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It was the launch of his first summer at Tanglewood as the BSO's new director. But Levine never took an occasion as bait to be showy. Throughout Mahler's Symphony No. 8 -- the single piece on the program and a grand and glorious affair -- Levine used an extreme of understated gesture and expression.

At the symphony's spirited launch, "Veni, Creator Spiritus," there's an explosion of buoyant melody from the huge chorus and eight vocal soloists. One could easily imagine a conductor projecting that spirit through his entire being. An agitated Seiji Ozawa, Levine's predecessor, easily comes to mind. Hardly lifting an eyebrow, Levine simply gave a quick beat and the evening was off to a rousing start.

Likewise, in the more tender and gentle passages, which mostly came in the second half, Levine merely pulled his arms a bit closer to his body to suggest a smaller sound. Changes in tempo probably got the most pronounced attention.

Perhaps it's because he's spent so many hours in the dark orchestra pit of the Metropolitan Opera House that Levine has developed such an economy of gesture and disregard for showing off to the audience. By not micromanaging the music, he also shows a respect for the musicians and ultimately demands their utmost attention. The smaller the beat, the more you have to watch.

The Tanglewood Festival Chorus, singing from memory and with consummate clarity and strength, got the same treatment, even executing some tricky, clipped counterpoint without an abundance of cues from the podium.

A botched entrance by clarinet and oboe, early in the second half, was one of many moments when Levine could have offered a bit more assistance. Perhaps his mind was on the greater architecture of the piece, which worked beautifully. The only disruption in the symphony's flow was the intermission that came after a mere 25 minutes.

The marvelous vocal soloists, including soprano Deborah Voigt, tenor Johan Botha and bass John Relyea, were heard with remarkable clarity in the Koussevitzky Music Shed, which is not always helpful to singers.

During the angelic final minutes, soprano Heidi Grant Murphy appeared on a perch in the rafters above the stage to sing two brief, crushingly beautiful lines. Immediately afterward, as the music flowed on, Levine blew her a kiss. While he may not be the most active conductor, the guy does have a heart. Joseph Dalton, a local freelance writer, contributes regularly to the Times Union.

BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

James Levine, conductor

Where: Tanglewood, Lenox, Mass.

When: 8:30 p.m. Friday

Duration: Two hours, with one intermission

The crowd: 5,346; mostly devoted patrons and student musicians

Coming up: Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra performs excerpts from Wagner's "Die Walkure" and "Gotterdammerung."