Perlman a Pleasing Presence on Hollywood Bowl Podium

Hordes of music lovers--well, hordes, at least, in comparison to what we’ve been seeing mostly in this summer of 2000--attended Itzhak Perlman’s second conducting appearance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl on Thursday night. The famous violinist’s conducting turned out, again, to be pleasant but unexceptional, but the crowd loved it and cheered the performances.

Perlman also served as his own soloist on this occasion, playing Bach’s familiar A-minor Concerto and Beethoven’s G-major Romance with his usual elegance and handsome tone. Without fiddle, he conducted Bizet’s Symphony in C and Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony.

One had to enjoy the air of bonhomie in the amphitheater--the official head count was 8,015. The orchestra played uneventfully, nicely, though far from immaculately and without much inspiration. The performances went along--and the mood of both players and listeners happily reflected Perlman’s continuing popularity with the public.

Still, popularity and competence--Perlman certainly showed some podium skill--do not necessarily translate into well-honed interpretations. He clearly wants to be a conductor and may become a good one in time. His two concerts this week in Cahuenga Pass were mostly a down payment on future promise.

Thursday night also marked the final Philharmonic performance by pianist Zita Carno, now ending her 25th year as the orchestra’s extraordinary keyboardist. Before the concert, Philharmonic Managing Director Deborah Borda presented Carno with a medal honoring the pianist’s long service to the organization.