MUSIC REVIEW : An ‘Italian Holiday’ at Hollywood Bowl

Nothing by Monteverdi, Corelli or Berio materialized at Hollywood Bowl this weekend, but there was an unscheduled--and splendidly played--piece for brass choirs by none other than Giovanni Gabrieli to begin the post-intermission portion of the “Italian Holiday” program, which lured thousands to the outdoor showplace.

Thus, truth in packaging proved operative: The music was all Italian, all festive and not completely limited to a narrow time period.

Three American musicians, as well as the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, took the performing honors, and most competently.

From Rossini’s “Barbiere di Siviglia” Overture to Respighi’s “I Pini di Roma,” conductor John Mauceri presided over the proceedings authoritatively. In the sung portions of the evening, soprano Maria Spacagna and tenor Tonio di Paolo showed their expertise in operatic excerpts by Puccini, with a scheduled encore in Di Capua’s “O Sole Mio.”

Friday night, 12,802 reported patrons seemed to enjoy all this outdoor entertainment, closing with “The Pines of Rome” as accompanied by cleverly arranged and visually stunning fireworks. Saturday night, an even larger audience, measured at 17,171, were said to attend.

Ever amusing and conscientiously informative, Mauceri again offered spoken program notes in his endlessly charming manner. He says a lot, yet, like a true raconteur, never seems to talk too long.

There were no surprises in the repertory--including arias from “Manon Lescaut,” “Tosca” and “La Rondine,” as well as the Act I Love Duet from “Madama Butterfly”--only in the very polished playing by the resident onstage band.

After a dutiful National Anthem and a rather flattened-out “Barbiere” Overture, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra played stylishly and with an admirable attentiveness to conductor and soloists, especially in the Intermezzo from “Cavalleria Rusticana” and in the abundant symphonic display of “The Pines of Rome,” throughout which Pyro-Spectaculars (Gene Evans, consultant) provided the visual pyrotechnics.

Heard through adequate but hardly quality-enhancing amplification, singers Spacagna and Di Paolo seemed like practiced veterans. But it would be foolish to pretend that we have not, many times before, heard more thrilling performances of “Donna non vidi mai,” “Vissi d’arte,” “E lucevan le stelle,” “Chi il bel sogno di Doretta” or, for goodness’ sake, “O Sole Mio,” in this very place.

As indicated, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra seemed in especially good form at the Friday performance.

For the ballet music from “Aida,” and for “Pines of Rome,” extra brass players were placed offstage, on the light towers overlooking the Bowl shell and in front of the Bowl, between stage and audience. Not unpredictably, the extra visuals enhanced the musical effect. And, for once, colored lighting on the shell seemed not entirely out of place.