The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra's Thursday night performance at Eastman Theatre was billed as a kind of "welcome home" for both Conductor Laureate Christopher Seaman and pianist Jon Nakamatsu, a longtime Rochester fan favorite. Their return did not disappoint.

From the majestic, downright Wagnerian French horn theme that opens Edward Elgar's In the South, the RPO painted with a rich palette of orchestral colors, and the connection between Seaman and his players was palpable.

Seaman has a knack for eliciting a sound from his ensemble that is direct and conversational in its delivery, but with a full, nuanced and romantic tone. The horns were majestic, the strings ardent and sympathetic — ideal for Elgar's combination of dynamic and commanding textures with beautifully heroic melodies.

Camille Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 begins with quintessential Romantic grandiosity from the soloist, but Nakamatsu deftly averted the dangerous possibility of delving into Liberace-esque pomposity. Like Seaman, Nakamatsu is a servant to the music first and foremost, eschewing any unhealthy attachment to superfluous showmanship.

Nakamatsu evinced brilliant musicianship. His tone and articulation sparkled and shimmered, while his use of dynamics and energy brought out the lifeblood of each and every phrase. The orchestra was no less vibrant.

If the concerto's first movement could be accused of being self-serious, the following "Allegro scherzando" was decidedly more playful, evoking the image of a society dance turned bubbly spring frolic, in which the dancers could not help but wink at one another.

With the third and final movement, the brisk air of virtuosity that began the piece returned with an almost frantic quality. Nakamatsu's fingers cascaded up and down the keyboard in a fluttery whirlwind of notes that belied clear hints of Baroque counterpoint.

To close the program, the crackling energy that is undeniably Igor Stravinsky was wonderfully transparent in the RPO's performance of his ballet Petrushka (1947). The composer's attention to detail is astonishing, and his hyper-articulate music demands equal conscientiousness from the players.

Not to worry: Seaman and company didn't skimp on the specifics. Sprightly flutes, fluttering woodwinds and incisive strings helped to imbue the folk-like charm of the melodies with resplendent, colorful timbres and textures. If one listened closely, the thematic seeds that would later fully sprout in The Rite of Spring were perceptible. Toward the end of the piece, the music took a particularly bizarre, near-manic turn as disparate timbres from the various instruments shifted the mood to bright, kaleidoscopic effect.

At the conclusion, Thursday's audience responded to Seaman with overwhelming warmth and adoration, and the conductor was no less generous. Insisting that those in attendance shouldn't leave the concert hall with unsettling images of the dead puppet Petrushka in their heads, Seaman led the RPO in the "Pas de deux" from Tchaikovsky's iconic ballet The Nutcracker.

Apart from being a gorgeous and satisfying listen, the inclusion of this encore aided in contextualizing the music of Stravinsky, shedding light on the rich heritage of vivid orchestration and detailed articulation from which he clearly drew.

Daniel J. Kushner is a freelance writer, opera librettist and musician.

If you go

What: RPO presents "Seaman and Nakamatsu Return."

When: 8 p.m. Saturday, May 2.

Where: Eastman Theatre, 60 Gibbs St.

Cost: $16 to $94; $10 for students.

Tickets: (585) 454-2100 or

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