The Press Democrat SRS' 75th anniversary party kicks off on sour note  October 14, 2002 By Diane Peterson  The Santa Rosa Symphony rolled out the red carpet and popped champagne corks Saturday night to celebrate its 75th anniversary season with an adventurous but well-balanced program of 20th-century works.  Unfortunately, the season opener at the Burbank Center for the Arts made a less than persuasive case for the jangly rhythms of the late 20th century, with, poor acoustics marring the overall impact of John Adams' "Century Rolls" piano concerto before intermission.  With Adams himself on the podium and Music Director Jeffrey Kahane at the keyboards, the highly athletic work left the starting blocks with confidence, but the center did not always hold between the edgy and often contradictory grooves of piano and orchestra.  Of course, it's sometimes hard to tell exactly where the center lies in this rhythmically fractured work, but it helps if you've heard the recording made by the Cleveland Orchestra and pianist Emanuel Ax.  Making matters worse, the piano was amplified through microphones, creating mushy sound and balance problems, especially for those sitting near the speakers at the front of the hall.  However, the jazzy riff at the end of the first movement and the austere second movement -- a homage to Eric Satie's lovely "Gymnopedies" -- emerged as clear and crisp as an autumn night.  All in all, it was a valiant effort from both Kahane and the orchestra in what is probably the most rhythmically challenging work they have ever performed together. And Adams did an admirable job with the baton, keeping the beat through cacophonous moments reminiscent of the works of Charles Ives.  Their efforts were rewarded with a standing ovation.  The evening's real success came after intermission, however, with the lush, Slavic melodies of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Third Symphony, originally written in 1936 for the Philadelphia Orchestra, long known for its sumptuous Old World sound and elegance.  Under Kahane's baton, the Santa Rosa Symphony played with gusto and sensitivity, the violins and flutes bringing out the sweetness and luster of the simple melodies while the violas, English horn and bass clarinet underscored the score's music's dark underside. The violin phrasing was particularly well-shaped in the vigorous finale, which ended with a teasing but satisfying climax.  Wearing a dark, double-breasted jacket and bow tie, guest conductor and composer John Adams led the curtain-opener, Aaron Copland's Party Scene from "The Tender Land," with congeniality and restraint, encouraging soloists with affectionate smiles.  However, there was a stylized stiffness to his gestures that made him seem like a guest who is not sure why he has been invited to the party.  There was nothing shy about the symphony's surprise encore, however. To segue into the gala champagne reception following the concert, the symphony flew into Johann Strauss' frothy Overture to "Die Fledermaus" -- perhaps the only universally recognizable work of the evening.  In an era when symphony orchestras all over the country are endangered by budget cuts and deficits, 75 years as a thriving institution is truly a feat worth toasting.  The Santa Rosa Symphony will repeat the Saturday program at 8 tonight at the Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Rd., Santa Rosa. Tickets cost $24-45. Call 546-8742.  You can reach Staff Writer Diane Peterson at 521-5287 or dpeterson@pressdemocrat.com.