Fireworks in the Sky and Onstage at the Bowl

The second of two performances of the annual Beethoven Spectacular in the Hollywood Bowl, Saturday night, brought out a capacity audience, apparently for the most modest of reasons: yet another staging of the composer’s potboiler, “Wellington’s Victory,” to close the program.

The quarter-hour piece--supplemented once again with a cast of soldiers and townspeople in early 19th century costumes, minimal staging and backstage cannon fire--proved mildly amusing. What made the evening actually spectacular was the fireworks show that accompanied it, another stunning display of pyrotechnics by consultant Gene Evans and the company Pyro-Spectaculars.

Yet the music did not take second place. Thanks to guest conductor Lawrence Foster, Beethoven’s quick commission sounded respectable, clarified and neatly balanced. And the Philharmonic’s playing of the rest of the program was admirably solid.

Foster brought to the two overtures of the evening, those to “Egmont” and “Fidelio,” both stylish details and a commanding sweep; the orchestra played splendidly.

And he achieved firm and untroubled collaboration with pianist Seung-un Ha, the Korean American soloist in the C-minor Concerto. Ha’s authoritative way with the work included an impassioned delivery of the first-movement cadenza, a tight and concentrated performance of the slow movement and both technical glitter and good humor in the finale. She showed happy signs of a true individuality and all the musical polish one might ask.

For “Wellington’s Victory,” Chari Shanker produced the battle sequence, Stanley N. Garner was stage director, Juan Lopez designed the costumes and Edward Douglas served as fight director. It’s still a silly piece, but, this summer at least, it was fun to watch and hear.