The opener, Debussy’s "Danse," came closest to what defines a popular piece. This version, orchestrated by Ravel, has actually eclipsed the original piano piece, and the ensemble delivered it with a crisp flourish. Two unlisted additions to the program complemented "Danse," Ravel's Menuet on the Name of Haydn and Debussy's "Homage to Haydn", both orchestrated by David Diamond. Originally short piano pieces, these were written in 1909 in honor of the 100th anniversary of Haydn’s death. Both used the same notation theme, B-A-D-D-G, derived from Haydn’s name.

The first piece is the more interesting because of Diamond’s uncanny ability to mimic Ravel’s orchestrational technique, while the second, obviously written by Debussy in his sleep, is undoubtedly an improvement on the original. Sheldon brought out the best in these pieces, which acted as prelude to Haydn’s own Symphony No. 100 in G Major.

Dubbed the "Military" Symphony because of its extended passages using drums and trumpets, the work was written during Haydn’s London sojourn and was a great success there. It is not hard to hear the connection between Haydn and Beethoven (despite the pupil's uncharitable attitude toward his teacher). Not only was Haydn the evolutionary lynchpin of the symphonic style, he brought to his craft a penchant for humor. Under Sheldon's baton, the celebrated second movement came off almost as a parody, as if Haydn were good-naturedly mocking some Viennese regiment (albeit from a safe distance).

The last movement, with characteristic twists and turns that keep the listener on his toes, features such a panoply of compositional techniques that it is hard not to think of it as the composer’s display case for his own abilities. Just the same, it provides a memorable entertainment, and was handled deftly by the orchestra.

The evening's highlight was the rarely heard Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by Samuel Barber. Written in 1939-40, it represents a composer who contines to be impossible to pin down, with its first two movements echoing Bruckner juxtaposed with its angular final movement pre-figuring Bartok. Yet at no time does one feel that Barber is apologetic about this duality, nor is his writing at all self-conscious. It is simply there, take it or leave it.

Soloist Jeremy Constant's direct, honest and unassuming stage persona made him the perfect person to tackle the dialectical first movement of this remarkable piece. He made his own statements in a forthright way, while allowing the orchestra to have its say at the appropriate times. The conversational approach does not work as well in the difficult second movement, however. Here the orchestral writing is so emotionally purple that it can overshadow the soloist.

Despite near perfection on the technical front, Constant showed that he was still relatively new to the piece (using music for the performance). The few instances when he got under the skin of the music provided a tantalizing glimpse of his capabilities. It would be good to hear him play this movement again after he has lived with it for a while. The last movement presents even more of a problem for the soloist, since it is a moto perpetuo at first punctuated then finally overwhelmed by the colors of the orchestra. The listener quickly tunes out the relentless solo, no matter how excellent the technique and boundless the energy (which Constant provided) and focuses in on the orchestral part.

Sheldon did a masterful job with his players in trying to find an emotional balance with the soloist. In a few places the ensemble could have been cleaner, but they were overshadowed by many more instances when the orchestra nailed Barber’s sonorities to the walls of Marin Center. There is no question that there is an audience out there for Barber's music. As long as there are ensembles like the Marin Symphony filling the creative void that seems to exist in larger and more well funded associations, the Bay Area has nothing to worry about.

(John Karl Hirten is Director of Music at St. Stephen's Church, Belvedere, a frequent recitalist in the Bay Area and a composer.)