Philharmonic gives soothing concert

     By Julia Osborne
     Review-Journal
      Sometimes, it's fine not to be flashy.
      Sometimes, an evening of relaxing, recognizable classic music is just what's needed to wash away a week's worth of stress, to lull listeners into a mood more appropriate for a lazy weekend.
      That's exactly what the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra provided at Ham hall Friday evening, offering a comfortable program of simple pleasures.
      It would be difficult to select a more recognizable group of composers. Friday's selections were by Brahms, Mozart and Beethoven. The 115-piece orchestra, under the direction of artistic director Kazimierz Kord, dutifully provided interpretations that never strayed far from the expected, though featured pianist Jon Kimura Parker did provide some surprises during the Mozart.
      The orchestra has a rich history. Established in 1901, it has performed with conductors and soloists including Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Strauss and Stravinsky. Despite several years during World War II when it could not perform, it has been seen in 30 countries on five continents. Kord, a Polish native who studied in Leningrad and has been a guest conductor with orchestras and operas throughout the world, was named music director in 1977.
      Parker, a Canadian, won an international piano competition in 1984 and has performed throughout the United States and Europe as well as Asia.
      His style might make a piano teacher wince.
      He seems most comfortable huddled over the piano, shoulders tight and low, rather than adopting a more relaxed pose. His left hand is frequently hovering some distance above the keys, waiting its turn to rejoin the composition much like an impudent child.
      "Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op. 56a" by Brahms opened the evening--somewhat inauspiciously. this can be a subtle, witty work, characterized by its changes in mood and temperament, from dreamy passages to brisk, brusque sections before a triumphant finale.
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