Alsop, Russian Program Make a Winning Team

Russians brilliant, melodic and agonized dominated the music Tuesday at the Hollywood Bowl. Colorado Symphony music director Marin Alsop led the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a snippet by Rimsky-Korsakov--just enough to remind us of his impact on the music of this century--as well as a warhorse concerto by Rachmaninoff and a symphony by Shostakovich, which is in another class altogether.

Jon Nakamatsu, the 1997 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition gold-medal winner, made his Bowl debut in Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 2.

After an initial period of adjusting, in which pianist and conductor did not seem to be in sync or focus, the two worked well together, sharing the same approach--one of lyricism and poetry over bravura and flash.

Judgment must be cautious when hearing the work at a distance through amplification, but Nakamatsu did not seem to find great personal depth in the music, although everything sounded intelligent and in place. Alsop was keen on the tidal pull in the work.

Elsewhere, no such reservations seemed necessary. The amplification system had already let through undistorted most of Rimsky-Korsakov’s brilliant orchestration in the opening piece--the “Dance of the Tumblers” from “The Snow Maiden.”

With Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony after intermission, Alsop came into her magisterial own, with an especially deep and nuanced reading of the slow movement.

One might have wanted a little more hysteria at the start of the finale to reflect the composer’s remark in his putative memoirs that “the rejoicing is forced” and under the lash. But Alsop brought out the pain in the closing measures. It was a great night at the Bowl.

* Marin Alsop will conduct the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a different program--music by Gershwin, Barber and Copland--today at 8:30 p.m. at Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave. James Ehnes will be the soloist in Barber’s Violin Concerto. $1-$80. (323) 850-2000.