Philharmonic Plays Bartok, Bernstein, Dvorak Splendidly

Yakov Kreizberg, who returned to conduct the Los Angeles Philharmonic on Thursday night, brings many gifts with him to that exalted podium, among them the abilities to galvanize the orchestra, to elicit its interest and rapport, to communicate strong feelings to his listeners. The ensemble’s playing in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion again attested to a potent combination of musicians pulling together.

As he had at his first Philharmonic visit eight years ago, Kreizberg brought freshness, polish and intelligent reconsideration to his conducting of Dvorak’s “From the New World” Symphony, which closed the program.

He laid out the work compellingly, and the orchestra played with special energy--it was a glorious night for horn-playing, for instance. Dvorak’s Ninth is, of course, a great piece that we hear too often, but this airing was no hardship, just a pleasure.

The rest of this performance emerged ear-grabbing and equally satisfying. It began with Leonard Bernstein’s captivating Symphonic Suite from “On the Waterfront” (1954), the composer’s first and last film score, justifiably admired when it was new and still viable today--in fact, it holds up strongly against any of his other orchestral works.

This reading, which the Philharmonic performed with its usual virtuosic panache, confirmed the high regard in which the work is held--for its lyrical, violent, dramatically compelling profile.

But the best part of the evening arrived in the middle, when Gil Shaham, in tight sync and perfect rapport with Kreizberg and the orchestra, played the two Rhapsodies of Bela Bartok.

These masterpieces of musical cogency, strong ethnic feelings and irresistible tunefulness are not heard often enough. This time, they were the occasion for some of the most gorgeous, spontaneously passionate and deeply felt playing the American violinist has brought us, which is saying a lot. Rightly enough, the Pavilion audience on Thursday responded vociferously to the performance.

* The Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Yakov Kreizberg, repeats this program Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A. $10-$70. (323) 850-2000.