The Sedona Symphony’s second concert of the season, held on Sunday, Nov. 19, at the Sedona Performing Arts Center, featured a strong program that included three of Artistic Director Janna Hymes’ favorite pieces: Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 “Classical,” Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 and Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 3.

Violinist Bella Hristova returned to Sedona to take the solo role in the Bruch concerto.

The orchestra led off with the Prokofiev, with the flutes coming on strong and the violins a trifle uncertain until they adjusted to the requisite degree of pianissimo. Light, elegant and fast, the first movement offered the work’s most comprehensive demonstration of classical technique, as Prokofiev had intended. The remarkable part here was that Hymes and the Symphony minimized what the composer sarcastically referred to as the “horrible Prokofievish dissonances” that he couldn’t resist dropping into the work in order to prove his bona fides to his modernist contemporaries.

On Sunday afternoon, those bits were almost unnoticeable thanks to the Symphony’s smooth playing. They made Prokofiev sound thoroughly Mozartean. The second movement included the work’s most familiar themes, and the third movement gavotte was particularly well executed. Both were much gentler than the final movement, which returned to the richness of the Allegro without as much classical style. Hymes conducted with verve and contagious energy throughout.

The Bruch First Concerto is one of the best-known pieces in the violin repertoire. For that very reason, it presents a greater-than-usual challenge, because, as Bruch himself noted, he later wrote other and better violin concertos. It requires talent and application to make it interesting, and Hristova and the Symphony supplied both in abundance.

The first two movements are played together without a pause, and the tenor of these two movements is that of a storm with breaks in the clouds, not unlike Sunday’s weather. Through this storm, or rather with it, grapples the soloist. Since Hristova is a very active player, especially from the upper body, she was an excellent choice to tackle this work. Her playing remained clear and precise even as the violin expressed its yearning over the ominous tones of the ensemble.

As the musical storm receded, Hristova’s part grew more lyrical and melodic with very bright coloring. The second movement of the concerto is anchored by a repeating five-note motif followed by a gently-ascending scale terminating in a low note that recalls American folk music or the Golden Age of Hollywood rather than 19th-century Germany. It would have made a great cue for a love scene between Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland.

After a briefly dark beginning, the third movement quickly segued into being both technical and folksy, with expansive stretches between the detail work. Legs braced, Hristova threw herself into its exuberance, which carried over into her encore, a Bulgarian dance in which she demonstrated wonderful atmospheric effects.

The impressive first half of the concert was succeeded after intermission by Schubert’s Third Symphony, one of his masterpieces and a truly extraordinary effort from an 18-year-old musician. The orchestra’s entry was perfect, and it was apparent immediately that this was going to be the real Vienna-style Schubert, lively, fun and loud. Hymes paid close attention to the dynamics and did a commendable job of adapting the sound to the abilities of the Symphony. Her selection of tempo was generally excellent apart from a slight slackening in the first half of the second movement. The winds gave a superb performance throughout, especially in the placid second movement and the cheerful, decisive third, which feature prominent writing for them. In this sense, the choice of the Schubert Third can be seen as catering to the orchestra’s strengths. There is nothing dramatic or “sturm und drang” about this work. It is a vivacious romp that the symphony delivered with joyousness and power, one that felt much too short when it was over. The instrumental jousting in the rousing final movement, with its volleys between the sections as they race toward a series of crescendos, is always a treat.

Hymes is becoming more comfortable with the orchestra and adding increased finesse to her readings. So far, she has tended to favor cheerful, upbeat, optimistic interpretations, which is a promising sign for the future. She is also demonstrating a tendency to take what might be considered less interesting works, make them interesting and make then better.

The Sedona Symphony’s next concert will take place on Sunday, Feb. 4, featuring guest clarinetist Ralph Skiano.