The Maine Center for the Arts catered to the music-minded community of Bangor this weekend by presenting pianist Philip Glass in concert Friday night, and the Bangor Symphony Orchestra’s annual Pops concert on Saturday night. The offerings were from three diverse musical traditions — New Age classical, classical, and Cotton Club jazz. Although the respective audiences were drawn to Glass’ moody New Age wanderings, or the jazzy tunes of the BSO guest artists of “This Joint Is Jumpin’,” the highlight of the weekend for this reviewer was the classical segment, including Strauss’ Overture Die Fledermaus and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Suite.

Led by visiting conductor Constantine Kitsopoulos, of the New York Chamber Orchestra and the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra, the BSO was marvelously unsentimental and vivid in its performance of Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet. In particular, the well-known oboe solo, played sonorously by Lyndon Moors, and the violin/cello duet (featuring Estelle Holly on violin and George Sopkin on cello) were lovely highlights. The orchestra had an ambient warmth, which was never too romantic, nor too melancholy as might be the temptations with this piece.

Although Kitsopoulos was relatively unimaginative in his interpretation of these two lively pieces, he kept the music crisp, clean, and straightforward.

During the second half of the evening, the BSO popped the musical cork and let go of some bubbly songs by Fats Waller, Irving Berlin, and Scott Joplin. Joined by pianist/musical arranger Danny Holgate and his glittering cast of four vocalists, a drummer, and bass player, the BSO shimmied the audience down a lane of more than a dozen Harlem-honed favorites, such as “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “The Entertainer,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” and “Ain’t Misbehavin.’ ” There was no scenery, no hi-jinks, no script — just good old musical presentation by four impressive voices and fine musicians (including Bangor bass player Mark Mumme).

That’s not to say that the show lacked dramatic pizazz. From the lovely, sultry styling of Gail Holgate’s “Ain’t Misbehavin,’ ” to the vampy, comic antics of Jannis Warner’s “Kitchen Man,” this group showed its gift for hosting a radiantly good time. During some numbers, such as the funny Waller tune “Feets Too Big,” performed humourously by Steve Fowler, the singers teased front-row audience members. The only thing that was really missing from this good-time show was the cruise ship.

However, when Ty Stephens burst onto stage in a Cab Calloway get-up, and blurted out a lively version of “Minnie the Moocher,” the show did digress from its sophisticated manner. Stephens’ otherwise brilliant baritone was quite wasted on this goofy routine, but the audience was tickled with nostalgia and eagerly answered the call for “heidie hos” and “hee-bedee-hees.”

Whereas the joint was jumpin’ with life on Saturday night, the joint was serenaded into stillness on Friday night when Philip Glass played his simple, repetitive melodies to a house of approximately 500 fortysomething folks. Listeners sat motionlessly, as if stunned by the dreamy patterns, pulsating bass, and rippling arpeggios of Glass’ music.

He played selections from “Glassworks,” “Einstein on the Beach,” and “A Thin Blue Line,” all of which he pleasantly prefaced with explanations or background information.

While Glass’ mellow melodies wound round and round and round — and then repeated themselves — the crowd became mesmerized. The mysterious rhythms poured like elixir into the cups of these ready listeners, some of whom closed their eyes and struck meditative positions, with heads tilted back or hands folded.

Glass’ technique, influenced by Eastern practices and an education in mathematics, was impressively precise and often lovely, but it was also tedious. He obviously embraces a concern for spiritual and social consciousness in his compositions, but it was hard to tell whether the rendundancy of theme reflects a profound enlightenment or a willingness to appease listeners with accessible sounds that effect a serene mood.