The first two times he exited the Tucson Music Hall stage Thursday night, guest conductor Guillermo Figueroa found himself bumping into walls.
He may have appeared disoriented by his surroundings, but once he stood before the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Figueroa seemed almost as at ease in this foreign environment as the orchestra's full-time conductor, George Hanson.
Figueroa, making his TSO debut, helped the orchestra end its 2005-06 season with bombastic exclamation points, flights of fancy and moments of truth.
He applied a soft touch to Berlioz's fabulous "Le Corsaire" overture, which can be an overbearing percussive romp. Instead, the TSO played it with lively string and woodwind agitations that hinted to the piece's swashbuckling spirit. There were flashes of exuberance borne out by glorious bassoons expanding and retracting and woodwinds played with percussive flourish that all lead to a mighty finale that will leave you nearly breathless.
Much about the TSO's "Rachmaninoff Rocks" concert Thursday night left the audience of 1,350 breathless, from a lush reading of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 1 to the concert's centerpiece, Rachmaninoff's exhilarating "Symphonic Dances."
The TSO played Shostakovich's symphony with a wonderful blend of playful naiveté and gentleness. The approach helped bring to life those subtle variations of tempo that go from nervous energy borne out of percussive fits to the slightly darker tones later in the piece carried largely by the strings.
During the 28-minute piece, concertmaster Steven Moeckel and principal cellist Nelzimar Neves each enjoyed brief solo moments.
In Rachmaninoff's "Symphonic Dances," the pair alternated in the spotlight, both leading their sections in contrasting fits of pizzicato and bow play that gave you a haunting sense of someone tiptoeing.
It would have been easy to simply blast away at Rachmaninoff's final work, capitalize on the frenzied tempo and rush to the exclamatory conclusion. But Figueroa chose to take his time reaching the crashing finale so that it did, indeed, come crashing to a conclusion. But to do so would rob you of those wonderful nuances and lush passages that make you wonder what was going through Rachmaninoff's mind as he wrote it.
The piece opened with delicate, almost halting, violin that swelled to a forceful boom from Doug Smith's timpani. Percussion interrupted sweeping string passages that flip from morose and somber to almost joyous.
You could hear faint strains of piano from principal keyboardist Paula Fan, whose head barely peeked above the piano.
But if you looked closely, you could see her feet push the pedals when she played.
TSO musicians like Fan make it worth the while seeing them live. The ensemble is enthusiastic and animated, and if you watch close enough, you will see Moeckel delicately raise his arm above his violin and lovingly pull the bow across the strings to produce a lush melody. And just when you think the Rachmaninoff piece has verged into subtle romanticism, the quintet of percussionists chime in. One taps and shakes the tambourine, another clashes the cymbals with authority and yet another pounds on the drums with enough fury to remind you that "Symphonic Dances" is all about mixed emotions.
The finale's emotions, though, are unmistakably exclamatory. Three times, Figueroa raised his arm then jerked it down with determination and the orchestra followed with an assertive emphasis.
The audience gave Figueroa a welcoming standing ovation that the orchestra echoed by clapping their hands on their legs.
The TSO will kick off its 2006-07 season Sept. 28 with the return of Canadian pianist Alain Lefevre.
Tucson Symphony Orchestra in concert at the Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave., with guest conductor Guillermo Figueroa. The concert repeats at 8 p.m. today.
