MUSIC AND DANCE REVIEWS : Mozarteum Group Visits South Bay

Max Pommer led the Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg in--what else?--an exemplary Mozart program Friday in Marsee Auditorium at the South Bay Center for the Arts at El Camino College. But it was violin soloist Hideko Udagawa who drew special praise.

Alert, bright, vigorous, confident and tasteful, she played the Concerto in D, K. 218 with the optimism of youth. There were few melting phrases or moments of hurtful introspection, as others have found in this music, but there were plenty of other virtues.

She was ably seconded by Pommer, who seems one of that vanishing breed of genial Old World conductors less intent on drawing attention to themselves than in letting the music speak as directly as possible to the listener.

Pommer used his hands rather than a baton to sculpt phrases in the air or point accents. He tilted to the left or the right as he variously engaged or welcomed different sections of the orchestra to participate in a civilized discourse.

In the G-minor Symphony, he took the tempo direction “Molto Allegro” (very fast) for the first movement quite literally. There was no time for sighing and sadness: At this speed, you had to become aware--and appreciate--longer structural units. He led the original version, without clarinets, and took the repeats of the expositions in both outer movements.

Pommer opened the program with a buoyant account of the Symphony No. 29. After a ragged start, the orchestra played with unfailing grace and elan.

There were two encores: one of the 50-some contredanses and the Andante from the Cassation in G, K. 63.