The Glendale Symphony makes more sense in Glendale. Long a fixture at the Los Angeles Music Center, downtown, the orchestra there seemed like a suburban cousin putting on city airs.
Now, at the beginning of its 71st season, the orchestra has moved back home, right into Glendale's city center and the refurbished Alex Theatre.
The orchestra, under music director Lalo Schifrin, sounded better rehearsed than it often has with this conductor. The Alex Theatre, too, with the addition of a sound-shell onstage, surpassed its recent reputation. Heard from the front balcony, the orchestra had an appealing brightness and clarity.
For the most part, Schifrin took a back seat on this occasion, with three soloists on the bill. But he did get off a spirited, tidy, well-judged account of Stravinsky's "Pulcinella" Suite to start things off.
