Daniels’ Leadership Inspires Only Muted Performances

Strong abilities on the podium do not always translate into brilliant orchestral performances, as witness Paul Daniel’s second Los Angeles Philharmonic performance of the week, Thursday at the Hollywood Bowl.

Despite the firm leadership and viable musicality the young British conductor demonstrated again in Beethoven’s “Emperor” Piano Concerto and in Bartok’s demanding Concerto for Orchestra, the players’ contributions did not soar. Instead, they followed a more pedestrian path, and the performances proved uninspired.

Capturing the interest of all the players and making focused urgency a top priority are what the most successful conductors do. Surprisingly, after his successful effort Tuesday, Daniel fell below such standards.

Balances faltered, some solo lines were buried in generally thick orchestral textures, and an aural haze hung over the Bartok masterpiece, which closed the program, as if something material stood between composer and listener. A brilliant piece thus emerged muted.

A similar profile characterized Ursula Oppens’ nicely defined playing of the Fifth Piano Concerto, a reading thoroughly stylish but lacking in the heat of rediscovery and personal identification. The work moved along sensibly but never achieved, with this team, at this time, the level of excitement and authority it requires to really be itself.