MUSIC REVIEWS : Diemecke Closes Bowl Season With Individuality

Vigorous, dancy and adamant about tempos, conductor Enrique Diemecke arrived at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday night ready to demonstrate his individuality in a pops program made up of familiar music. He certainly accomplished his goal.

The young musician from Mexico established strong opinions in a pleasant agenda, from a slowish “The Star-Spangled Banner” through a heavy-handed re-creation of Handel’s “Music for the Royal Fireworks,” accompanying a colorful array of sky-illuminating fireworks. With his aggressive approach, plus startling blond hair and a red cummerbund punctuating otherwise standard evening wear, Diemecke will never be confused with other rising conductors.

For the most part--and notwithstanding Diemecke’s regular eschewing of nuance or telling orchestral details in works also by Falla, Rodrigo, Moncayo and Bizet--the Philharmonic played confidently, if often louder than seemed necessary or illuminating, with a slew of bright solo contributions coming from the orchestra.

Before audiences counted Friday at 13,243, and Saturday at 17,960, the centerpiece of this 74th-summer-season-closing program was the appearance of Alfonso Moreno, who took a relaxed view of the solo guitar duties in Rodrigo’s ubiquitous “Concierto de Aranjuez.” Diemecke and orchestra provided scrappy but reliable accompaniments--and as might have been predicted, the second-movement cadenza was nearly covered by the sounds of passing aircraft. At the end, conductor and guitarist embraced warmly.