By Janelle Gelfand
The Cincinnati Enquirer

A canceled soloist didn't keep Paavo Jarvi and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra from presenting a stimulating concert in Music Hall Friday morning.

When the U.S. State Department lost the passport of violist Tabea Zimmermann, scheduled to make her debut here in Bartok's Viola Concerto, a scintillating performance of Mozart's early Symphony No. 28 in C Major, K. 200 was substituted. In the end, the program, including two Strauss tone poems and a concerto for double bass, seemed calculated to feature the orchestra, along with its principal bassist, Owen Lee.

Strauss' Don Juan was a brilliant opener, and Mr. Jarvi gave it a red-blooded reading. His lusty hero swaggered, his pacing was thrilling and the orchestra responded with fine playing. The conductor built up wonderfully to the love theme in the oboe (Richard Johnson), and the striking horn calls which followed. The strings seemed energized, and played with both a lightness and a richness of color that is a Jarvi trademark.

In the concluding Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, Mr. Jarvi's interpretation was so vivid, it was as if Till's antics were unfolding before our eyes. From the opening flourish in the horn - superbly played by Thomas Sherwood - this was Strauss to cherish: detailed, witty and performed with impressive orchestral virtuosity. The wind phrases were alive with color. Till's escapades happened in great outbursts, as Mr. Jarvi swept through them with exciting momentum.

In the second half, Mr. Lee, 33, principal bassist since 1996, gave the CSO premiere of Eduard Tubin's Double Bass Concerto, a welcome addition to the rather spare bass literature. Although Mr. Lee leads his section with gusto, he is not a flamboyant soloist. He is, however, a musician of the highest calibre, who navigated the concerto's demands impeccably.

The Estonian composer's music for double bass has richly varied moods, from tongue-in-cheek to mournful lyricism. Mr. Lee played with spirit and unflagging momentum, through its wide-ranging themes. His cadenza, which had syncopated rhythms and difficult double stops, ended on a haunting high harmonic, played with beautiful intonation. The finale, which included playful glissandos, was controlled but communicative, and Mr. Jarvi kept an ideal balance.

For an encore, Mr. Lee made the double bass sing in Mendelssohn's "Spring Song."

Mozart's Symphony No. 28, not performed here since the Max Rudolf era in the '60s, had all the wit and character of opera. The whimsical finale flew, and was stunningly executed.

E-mail jgelfand@enquirer.com