HOW TO CONDUCT YOURSELF WITH LANG LANG.

Byline: David Mermelstein

Correspondent

Was it perhaps a clever plot on the part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic?

Bring audiences to Disney Hall for Lang Lang, the ever-popular, ever-smiling, 24-year-old Chinese keyboard daredevil, and then spring a relatively unknown but clearly gifted Russian guest conductor on them. If so, it was a most ingenious plan, the only losers being the small but noticeable group of patrons who failed to return to their seats after intermission, i.e., after Lang's superficial limning of Chopin's E-minor Piano Concerto.

The maestro in question, Vassily Sinaisky, doesn't lack credentials. A student of Ilya Musin and an assistant to Kyrill Kondrashin before assuming leadership of the Moscow Philharmonic from 1991 to 1996 and the Russian State Orchestra until 2002, he is now principal guest conductor of the BBC Philharmonic and newly installed principal conductor of Sweden's Malmo Symphony Orchestra.

Sinaisky distinguished himself from the outset, returning the orchestra to its former configuration -- with all the violins on his left, and the cellos and double basses on his right. But instrumental placement alone hardly accounts for his sensitively sculpted reading of the program's curtain-raiser, Berlioz's overture to "Le Corsaire." With dynamics nicely shaded, he coaxed a warm glow from the brasses and attractive bloom from the strings, all without sacrificing pungency.

The crowd, though, had turned out for Lang, and so in the Chopin, Sinaisky and the orchestra receded to let the virtuoso do his thing. The conductor, in a most unusual move, even had his podium removed, further reducing his presence.

He needn't have bothered, of course, for anyone who has seen Lang knows he cannot be eclipsed. This is an artist who loves display and has the physical wherewithal to make even the most complicated music seem like child's play. In addition, his tone is awesomely pure and precise. No matter how softly he plays, the sound is always crystal clear.

But not everything about Lang is laudable. Though he has reduced his mugging, he still preens at the piano, his undeniable elan marred by moments that virtually scream, "Hey, ma, look at me!" And musically at least, he remains emotionally immature, capturing superficial charms at the expense of deeper truths.

A powerful antidote to Lang's cheap sentiment came with Sinaisky's account of Rachmaninoff's "Symphonic Dances," the composer's final work. In lesser hands, this orchestral showpiece might seem negligible, but not here.

Rachmaninoff always trafficked in nostalgia, but when he put his skills to good use, the result could be powerful. Sinaisky elicited a huge sound from the beefed-up Philharmonic. And thanks to Disney Hall's acoustics, you could hear the lower strings buzzing.

The conductor never compromised on virtuosity, but he larded these strains with a touching humanity that made the music all the more compelling.

I spied architect Frank Gehry in the house and couldn't help but think how pleased he must be with his Disney Hall after a performance like this. He certainly should be.

VASSILY SINAISKY CONDUCTS THE L.A. PHILHARMONIC, WITH PIANIST LANG LANG - Three stars

What: A Russian guest conductor leads the Philharmonic in music by Chopin, Berlioz, and Rachmaninoff.

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

When: 8 tonight and 2 p.m. Sunday.

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

In a nutshell: The little known Sinaisky brings passion and precision to some demanding scores as Lang Lang, the Chinese phenom, offer style over substance.