemed to enjoy his comedy, his puns and groaners: In the first part of his “Treats and Tricks” agenda, Levy told them, he had considered playing Bach’s “Bread and Burger” Concertos.

Perhaps Levy is spreading his efforts too thin, because musically the concert wasn’t up to snuff. The conductor has assembled some decent musicians for his chamber group, a total of 16 players. In such small numbers, their individual gifts are bound to come through--and they do occasionally--but Levy hasn’t molded them into a cohesive ensemble. Sunday, the OCCO’s playing was tentative and disorderly.

The joys of this concert, then, were provided by soloists. Concertmistress Diana Halprin whipped her way through Tartini’s Variations on a Theme of Corelli (in Kreisler’s arrangement) and the “Devil’s Trill” Sonata (in an uncredited orchestral arrangement) with considerable skill, vigor and style.

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After intermission, children from the Yamaha Music Education Center of Irvine joined the orchestra for the “Toy” Symphony attributed to Leopold Mozart. They presented a charming study in concentration playing their bird whistles, drums and triangle in all the right places. Koichi Sanchez showed special expertise on the syncopated cuckoo.

Elsewhere, Levy presided over run-throughs of Corelli’s Concerto Grosso, Opus 6, No. 2, Gershwin’s “Lullaby” and Haydn’s “Farewell” Symphony.