BLOMSTEDT COMMANDS ATTENTION AT L.A. PHIL.

Byline: David Mermelstein Correspondent

Anton Bruckner was famous for his self-doubt. And though no one would accuse Herbert Blomstedt - guest-conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic this weekend - of lacking confidence, his manner is unusually modest for a conductor. So there was something to be said for having Blomstedt lead the Philharmonic in Bruckner's Symphony No. 4 ("Romantic").

Not that there was anything of the shrinking violet in Blomstedt's lusty yet measured reading.

Bruckner's symphonies are famous for their leisurely pace. Occasionally, a conductor will make them amble a little more purposefully, but in general listeners must prepare themselves for a long haul. Yet the cliche about the pleasure being in the journey is never truer than when listening to a well-wrought Bruckner symphony.

Unfortunately, Bruckner's sprawling scores and tectonic grammar elude many who attempt these works. But Blomstedt, music director of the San Francisco Symphony from 1984 to 1995, has never been among the fallen, and concertgoers with long memories will recall his stunning account of Bruckner's Symphony No. 9 with the San Franciscans at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

On this occasion, the conductor held a listener's attention through subtle dynamic shifts, powerful climaxes and attention to textural detail. The Philharmonic played tautly and at full bore for Blomstedt, raptly attentive to his every gesture. And the whole experience was immeasurably enriched by the acoustics of Disney Hall, which flatters music like this.

Among the signatures of this account was Blomstedt's grading of tension, so that the conclusions of each movement were especially gripping. It was a winning stratagem that had the effect of reminding listeners there were peaks as well as valleys in this music. Equally gratifying was Blomstedt's ability to find unexpected charm in this score, particularly in the Andante, the symphony's slowest movement, as well as in the Scherzo.

Charm, not incidentally, was one of the primary attractions of the program's curtain raiser, Mendelssohn's First Piano Concerto, with Garrick Ohlsson at the keyboard. This is light music, mostly lacking in depth, but its technical hurdles afford the right pianist an opportunity to shine as a virtuoso. As it happens, Ohlsson was the right man for the job, fleet-fingered, energetic and brimming with muscularity.

From the start, he tore into the piece, his tone perhaps a little glassy, but his phrasing never coarse and often elegant. He was self-assured without being glib, and to say that he had the measure of this music understates the case. In the slow movement, his pianism was gentle and thoughtful and even a little dreamy - here, Blomstedt summoned beautiful playing from the violas and cellos. And for the finale, Ohlsson pulled out the proverbial stops, dashing off difficult runs as though so much child's play. It was, in a word, astonishing.

HERBERT BLOMSTEDT CONDUCTS THE LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC, WITH PIANIST GARRICK OHLSSON - Three stars

What: Guest conductor Herbert Blomstedt leads the orchestra in Mendelssohn's First Piano Concerto and Bruckner's "Romantic" Symphony.

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

When: 8 p.m. tonight.

Tickets: $15-$129. [phone] or www.laphil.com.

In a nutshell: Dispatching charm and might with equal aplomb, Blomstedt once more reminds concertgoers that he is a conductor to be celebrated.