A NIGHT OF IMPASSIONED BRAHMS FROM THE L.A. PHIL.

Byline: David Mermelstein

Correspondent

When you hear a statement like, "Well, that was worthwhile," the meaning is all in the emphasis. Inject a weary tone into "worthwhile," and it's code for worthy but dull. Give the word a sarcastic twist, and we're talking about a waste of time. But emphasize the "that" and infuse "worthwhile" with some zip, and the sentence becomes highest praise. Which is just how one female patron said it to another as they exited Disney Hall on Thursday night.

The occasion was a Los Angeles Philharmonic concert guest conducted by Christoph von Dohnanyi, the venerable European maestro who for nearly 20 years was music director of the Cleveland Orchestra.

In this, the second of two all-Brahms programs, Dohnanyi led the orchestra in the Symphonies Nos. 2 and 4. And if the concert wasn't quite the revelation that last week's was, in which Dohnanyi conducted the Symphonies Nos. 1 and 3, there was still plenty to celebrate -- not least the growing relationship between the conductor and the orchestra.

(In May 2008, Dohnanyi will lead the Philharmonic in a mixed program that includes Beethoven's "Eroica" Symphony. He is also scheduled to appear at Disney Hall earlier that month in two programs with London's Philharmonia Orchestra, of which he is principal conductor, a position Esa-Pekka Salonen assumes in 2008.)

As he did last week, Dohnanyi lowered the risers on Disney Hall's stage, save for a small elevation of the woodwinds and brasses. The sound the change produced was just as obvious this time, a melding of textures we don't generally associate with the space.

The blend must have sounded opaque to some, but there was compensatory warmth in Dohnanyi's interpretations. Most striking this time was the almost syncopated quality of some of the attacks, especially in the strings.

Hearing the Fourth and Second Symphonies in readings combining freshness with respect for tradition was an occasionally frustrating experience, especially with Dohnanyi steering a measured pace in both works. When the unexpected was encountered, it came as a small revelation rather than a Saul-on-the-road-to-Damascus moment. Yet because these points were judiciously placed, they were all the more powerful for their unexpectedness.

If cavils must be levied, then Dohnanyi's even-tempered tempos should be faulted. The finale to the Fourth Symphony, for example, is marked "Allegro energico e passionato," but though there was plenty of passion in Dohnanyi's conducting, energy seemed to be lacking in the Philharmonic's playing.

In the Symphony No. 2, the pace was even more relaxed, though in this music, a broad, expressive approach is more acceptable. Here, the Philharmonic woodwinds sounded especially fetching and spacious. And Dohnanyi had one surprise remaining: In the spirited finale of this symphony, he -- and the orchestra -- cut loose.

Sudden dynamic shifts, songful phrasing and steadily built drama all contributed to this rousing finish, which marked an end not just to the symphony, or to the program, or even to the Brahms cycle, but really to Dohnanyi's extended appearance. Of his visit, one word fits best. Yes -- worthwhile.

CHRISTOPH VON DOHNANYI CONDUCTS THE L.A. PHILHARMONIC - Three and one half stars

What: Guest conductor Christoph von Dohnanyi leads the Philharmonic in Brahms' Symphonies Nos. 2 and 4.

Where: Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

When: 8tonight.

Tickets: $15 to $135. [phone] or www.laphil.com.

In a nutshell: The former longtime music director of the Cleveland Orchestra brings a lifetime of experience to the second half of a two-week Brahms symphony cycle.