Many concert programs follow the standard format familiar to concertgoers everywhere: overture, concerto, intermission, symphony. It's not the only way to arrange a program, but it's the commonest.

Still, there are other ways to make concerts seem fresh, intriguing and exciting. One recent program put two intermissions in a program of three closely related works, Respighi's Roman trilogy. It gave each of the colorfully scored symphonic poems a separate space and a clear focus, while preserving their conceptual unity.

The intimate relationship between orchestra, voice and dance in music should be obvious. In the practical world, though, concerts tend to be orchestra programs, chorus programs or ballet programs, simply because orchestras, choral societies and ballet companies usually prepare their own programs, with their own logistic challenges. One recent program, however, was planned jointly to present singers, dancers and orchestra together in Orff's "Carmina Burana," a near-operatic undertaking.

A novel approach doesn't necessarily make a great concert, but these two were great fun for performers and listeners alike.

Tokyo Kokyo Gakudan

March 25, Naoto Otomo conducting in Tokyo Geijutsu Gekijo -- Symphonic poem "Roman Festivals"; Symphonic poem "Fountains of Rome"; Symphonic poem "The Pines of Rome" (Ottorino Respighi, 1879-1936)

The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra's 49th regular subscription concert under Naoto Otomo featured Ottorino Respighi's Roman trilogy based on musical portrayals of colorful scenes of life in ancient Rome.

Respighi's power of evocation of the Italian landscape and his ability to sustain interest was without peer. Combining the three Roman works in one program has often been done in the past; Otomo's thought was clearly to give each one its own frame, separating them with intermissions for the public to rest, reflect and absorb more satisfyingly the impact of each score.

Mind you, the "Roman Festivals" is only 15 minutes long, and the intermission comes a little soon for the seasoned concertgoer. Still, the intermission (with refreshments) is a legitimate part of the total evening experience. So is dinner before and drinks afterward, easier in Europe than in busy, busy Tokyo.

Programming a three-part musical program with two intermissions actually has a long and honorable tradition, even if not yet common in Japan. Arthur Fiedler applied it constantly at the enormously popular concerts of the Boston Pops.

Fiedler's technique was to feature a symphony in the first part, when the audience was fresh. The second part would be a concerto, often with a young or popular soloist. The third part was the lightest. Thus the audience was fresh for the main course, and then proceeded through lighter fare to arrive at dessert.

The Tokyo Symphony has given Otomo his head in exploring off the central repertoire, with techniques and approaches of his own choosing. Two intermissions may not seem like much, but without sacrificing artistic quality in any way it somehow made that concert different, and kind of special.

Kanagawa Philharmonie Kangen Gakudan

March 26, Eiichi Saito conducting in Tokyo Bunka Kaikan -- Scenic oratorio "Carmina Burana" (Carl Orff, 1895-1982) featuring the Orff Festival Chorus and Ballet, soprano Minako Shioda, tenor Mikihiko Kawase and baritone Osamu Takai; and dancers Etsuko Adachi, Shoko Takabe, Miwako Tadano, Kinya Ashikawa, Tokihiko Sakamoto and Mitsuru Horiuchi

Carl Orff's scenic oratorio "Carmina Burana" is based on 13th-century student poems found in a manuscript in a Bavarian monastery. The oratorio's dimensions and drama lend it to use as a ballet score. Apparently it was a labor of love for the Orff Festival Chorus, which from the beginning was a group of both singers and dancers. In this production, the singers took part in the large-scale stage movements, complementing the text with actions of their hands, arms, feet and bodies.

The lighting on stage made the first impact, signaling that this was theater, not just an orchestra, chorus or ballet performance. The solo singers have demanding arias to sing, challenging the range (all are embellished with extremely high tessituras) and dramatic characterization. Nonetheless, the soloists traversed the stage to make entrances and contribute to the imagery.

This is no more than the Renaissance conception of art as a whole. The shifts of portions and perimeters of the chorus enlivened the impact of the staging and contributed to the spectacle. The use of clapping and stamping by the dancers and singers was extremely well done, adding a marvelous percussion effect to the music as well as to the action.

Choruses are by nature groups of music lovers, amateur in the best sense of the word, and ballet choruses are the same. The OFC is in a class of its own though, being a fusion of the two.

Orff himself was dedicated to promoting musical training and the understanding of rhythm among children, and the concept of a fusion of the arts into a total theater. This was staged with joy and enthusiasm, freed from high claims of professionalism, and it worked. Orff would have loved it.