Daniel Müller-Schott / photo courtesy of LA Phil

The late days of summer are the best time of year in Los Angeles for an evening picnic; and if your main course pairs well with the finest music in LA, then what place could be better than the Hollywood Bowl?

Bramwell Tovey, principal guest conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, leads the orchestra in a program of music by Wagner, Elgar and Beethoven on Tuesday, Aug. 31, at 8 p.m.

Extraordinary young cellist Daniel Müller-Schott will perform Elgar’s moving Cello Concerto.  Expect to feel something good.

The program also includes Wagner’s Die Meistersinger Prelude and Symphony No. 7 by Beethoven.

Tuesday, Aug. 31, 8 p.m.

2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood

Tickets are on sale now at HollywoodBowl.com, at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office (noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday), by calling (323) 850-2000, or through Ticketmaster. Groups of 10 or more may call (323) 850-2050 for information about special rates, subject to availability.

Southwest Chamber Music continued its great summer concert series at the Huntington Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 7 and 8, with music by Debussy, Ravel, Satie, and well-known local composer Anne Le Baron.

Debussy’s Danse sacrée et danse profane attracted me to the concert to begin with – and I was not disappointed.  Alison Bjorkedal’s harp swept us away.  She is an extraordinary harpist, and her Debussy was right in the zone.  Her technique was flawless, her artistry inspired.  The music was so beautiful, so affective, so potent, that its effect defies language.  Merci!

With the starry Los Angeles summer sky in the background, Bjorkedal was then joined by flutist Larry Kaplan in a unique transcription of Satie’s Le Fils des étoiles, realized in this arrangement by Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu.  The connection between French and Asian musical traditions was underscored in Jeff von der Schmidt’s remarks, and this composition was a fine example.  An ebb and flow of ambiguous harmony unencumbered by cadence yielded attention to Kaplan’s sonorous melody. Takemitsu’s setting was totally rational and easy to understand, and Bjorkedal’s and Kaplan’s portrayal was vivid.

Southwest Chamber Music is known for showcasing living local and international composers, including women, mixed with the cultural roots we share.

Le Baron’s Solar Music was mesmerizing.  The composer was in attendance, and in her remarks said that the pre-existing title was apropos to the dynamic of her work although was chosen post-hoc to its composition.  The reference is to Mexican surrealist painter Remedios Varo’s work with “a woman standing in a dying forest, bowing rays of the sun.”

Solar Music includes unorthodox sounds that combine into an ethereal music of creative technique.  Bjorkedal supplemented her technical abilities on the harp with resonant taps and slaps, string preparations, and various detunings; the ending sounded a bowed harp played using a screwdriver as a sort of slide.

Kaplan was marvelous as he squeezed and teased a smooth flow of ever-changing timbres from the entire family of flutes.  He developed a sonic pallet of multiphonics, harmonics, alternate fingerings, bends, quartertones, use of voice, and all manner of attack into a masterfully expressive performance.  The ride was Messiaen-like as the colors of the spectrum, from the bass flute to the alto to the standard to the piccolo, flowed in an ever-rising sequence.

Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro required the largest ensemble of the program, and the sound and its energy resonated hugely with the audience.  Clarinetist Jim Foscia’s arpeggios were quick and delicate, and his role was significant. Kaplan and Foscia both sounded large, especially in duet. In fact, the whole ensemble was rich and authentic, and on the whole Ravel was the best performed and received of the evening.

The Debussy String Quartet is literally one-of-a-kind, and the performance was en française with joie de vivre that infused the space with a delectable perfumed sound.  Jan Karlin’s viola had an exquisite tone that was accentuated by a gentle technique and her keen sensitivity to the music and the other voices in the ensemble.  Peter Jacobson’s cello touch was light, yet still deliberate, and especially in consort with Karlin, it impressed an unmistakable structure and forward motion onto the sound.  Lorenz Gamma and Shalini Vijayan added a delicate sheen to the sound that was brilliant.

Southwest Chamber Music ends its summer series at the Huntington with two concerts next weekend, Aug. 21 and 22.

Victor Vener leads the CalPhil at Disney Hall.

After such an enjoyable program two weeks ago, the California Philharmonic’s “Frank, Tony and the Maestro” at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Aug. 8 was not up to their usual standards. The customary thread with which Maestro Vener usually weaves together all the selections was grossly missing. The program ranged from Las Vegas-styled standards to Elgar’s Enigma Variations, from highlights of The Sound of Music to Saint-Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccio for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 28. This hodge-podge created a program that was frayed at the edges.

Two baritones, Kevin Earley and Michael B. Levin, were engaged for this program. Earley was most at ease with the musical theater genre, while the more seasoned Levin had a flair for standards made famous by Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. The program would easily have been improved by cutting Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, Op. 35, which closed the first half, and programming additional songs for the two vocalists.

The Saint-Saëns showpiece opened the second half and featured Daniel Shindarov, a remarkable Russian violinist who soon will celebrate his 86th birthday. The audience responded to his performance with an enthusiastic ovation. Earley followed with a couple selections: “As Time Goes By,” in which he wandered away from the tonal center by the end of the song, and his most successful number, “Bring Him Home” from Les Miserables.

Every performance group needs to know what they do best and stick to it. The CalPhil’s rendition of Elgar’s masterpiece, the Enigma Variations, Op. 36, which closed the concert, was abysmal. The work sounded under rehearsed, the strings were ragged, the woodwinds’ ensemble was inferior, and the tempos were unbearably slow. Overall the variations lacked the vigor, clarity, and sparkle to convey their true genius and grandeur. Vener called back the singers for a final encore, “Luck Be a Lady Tonight,” which restored some energy to the hall.

The final concerts on Aug. 21 and 22 promise to end the season with a big bang: a combination of Broadway favorites and the Ode to Joy from Beethoven’s Ninth. For information, call (800) 745-3000 or visit www.calphil.org.

Subscription and individual tickets are on sale now. UCLA Live is offering Culture Spot readers the chance to win a pair of tickets to the event of their choice. To be entered in a drawing for free tickets, send your name, event choice and the correct answer to the following trivia question to Editor@CultureSpotLA.com by Friday, Aug. 13, at midnight:

Which of the following famous artists performed at Royce Hall in the 1930s?

a) George Gershwin

b) Duke Ellington

c) Arnold Schoenberg

d) all of the above

UCLA Live’s Must-See Dance by Anna Reed

David Sefton, director of the UCLA Live performance series for a decade, resigned in May. And the reason for his departure – program “restructuring” due to budget constraints – along with the elimination of the International Theatre Festival from the 2010-11 schedule, has triggered some very legitimate concerns about LA’s access to the national and international arts scene. The 2010-11 dance series that Sefton leaves behind, however, continues the program’s tradition of curatorial excellence. If fiscal limitations motivated the inclusion of more domestic artists than usual, Sefton made good use of his reduced funds – bringing artists and works that LA has not seen, and needs to.

Feb. 25-26: Kidd Pivot Frankfurt RM

Foremost is Canadian Crystal Pite’s company, Kidd Pivot Frankfurt RM. Founded in 2001, Kidd Pivot’s international appearances have met with consistent critical acclaim, and in July The Observer called Pite’s Lost Action “the best dance work to visit London last year.” Superfast, impossibly fluid, almost inhuman manipulations reference Pite’s background as dancer with William Forsythe’s Ballett Frankfurt. But it’s Pite’s own choreographic vision that’s recently landed her the position of Associate Choreographer for the prestigious Nederlands Dans Theater. Kidd Pivot makes its LA debut with Lost Action at UCLA Live Feb. 25-26, and look for another Pite work in March when NDT comes to the Music Center.

UCLA Live presents the world premiere of Helios Dance Theater's "Beautiful Monsters." / Photo courtesy of UCLA Live and Helios Dance Theater

May 6-7: Lucinda Childs

UCLA Live facilitates another long-overdue Los Angeles visit with the arrival of American Lucinda Childs’ Dance, a revival of the 1979 minimalist classic, May 6-7. Member of the postmodern breakaway collective Judson Dance Theater in the ’60s, Childs choreographed Dance as her first large-scale collaboration, working with minimalist icon and composer Philip Glass and visual artist Sol LeWitt. With tripping, skipping steps, dancers skim the stage in continuous crossings. And like the repeated notes in Glass’ score, these simple movements combine in space and time to weave patterns of tremendous complexity. In the revival, dancers leap and bound in front of LeWitt’s original film – the 1979 company performing Dance – so we see in side-by-side action dancers usually separated by decades.

March 11-12: Stephen Petronio Dance Company

Stephen Petronio came of choreographic age in Manhattan in the ’80s and ’90s, and his signature style – fast and furious, sexy and leggy, hip and restless – conveys the urban energy of his home base. His company, now an established international presence, celebrates its 25^th anniversary with the stormy new work I Drink the Air Before Me and performs the West Coast premiere at Royce Hall March 11-12.

April 15-16: Barak Marshall

Barak Marshall, born physically in LA but choreographically in Israel, brings Monger (2008) home for its West Coast debut April 15-16. Marshall draws movement and music from diverse cultural traditions (including his own – American, Yemeni, Israeli) to build this charging, driving exploration of power, free will, and survival.

Oct. 23: Helios Dance Theater

And with local and national critical acclaim for The Lotus Eaters (2008) under her belt, LA dancemaker Laura Gorenstein Miller and her company Helios Dance Theater open the dance season at UCLA Live with a one-night-only world-premiere performance of Beautiful Monsters on Oct. 23. For this work, Gorenstein Miller teams up with leading artists in the entertainment industry to craft a dreamscape inspired by childhood nightmares, and if The Lotus Eaters is any indication, it will be a world of physical daring, sensory thrills and riveting storytelling that we enter in October.

UCLA Live’s Must-Hear Classical by Julie Riggott

Nov. 4: Murray Perahia

Over the course of a 35-year career, Murray Perahia has established himself as one of the world’s most prized pianists. He returns to Royce Hall to perform works by the Three Bs: Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. In 1972, he was the first North American to win first prize at the Leeds Piano Competition, and he went on to work with the likes of composer Benjamin Britten and pianist Vladimir Horowitz, whom he considers a major influence on his style. Perahia, called a “poet of the piano” by The New York Times, also serves as the Principal Guest Conductor of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, with whom he has toured extensively as conductor and pianist.

Nov. 20: Menahem Pressler and Richard Stoltzman with the New York Chamber Soloists

Menahem Pressler and Richard Stoltzman sure make for a dynamic duo. Pressler is co-founder of the renowned Beaux Arts Trio, with whom he recorded nearly the entire piano chamber repertoire. Now an octogenarian with a five-decade career of distinction, he is recognized among the foremost pianists. Grammy-winning Richard Stoltzman is arguably the world’s most famous classical clarinetist. Together with the New York Chamber Soloists, they will perform Brahms’ Sonata No. 2 for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 120. Pressler will also play Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17, K.453, and Stoltzman will treat the audience to Mozart’s exquisite Clarinet Concerto, K. 622.

Daniel Hope joins Jeffrey Kahane at UCLA Live. / Photo by Marco Borggreve courtesy of UCLA Live

Feb. 11: Daniel Hope and Jeffrey Kahane

Violinist Daniel Hope, the youngest person to perform with the prestigious Beaux Arts Trio, joins pianist Jeffrey Kahane, music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, for a program featuring Brahms’ Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78, Regenlied, O. Messiaen’s Théme et Variations, Schulhoff’s Sonata No. 2, Sz. 76, and Franck’s Sonata in A Major. Hope, a champion of contemporary composers who has collaborated with many artists (including two Police: Sting and Stewart Copeland), has also made it a mission to revive music suppressed by the Nazis. Well-known as both a pianist and conductor, Kahane was a finalist at the 1981 Van Cliburn Competition and made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1983. In addition to his projects with LACO, extensive touring and recording, he has also collaborated with artists like Yo-Yo Ma and Joshua Bell.

March 3: Scharoun Ensemble Berlin

Founded in 1983 by members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Scharoun Ensemble Berlin is one of Germany’s most distinguished chamber music ensembles.  The group will perform three masterpieces: Mozart’s Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, Beethoven’s Septet in E flat major and Schubert’s Octet in F major. The Scharoun Ensemble is recognized as the leading interpreter of these three composers’ work.

April 3: Takács Quartet with Nobuyuki Tsujii

The Takács Quartet returns to UCLA Live for a program of Haydn’s String Quartet, Op. 74, No. 3, and Bartok’s String Quartet No. 1. Formed in 1975 at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest and now based at the University of Colorado, the Takács Quartet tours throughout the world and is known for its innovative programming. Joining the Takács Quartet for Schumann’s Piano Quintet is Nobuyuki Tsujii, making his Los Angeles premiere. Born blind, the 22-year-old prodigy won the gold medal in the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

All events are in Royce Hall on the UCLA campus; most start at 8 p.m. For a complete schedule and more details, visit: http://www.uclalive.org/calendar/. For tickets or more information, visit the individual links above or www.uclalive.org or call (310) 825-2101. Royce Hall is located at 340 Royce Drive, Westwood.

Main page image: Kidd Pivot performs Crystal Pite’s Lost Action at UCLA Live’s Royce Hall. / Photo by Chris Randle courtesy of UCLA Live

Gustavo Dudamel

Gustavo Dudamel had a ball at the Bowl with Gershwin and Bernstein kickin’ it Tuesday night, Aug. 3.

Gershwin’s eidetic An American in Paris was rapturous — take that, you East Coast snobs!

The large orchestration really resonated in the Hollywood Bowl, and Dudamel and the LA Phil delivered a knock-out performance. We could see the New York night in Dudamel’s face and hear the unique Los Angeles sound in his baton.  The combination was nirvana.

The principals stepped up with enthusiasm, as Concertmaster Martin Chalifour was perfectly on mark, and Principal Violist Carrie Dennis was fun to hear and witness as her animated persona connected with Dudamel’s baton.

The Bowl is uniquely the place to see Dudamel.  The projection system captured every nuance of his amazing persona.  He exudes a fury of decisiveness as he generates rapid-fire gestures, each succinct and discrete, often uber-bursting with exuberance, yet fluidly integrated with the music and its emotive heart. He bombards the orchestra (and this night the audience) with clearly interpretable although wildly unorthodox manners.  I couldn’t take my eyes off of him — a ballet of brilliance that produced a sound like no other.

The evening was special in several ways, as it was the anniversary of Dudamel’s first appearance at the Bowl after being invited by Esa-Pekka Salonen only five years ago, and because he was joined by his homeland friend, pianist Gabriela Montero, with whom he shares connections to Venezuelan  conductor José Antonio Abreu.  His humble pride was evident.

Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue featured Montero with a classic rendition.  Clarinet soloist Michele Zukovsky was superb and it was immediately obvious from the opening glissando.  The huge sound of trumpeter James Wilt was outstanding.  My ear was piqued by the deep-timbred sound of flutist Catherine Ransom Karoly that penetrated with a finely honed edge; her artistry stood out.

Montero’s precision was extraordinary, although at times the exacting technique detracted from the Gershwin aesthetic.  She had a great opportunity to step out of the box with her well-known improvisatory abilities and breadth of style, but she played it straight; her sensibilities clearly waned classical, and some tender moments of the music were lost to rigueur.

Musical badinage with the audience and orchestra made for a delightful segue to intermission, as Montero solicited a musical theme on the spot and then produced improvisations. This night she developed the opening notes of the Beethoven Fifth and the beautiful Guantanamera. Her impromptu treatments were totally classical in character, curiously un-jazzy, and somewhat formulaic as simple melodies quickly developed into large-scale virtuoso vehicles.  Her skill was impressive, and she is truly unique in her improvisatory art.

Bernstein’s Three Dance Episodes from On the Town and Symphonic Dances from West Side Story were delightful — but the night belonged to Gershwin.

Thank goodness that Los Angeles had the wisdom to grab this extraordinary maestro!

Noreen Green, founder, artistic director and conductor of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony

The Los Angeles Jewish Symphony celebrates contributions of Jewish composers to film history with its annual concert program, Cinema Judaica, on Sunday, Aug. 8, at 7:30 p.m., under the stars at the Ford Amphitheatre.  The orchestra, led by Founder and Artistic Director Noreen Green, pays tribute to Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein, Steven Schwartz, Danny Pelfrey, Charles Fox, Yuval Ron and other major composers. Guest artists include Ron, percussionist Jamie Papish, and Israeli-born pianist Andy Feldbau.

The program features music from two exciting Goldsmith works, Masada and QB VII; the expansive score of Bernstein’s Ten Commandments Suite; the thrilling music of Schwartz’s songs in The Prince of Egypt; Pelfrey’s Symphonic Suite from Joseph: King of Dreams; Fox’s riveting Victory at Entebbe Suite (with Feldbau); and Ron’s West Bank Story Suite, with the composer on oud and Papish on ethnic percussion.  Additional concert highlights include the world premiere of new arrangements from The Chosen and Thoroughly Modern Millie.

World music performer/composer Ron’s West Bank Story Suite, from the Academy Award-winning 2006 live-action short musical film, interweaves Arabic folkloric motives with East European Klezmer Jewish music. “My score spoofs Leonard Bernstein’s original West Side Story,” Ron says. “After our movie won the Oscar, I put together a 10-minute suite of highlights, a medley of the songs and dances. The music now has a life of its own.”

During the concert, Ron will play the song melodies on the oud, the Middle Eastern string instrument. A renowned educator and peace activist, he was invited to perform for His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. “My life changed substantially after the movie,” says Ron. “Suddenly, I had opportunities for speaking engagements around the world, with screenings of the movie, in workshops devoted to the peace process.”

Green will conduct the concert. Under her baton, Los Angeles Jewish Symphony has performed in concert with Billy Crystal, Randy Newman, Theodore Bikel, Lainie Kazan, Marvin Hamlisch, and others. “The orchestra is made up of musicians from the LA Phil, studio musicians, community members and high-level students,” she says. “It is exciting to work with them.”

Green talks about each piece during the concerts “to bring the audience into the concert experience as an active participant,” she explains. This process comes naturally to her. “I come from a choral background with a doctorate in choral music from USC. I also have a degree in education, and I love going back and forth between the two worlds. As the conductor, I feel like I am the conduit between the performers and the audience – with energy flowing through me between the two entities. It is quite a high!”

This event is part of the Ford Amphitheatre’s multidisciplinary arts series produced by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission in cooperation with Los Angeles County-based arts organizations. For a complete season schedule, visit www.FordTheatres.org.

The Ford Amphitheatre is located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd., East Hollywood.  The grounds open two hours before show time for picnicking.  Food is also available on-site.

On-site, stacked parking costs $5 per vehicle. FREE non-stacked parking serviced by a FREE shuttle to the Ford is available at the Universal City Metro Station lot at Lankershim Boulevard and Campo de Cahuenga.  The shuttle, which cycles every 15 to 20 minutes, stops in the “kiss and ride” area.

Tickets, priced at $36 and $25, and $12 for full-time students with ID and children 12 and under, are available at www.FordTheatres.org or (323) 461-3673.

The setting was an idyllic Los Angeles summer’s eve at the Huntington.  As I strolled in the gardens, dusk gradually revealed the LA cityscape brightening in the distance.  And then while sitting on the grand stone porch that is the art gallery loggia, I had a perfect view of a full moon. Low on the horizon and framed by the tall stone columns of the portico, it dimly bathed the great lawn in shades of gray behind the stage.  Such was the backdrop for a most memorable concert.

Revueltas’ String Quartet No. 4, Música de feria (1932), was rhythmically hot with melodies distinctively Mexican. The compositional style is familiar and easily approachable and tuneful.  In the fiery opening, violinists Lorenz Gamma and Shalini Vijayan produced delicate harmonic timbres that blended and floated beautifully together over violist Jan Karlin’s and cellist Peter Jacobson’s flickering pizzicato. The seminal attributes of Revueltas’ sound were easy to appreciate.  Gamma led an extended crescendo and accelerando to frenzy, and the precise and effective timing of the ensemble ending created a stunning effect.

It was a pleasure to hear the contemporary Aroma Foliado for String Quartet by internationally acclaimed composer Ortiz, whose Mexican origins fuel a seamless blend of firsthand folk, classic, jazz and avant-garde influences that have created her distinctive style and appeal.  Jacobson’s cello was solid, and he met the demands of the composer with gusto.  He totally grounded the ensemble, and his melodic lines were alluring.  His enthusiasm is a treat.

The genius of Beethoven cannot be subdued, and the players let it ride. The quartet delivered in grand style the fresh drama that Beethoven packed into String Quartet No. 9 in C major, Op. 59, No. 3, the last and least-Russian of the “Rasumofsky quartets.”  Gamma was brilliant, and led the quartet at times with a frenetic, yet graceful dynamic.  The Beethoven performance was the high point of the evening; the ensemble was superb.

Southwest Chamber Music continues its summer series with four concerts in August. You can choose to sit on the loggia with the musicians, or bring a blanket or folding chair and enjoy the sound from the expansive lawn.

The crowd on the lawn is growing with every season, and as Board member Carl Selkin said to me, “The lawn is nice, and the sound radiates from the porch surprisingly well.  You can have a sausage and wine while listening to great music.”   Now, that is approachable chamber music.

Jeff von der Schmidt and I spoke at intermission, and as we reminisced about the fantastic Ascending Dragon Festival concerts, he hinted of even greater things in seasons to come!  I can’t wait to hear what they have planned.

The concert this weekend, Aug. 7 and 8, will be fabulous, as harpist Alison Bjorkedal joins the quartet in Debussy’s Danse sacrée et danse profane and Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro.  Le Fils des étoiles by Eric Satie (with flutist Larry Kaplan) and Solar Music by Anne Le Baron (with clarinetist Jim Foscia) are also on the program.  The Debussy String Quartet is featured after intermission – need I say more?

Victor Vener leads the CalPhil at Disney Hall.

Once again Victor Vener proved himself the master of popular programming, combining John Williams favorites with excerpts from Wagner’s Ring Cycle and an arrangement of Howard Shore’s music for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. I had the pleasure of listening to the California Philharmonic’s concert on Sunday afternoon, July 25, at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Those who prefer a picnic with their entertainment can enjoy the same program on the preceding Saturday evening at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia.

The concert opened with Olympic Fanfare and Theme (1984), which Williams composed for the Los Angeles games. After years of hearing the fanfare theme repeated for subsequent games, we were treated to a rendition of the entire suite.

Before performing the Wagner set that followed, Maestro Vener asked the audience how many had attended the Ring Cycle at LA Opera. Very few raised their hands. I mention this detail to underscore the importance of what the California Philharmonic accomplishes. In one weekend, Vener introduced hundreds of listeners to Wagner. Vener selected three excerpts: “Siegfried’s Rhine Journey” from Götterdämmerung, “Forest Murmurs” from Siegfried, and, the most familiar, “Ride of the Valkyries” from Die Walküre. The cellos went astray a bit at the beginning of the “Rhine Journey,” and the tempo for the “Ride of the Valkyries” was a bit tame for my tastes; otherwise the CalPhil presented a pleasing set.

The first half closed with Williams’ music from E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, which clearly, as Vener pointed out, has its roots in the orchestral language of the 19th-century.

Williams’ Superman March opened the second half with great energy, followed by a lovely arrangement by Brubaker of music from Shore’s score for The Two Towers. The concert closed with a crowd-pleasing selection of Williams movie favorites. The first, “Viktor’s Tale” from The Terminal, showcased the artistry of Michael Arnold, principal clarinetist. Dennis Karmazyn played the theme from Schindler’s List, arranged for cello instead of violin. I beg to differ with Vener — while the principal cellist played it well, I prefer the original scoring for solo violin.

The program closed with Williams’ most popular score, Star Wars. The ensemble performed a suite that included “The Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme),” “Yoda’s Theme,” and “The Throne Room and End Title,” which the audience responded to with a standing ovation. Their enthusiasm was rewarded with an encore, perhaps Williams’ next-most-popular tune, the “Raiders March” from the Indiana Jones films.

There are two programs remaining in the CalPhil summer festival: Frank, Tony and the Maestro on August 7 and 8 and Beethoven and Broadway on August 21 and 22. For information, call (626) 300-8200 or visit www.calphil.org.

Martin Chalifour

The program was all French, and Martin Chalifour’s Saint-Saëns was brilliant.

Normally heard as the LA Phil’s Principal Concertmaster, Chalifour stepped up to center stage to star as soloist on July 13 at the Hollywood Bowl, performing Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3 to open the passionate all-French program with guest conductor Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos.

Have you ever noticed the pre-performance ambiance at the Bowl?  Wafts of picnic fare float in an atmosphere electrified by evanescent clinks of glass and an indistinct din of murmur and echo.  Add to that soundscape a smattering of familiar motifs interwoven with the performers’ idiosyncratic virtuoso warm-up rituals, and the effect was to produce a perfect impressionistic frame as twilight settled into Chalifour’s performance.

Chalifour’s compelling sound was immediately gripping.  His dynamic shaping of each note and phrase coupled with the intensely rich timbre of his violin were undeniably moving, especially in the passionate opening lower-range melody over Saint-Saëns’ effervescent pianissimo accompaniment.

We could vicariously feel the delicacy and calmness of his touch, especially in the emphatic lilting lines of the first movement.  The accompanying projection system portrayed Chalifour’s expressions and elegant gestures as larger than life, and actually made the event seem virtually intimate.  His impeccable technique was astonishing as Saint-Saëns’ flourishes coursed over the entire range of the instrument.  The audio reinforcement brought the soloist further into the foreground than I expected, but on the other hand, allowed the vast outdoor audience to hear the minutest shadings of Chalifour’s exquisite artistry, albeit with a slight electric accent, especially in the extrema of the upper pitch range.

The second movement opened with a beautiful midrange melody that intermingled with several woodwind soloists.  Chalifour’s sound was again alluring and warm.  Flutist Sara Jackson and oboist Marion Arthur Kuszyk blended and contrasted beautifully with Chalifour’s emotive portrayal.  Clarinetist Lorin Levee was superb in the closing of the second movement, coalescing seamlessly into a unique and pleasant timbral hue under Chalifour’s delicate harmonics.  The delicacy of their sound was truly delectable, and an amazing artistic feat, given the size of the venue.

The third movement opened with dramatic flair.  Chalifour created intense bursts of high energy in his passionate expressions that touched the stratospheric reaches of his instrument.

The evening brought a triumphant performance from Chalifour.  Bravo!

The post-intermission works included Debussy’s La Mer and Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe Suite No. 2.  My attention was drawn repeatedly to flutist Demarre McGill; his skill was astounding, and his tunefulness was fetching.

Frühbeck de Burgos pushed the second movement of La Mer with a faster tempo than I have ever heard, and in the moment it was very effective.  The currents that he swirled in the Bowl inevitably swept the audience with them.  The finale paled in contrast to the supercharged second movement.

Now having heard the opening two concerts of the LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl, one thing is clear — this season will be great!  What a treat it was to spend a summer evening accompanied by perfect Southern California temps, relaxing with sumptuous music in the company of friends and fellow music lovers, and sharing a wonderfully memorable moment.

There are very few venues like the Bowl, and none even comparable when the Phil is home.

View the LA Phil’s summer schedule at www.laphil.com.

For the opening concert, Artistic Director Jeff von der Schmidt programmed music for string quartet and oboe, utilizing the talents of Lorenz Gamma and Limor Toren-Immerman (violin), Jan Karlin (viola), Peter Jacobson (cello), and Jonathan Davis (oboe).

Carl Friedrich Abel’s String Quartet in B flat major, Op. 8, No. 2, launched the program with elegant energy. Before intermission Jeff von der Schmidt commented on the significance of the composer, who collaborated with Johann Christian Bach to create a long-running concert series in London. The composer is also tied to the Huntington collection: his portrait is displayed in the same hall as the famous Blue Boy of Thomas Gainsborough. Those of us who made our way to the art gallery during intermission were treated to a lecture on the interconnections of the portraits displayed there.

Davis joined the quartet for the closing set of the first half: Phantasy Quartet for Oboe and Strings by Benjamin Britten and Cantilena for Oboe & Strings by Thea Musgrave. Apparently, Britten is also tied to the Huntington, as his correspondence with other artists of his day is part of the collection. The Phantasy reminded me of Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat, opening and closing with an energetic march to usher the protagonist oboe on and off stage.  The lyrical Cantilena by Musgrave was a U.S. premiere of the piece. A dialogue between the quartet and the oboe opens the work, until the oboe accepts the invitation and literally joins the quartet on stage. After building to an exciting climax, the piece closes with a peaceful coda.

Two works for string quartet concluded the program: Danzas de Panama by William Grant Still, and Dvorák’s String Quartet in F major, Op. 96, American. It was an interesting pairing, to hear a piece by the American composer Still that incorporates melodies from Panama juxtaposed with the Czech composer’s perceptions of the United States. Still’s piece resonated with sun-drenched color, lively dance rhythms, and the percussive sounds of native instruments.

Dvorák wrote this closing Quartet during his stay in the States. The opening movement is infused with the atmosphere of his walks in the countryside. The second movement, Lento, was achingly beautiful, showcasing the impassioned cello playing of Jacobson in the closing statement of the theme. The composer marveled at the different sounds of American birds during his strolls in the country, and he incorporated their songs in the Molto vivace movement. The closing Vivace ma non troppo reminded me of the New World Symphony, with lilting rhythms and a lyricism that assimilates American folksong.

I encourage you to treat yourself to the remaining concerts of the Summer Festival. There are three concerts remaining in the series, and you can choose Saturday or Sunday evenings. For more information, visit www.swmusic.org.