WEST COAST PREMIERE TOPS L.A. PHILHARMONIC CONCERT.

Byline: David Mermelstein Correspondent

Conductor Christopher Eschenbach, pianist Peter Serkin and the Los Angeles Philharmonic offered music lovers an early Christmas present Thursday night: a variously challenging, thoughtful, robust, affecting and bracing evening at the symphony. The program, to be repeated tonight and Sunday, contained one new work, Peter Lieberson's ``Red Garuda'' and two old favorites, Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 19 (K. 459) and Brahms' Symphony No. 2.

In its West Coast premiere, ``Red Garuda,'' which is, in effect, Lieberson's second piano concerto, emerged as an often accessible work aspiring to monumentality. The title refers to an Asian myth involving a large bird that knows no boundaries and never stops flying. And, indeed, the densely textured piece barely allowed listeners to savor one musical thought before another intruded. The result combined a host of familiar orchestral gestures (brass slides, string surges, percussion thwacks) with a piano part that was often spare and ambient, but also lyrical and even epic.

Serkin, whose grandfather and father were legendary pillars of the classical tradition, has made a name for himself as one of new music's most persuasive advocates. He has a special relationship with Lieberson, whose First Piano Concerto he premiered in 1983. So when ``Red Garuda'' had its premiere last year, few were surprised when Serkin handled the solo honors once again. On this occasion, Serkin used a score, but that in no way diminished his vigorous, compelling performance. Eschenbach and the orchestra, too, seemed swept up in the music, evincing intensity and involvement.

In an unusual move that might be termed ``more concerto bang for your buck,'' Serkin returned to the stage after the Lieberson to play Mozart's Piano Concerto K. 459. Though at first the pianist sounded rushed, his playing crabbed, he soon relaxed into a performance of straightforward beauty. At its best, Serkin's tone was light and pearly, his articulation clean. Eschenbach summoned a graceful, sunny performance from the Philharmonic, well-balanced and full of elan.

The program concluded, sans Serkin, with Eschenbach and the orchestra giving Brahms' Second Symphony an expansive yet thoroughly energetic reading. Eschenbach, who led the Philharmonic as recently as October, is widely reported to be on the short list to inherit the New York Philharmonic. After hearing the Brahms, one could easily understand why.

This was a nakedly emotive performance, but one that did not suffer for wearing its heart on its sleeve. Had the orchestra not responded to Eschenbach's coaxing, the conductor's audible grunting and sighing might have seemed affected or disingenuous. Instead, such sounds emerged as honest expressions of this music's power to move. And why not?

PETER SERKIN/CHRISTOPHER ESCHENBACH WITH THE LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC

Where: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

When: 8 tonight, 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets: $10 to $70. Call [phone].

Our rating: Three and one half stars