CLASSICAL / SNEAK PEEK : NO CONDUCTOR, NO PROBLEM FOR ORPHEUS.

Orpheus, one of the world's foremost chamber orchestras, is celebrating its 25th anniversary locally by appearing Saturday and Sunday at the Music Center.

The 26-member Orpheus Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1972 by cellist Julian Fifer and a group of musicians who aspired to perform the chamber repertoire without a conductor. The players themselves take responsibility for all aspects of the music-making process, from the creation of programs to the final outcome of the performance or recording.

This weekend's concerts feature American pianist Richard Goode, who made his Los Angeles Philharmonic debut in 1970 and has returned on many occasions. The program includes pieces by Faure, Mozart, Sibelius and Bartok.

Besides performing without a conductor, the members of Orpheus rotate their seating arrangement, including concertmaster and first-chair positions.

The concerts open with Faure's ``Masques et bergamasques,'' the first performance of this work at the Music Center. Next, Goode joins the orchestra for Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 25 in C, K. 503, the last of the composer's C-major concertos. After intermission, the program continues with the haunting ``Valse triste'' by Sibelius and concludes with Bartok's ``Divertimento'' for string orchestra.

The concerts take place at 8 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

An `Elixir' of CSUN 

``The Elixir of Love,'' one of Donizetti's most popular works, will be performed this month at California State University, Northridge.

The comic opera tells the story of hapless Nemorino, hopelessly in love with Adina, a wealthy village girl. When she is about to run off with the dashing Sgt. Belcore, Nemorino purchases a love potion that is really only wine. He doesn't realize that his rich uncle has died and left him a fortune, the real reason for the sudden increase in attention from village girls.

The cast of the CSUN production includes students from the university's nationally acclaimed opera program.

``The Elixir of Love'' will be sung 8 p.m. Feb. 21, 22, 28 and March 1, and 5 p.m. Feb. 23 at the Campus Theatre. Information: [phone].

Schoenberg and soprano

The Schoenberg Quartet with soprano Susan Narucki will perform at 8 p.m. Monday at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's Leo S. Bing Theater.

The quartet will offer Berg's ``Lyric Suite,'' Schoenberg's Second Quartet, op. 10 and Hindemith's ``Melancholy,'' op. 13.

Tickets range from $6 to $15. Information: [phone].

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Photo

Photo: Richard Goode

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