Craig Mulcahy performed Nino Rota’s Trombone Concerto with Gianandrea Noseda and the National Symphony Orchestra Friday night at the Kennedy Center. Photo: Scott Suchman

The National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by music director Gianandrea Noseda, performed varied works of Italian and French composers Friday night at the Kennedy Center.

The evening led off with Nicola Campogrande’s Decisamente allegro, which was receiving its American debut this week by the NSO. At times this short piece gave the impression of an elevated excerpt from a spaghetti western film score, complete with clip-clops on the glockenspiel, rat-a-tats on the snare, declamatory triads in the brass, and soaring lines in the strings.

Campogrande was particularly playful in his use of percussion, incorporating a rain stick and what sounded like a vibraslap. The whimsical effect was charming in this tightly crafted work, and Campogrande was in attendance to receive an enthusiastic ovation.

Following the first piece, a large swath of the orchestra exited the stage and left a chamber-sized ensemble to perform Nino Rota’s Concerto for Trombone. Best known as a film composer (The Godfather, La Strada, La Dolce Vita), Rota has also written several concert works such as this concerto, premiered in 1966.

The soloist was Craig Mulcahy, principal trombonist of the NSO. While cinematic at moments, Rota’s 13-minute concerto proved fitting for the concert stage. Mulcahy seemed a bit stiff initially, but grew more comfortable as the piece progressed. The soloist balanced a big, brassy sound with a warm vibrato and Mulcahy gave a rousing performance, particularly in the finale, as the quick, leaping passages allowed him to display his virtuosity and power.

The evening concluded with music of Debussy and Ravel, specifically works born out of the early 20th-century French fascination with an exoticized Spain. That made for a rewarding pairing, providing the way each composer evoked Southern Spain.

Noseda ran an impressively tight ship during the orchestra’s performance of Debussy’s Images pour orchestre. One might think of Debussy’s music as fluid and almost tempo-less, but Noseda kept strict time for large portions of the piece. Yet his exacting precision was also nicely balanced with moments of emotional intensity, when Noseda would leap in the air or crouch almost to his knees during quiet passages. The National Symphony musicians were ever-responsive, matching his energy and imbuing the music with rich emotion while keeping a steady pace.

The orchestra’s discipline under Noseda was clearest in the Ravel, which rounded out the concert. Noseda put down his baton for Boléro, instead opting to conduct with his hands. For the first five minutes of the piece, Noseda barely moved, only keeping time with a couple of fingers. He demanded such a hushed pianissimo that the opening notes of the snare drum were barely audible, as if it had been playing from far off. Noseda held that feeling, encouraging each orchestra soloist to play as gently as possible, coaxing a long, gradual crescendo.

The NSO musicians brought personality and flair to their solos throughout the piece. As the sinuous melody is repeated, standout soloists were principal clarinetist Lin Ma, with striking contrasts between the staccato and legato passages, and trombonist Evan Williams for his stylish glissandos. As the piece came to its climactic end, Boléro proved its timeless appeal, but Noseda gave it a particularly special sheen with the NSO following his lead.

The program will be repeated 8 p.m. Saturday at the Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org