MUSIC REVIEW : A Belated Debut for Carlo Rizzi

Carlo Rizzi, a Milanese maestro whose star is rising rapidly on the operatic horizon, was supposed to make his Los Angeles Philharmonic debut last summer. Imminent paternity forced a last-minute cancellation, however, and his first local appearance was deferred until Tuesday night.

It might have been interesting to meet Rizzi on what must be his own repertory turf--that is, in some Verdi or Rossini or even Respighi. The powers that reign at Hollywood Bowl decreed otherwise, however, and, to the apparent delight of an audience tabulated at 8,077, came up with a program of hum-along hits by Beethoven, Mozart and--drat the luck--Tchaikovsky.

Rizzi proved himself a solid professional, a seasoned technician and, in moments of climactic stress, a bravura hopper. Nothing went seriously wrong at his makeup concert. Nothing went memorably right, either. Once again, competence was the word of the night at Cahuenga Pass.

After the obligatory and, in this case, mechanical national anthem (followed out front by the obligatory cries of “Play ball”), our Italian guest got down to business with a hectic, lightweight and rather untidy performance of Beethoven’s “Fidelio” overture. The noble, potentially spacious rhetoric all but evaporated in the cool nocturnal breezes. The new microphones added sonic distortion, as is their wont, to the stylistic distortion.

Rizzi turned self-effacing, tautly propulsive accompanist in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, which served as a showcase for an oddly matched pair of virtuosos from the former Soviet Union. Maxim Vengerov, born in Novosibirsk, Siberia, played the violin solos with bright, slender tone and expressive elegance. Yuri Bashmet, born in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, played the matching viola solos with dark, rich tone and soulful indulgence.

The twain did indeed meet. Despite some telling contrasts, however, the meeting wasn’t always congenial.

After intermission came the portentous rumblings, convoluted ramblings and slushpump sentiment of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. Certain Russian conductors have managed to bring persuasive conviction to Tchaikovsky’s fragile aesthetic, applying throbbing intensity to the basic instrumental timbres and unabashed breadth to the lyrical flights. Rizzi opted for lighter textures, lugubrious tempos in the slow passages and delirious agitation in the speedy movements.

The extremes were daring and, in their superficial way, undeniably impressive. The orchestra responded nobly to Rizzi’s impetuous commands. Unfortunately, cohesion often fell victim to exaggeration.