Foster and L.A. Philharmonic Sparkle

Lawrence Foster is the second guest conductor to lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic this season. His single program, given three times over the weekend in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, was absorbing, conducted in a masterly way and neatly executed by the orchestra.

Foster conducts with passion and humor; his presence on this podium is, as always, reassuring.

Half of his agenda took the form of Beethoven’s Overture and incidental music to Goethe’s “Egmont,” in which he enlisted the participation of soprano Christine Brandes and Mervon Mehta--the Canadian actor who happens to be a son of Zubin Mehta.

Foster has brought this package--with different soloists--to an L.A. Philharmonic audience before, and with equal success. This time, the performances crackled with energy, and the orchestra played in an inspired manner. Brandes made beautiful sounds and delivered the German texts commandingly; young Mehta brought warm authority and fine enunciation to the English words.

Another revival was the centerpiece of this program, the Piano Concerto by Edvard Grieg, played here with deep affection, wonderful nuances and blazing technique by Jean-Yves Thibaudet, pianist in residence with the philharmonic for a fortnight this fall.

Thibaudet delivered many delicious musical details in the familiar work--in particular the full and colorful range of its dynamics. He did so with admirable ease and an edgeless tone.

The attention-grabbing openers were the two opening movements from the Orchestral Suite No. 1 by Georges Enescu, conducted fervently by Foster and played virtuosically by the orchestra.