AMSTERDAM -- The meeting of waterways, the defining feature of Pittsburgh's Downtown, has little significance here -- not when picturesque canals stretch intricately everywhere throughout Amsterdam. With the water divided among the many streets, it takes the historic Munttoren, or Mint Tower, to mark one of its larger canal confluences, where the Amstel meets the Singel. But above the oddly placid water of the canals are bustling throngs of tourists, shoppers and trams and bicyclists, making Amsterdam one of the world's most vibrant cities even in dreary, overcast and chilly January.

A contingent of Pittsburghers added to the lively scene Monday and Tuesday, chief among them the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato. The latter two were engaged in promotion of Western Pennsylvania to businesses and media here, including a European rollout of the upcoming pro bicycle Tour of Pennsylvania, discussions about direct airline flights from Pittsburgh to Amsterdam on KLM and wooing of business to Allegheny County. The PSO's was a much more public affair at one of the world's most significant halls, the Concertgebouw, beginning the second leg of its Pittsburgh 250 Ambassador Tour of Europe, with Spain now behind them.

With its concert last night, the orchestra made its first appearance here since 2003, a time that now seems so long ago. Music director Mariss Jansons was at the helm then and a conducting triumvirate had not yet surfaced. Now Jansons is running the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, although he was in the United States on tour and could not attend the concert. Leading from the podium was, in fact, a member of the PSO's conducting trio. Marek Janowski descended the famous steep steps and greeted the large crowd (surrounding the orchestra) and the superlative acoustics of the Concertgebouw with a program of Brahms.

Ravenstahl and Onorato attended the concert with their wives, the first time the mayor has heard the orchestra. "It was certainly marvelous, but what impressed me the most is the reaction of the crowd -- it was certainly very well received," he said after the performance.

There were a few hitches before the concert. One was that several principal players got what appears to be food poisoning after eating oysters in Spain. But all were in attendance at the concert, although concertmaster Andres Cardenes did sit out the first piece of the program, Brahms' Violin Concerto, with Leonidas Kavakos as soloist.

Secondly, the PSO was unable to rehearse in the Concertgebouw because the hall had booked a concert earlier in the day. That is not unheard of in the touring world, but it is unfortunate and some musicians had concerns about its effect on their concert. Joseph Rounds, a spokesman for the musicians and a horn player, said the orchestra would have liked to have had time in the hall, but that experience performing there over the years would pay off. "We know what the hall is like, Janowski knows what the hall is like. We are professionals, it happens all the time. It is a big deal, but we will handle it."

Handle it they did and more.

The PSO displayed its fine ensemble in the Violin Concerto, with Janowski creating space for Kavakos to display his stunning virtuosity. Only very occasionally was the balance slightly off, with the woodwinds sometimes overmatched. Kavakos was a remarkably fluid performer, especially with the bow hand, but at times, especially in the second movement, his timbre was a bit thin and his volume too low (almost a demure approach). I prefer a fuller sound here. But in the fast-moving third, he was impressively articulate within the tempest of notes. Oboist Cynthia DeAlmeida's warm solo in the second movement took full advantage of the hall's reverberance.

With the stage fully to itself, the PSO gave an inspired performance of Brahms' Fourth Symphony that was the equal of any I've heard it give. Janowski's tempos were faster, if only slightly so, than he commanded in Heinz Hall and his phrasing aggressive from the downbeat. The result was a capturing of the large-scale plan of the piece, the tonal continental shifts that contain monumental energy in potent climaxes and great profundity in quieter moments.

The first movement was epic, with the musicians all but announcing that the PSO is doing fine without its illustrious former maestro. Not that anyone said so to me, but it was, after all, the elephant in the room.

The second movement brought clarinetist Michael Rusinek's singing tone to the fore, as he played the melody against a backdrop of pizzicato strings and bassoons, and the third movement really brought forth a fire from the players. The violinists played on the front edge of the beat and with a bit of a swagger, perhaps picking up their ailing concertmaster (who did play here). While individual and section playing was largely excellent in the passacaglia finale, it did not have the feel of individual variations this time, but of a sweeping statement -- a sonic javelin thrown by Janowski as the theme was introduced, not landing until the last bar.

The audience responded in kind, with a bravo shouted before the conductor could drop his hands. Janowski rewarded them with a surprising encore -- the slow third movement of Brahms' Third Symphony, a sophisticated choice that displayed the artistry of horn player William Caballero in a solo and that of the orchestra as a whole.

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Carnegie Hall in New York released its 2008-09 season yesterday, but for the second year in a row, the PSO was not among those on the roster. Last season marked the first time since the 1996-97 season that the orchestra had not had at least one concert there, and the orchestra hopes to get a date there again in the future.