ORCHESTRAL MANEUVERS; NEW FACES AT L.A. PHIL.

Byline: Marla Matzer Staff Writer

Six months ago, Los Angeles Philharmonic managing director Willem Wijnbergen said the orchestra's 1999-2000 season would be ``very much a season of transition.'' He wasn't kidding. Three months later, only 15 months after replacing longtime managing director Ernest Fleischmann - the Dutchman who specialized in marketing and favored more ``themed'' concerts, grouping music by period and style - left abruptly. The specific reasons for his departure were never revealed, and the Phil was left to do damage control.

So as the curtain rises on the Phil's new season tonight, there will be as much anticipation of what's in store behind the scenes as what will take place on stage at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. With the Disney Hall project on the verge of moving forward, principal conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen preparing to take a sabbatical and a newly appointed managing director clearing out her office at the New York Philharmonic in preparation for a move to L.A., there are important changes afoot.

This period of transition isn't unusual, given the Phil's history and the state of orchestras across the country, said Dr. Jerry D. Luedders, chairman of the music department at California State University, Northridge. ``The L.A. Philharmonic has been best known for the last 30 years for management rather than musical leadership,'' said Leudders.

``L.A. was one of the few places people knew the name of the managing director,'' Luedders said. ``I think the struggle here has long been between management and artisitc direction ... Fleischmann was the orchestra, so it's not surprising that they've gone through this period of transition following his departure.''

Philharmonic officials are also downplaying the Phil's apparent growing pains, portraying them as just part of the evolution of the city itself. ``Los Angeles is a city that's confronting the future in America: There's change artistically, socially and politically,'' said Deborah Borda, who's set to officially move into the managing director's office of the L.A. Phil by Jan. 1. Borda added, ``Change can be very rewarding; it makes the job exciting.''

Borda also downplayed the effect of Salonen's planned sabbatical - during which he plans to work on an opera commissioned by France's Aix-en-Provence Festival - saying, ``He'll remain in Los Angeles.'' Salonen says that if anything, he feels more relaxed about taking a year off now that Borda is in place.

``I felt quite a bit of pressure there (during the time the managing director's post was vacant). I felt like I was going to be totally torn,'' the conductor said. ``Now, the fact that Deborah is coming here makes my sabbatical more productive. I don't have to worry about the Phil, though, of course, I'll be in constant touch with the people there. But I feel a tremendous sense of relief. I know the Phil will be in good hands.''

Borda certainly seems a well-qualified, natural choice to take over the post. Not only has she been in music administration for about 25 years - the last eight years with the venerable New York Philharmonic - she's a longtime friend of Fleischmann, the powerful former managing director of the L.A. Phil who held the post for 28 years.

Salonen praises Borda's expertise and outlook. ``She's a very experienced professional ... she's very well-connected,'' he said. ``She knows most of the conductors, record companies ... She has a very aggressive track record. Most importantly, I share all her views on symphony orchestras and their future. She's really in sync with what we're trying to do.''

Exactly what those views are is still a little unclear. Borda has been cagey about any specific intentions for the orchestra. ``One of the things I know is when you're first coming someplace, you hold back ... I want to get to know the community,'' she said.

When pressed, though, Borda indicates more of a loyalty to the philosophy and style of Fleischmann than to that of her immediate predecessor, Willem Wijnbergen. Asked whether Wijnbergen left a solid groundwork on which to move the orchestra forward, Borda replied, ``As far as I'm concerned, the groundwork was there when Ernest left.''

One of Salonen's stylistic disagreements with Wijnbergen appeared to be the extent to and the way in which contemporary music was presented. Salonen favored integrating contemporary repertoire with the classics; Wijnbergen felt that was too confusing to audiences.

Asked about her approach to presenting modern classical music, Borda said, ``I really believe in the music of our time. My first job in music was managing a contemporary music group. We have to find a way to stimulate audiences to think of orchestras as institutions of the past, present and future. I don't believe in the ghettoization of music.''

These sentiments do sound in concert with Salonen's views. Says Salonen, ``A symphony orchestra can't exist in a vacuum. It has to be in touch with its environment, but it also has to nurture and develop tradition, not just be reacting, backward-looking, nostalgic.''

Youth is something the Phil seems concerned with these days. Salonen is now past 40 but remains one of the youngest and most forward-looking conductors of major orchestras. At the end of this past season, an unprecedented 11 older members of the orchestra (combined years of service: a staggering 401) retired, leaving open slots that have been filled with younger players. This exodus was encouraged in part by a new contract, which gave older players pension incentives to leave.

Whether or not a younger ensemble and contemporary music attracts a much-needed younger audience remains to be seen. Orchestras nationwide are struggling to reach audiences under 40, who seem more interested in theater and opera than in symphonic music. ``It's a big issue everywhere, how to reach younger audiences and the diverse communities in a city like L.A.,'' Borda said.

CSUN's Luedders agreed that all major orchestras in the U.S. ``are rethinking their strategic mission.'' Whether that has meant playing more American music - as the St. Louis Symphony started doing a number of years ago - or moving away from standard Western European fare of the 18th and 19th centuries, orchestras are trying to find a way to connect to their particular communities.

Luedders said it's natural this would be a more complicated task in a diverse city like L.A. ``It's not as easy in L.A. ... but my own sense is that Salonen's outreach commitments are most exciting,'' Luedders said. ``He's willing to not only move himself to adventurous repertoire but to adventurous situations, bringing the music to the people,'' Luedders said, referring to the L.A. Phil's Community Concerts.

But Borda and Salonen both express optimism that L.A. has a better shot at helping define the role of the symphony orchestra into the next millennium than do many other places. In addition to the overall vibrancy of the city, the orchestra's structure positions it uniquely, they say.

``The scope of the job makes it really exciting,'' Borda says. ``With the new hall and the Hollywood Bowl, I tell people it's like getting to manage Tanglewood, the New York Philharmonic and Carnegie Hall in New York,'' says Borda, who adds, ``Esa-Pekka and members of the orchestra convinced me they were committed to the kind of adventure it takes to make a mark on the musical world.''

Salonen seems similarly upbeat about the coming season and the Phil's longer-term outlook. ``The news lately from this building has been very positive,'' Salonen says. ``I'd say it's coming together. I think we all feel that way. It's palpable when you enter the Philharmonic rooms; you can feel it.''

THE FACTS

The concert: Los Angeles Philharmonic season opener.

The program: All-Mahler: Symphony No. 1, ``Blumine and Ruckert-Lieder,'' featuring bass-baritone Jose Van Dam.

Where: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Music Center of Los Angeles County, 135 N. Grand Ave.

When: 8 tonight and Friday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets: $10 to $70. Tickets may be purchased at the Music Center Box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at [phone], or at www.laphil.org on the Web.

CAPTION(S):

4 Photos

Photo: (1--Cover--Color) Esa-Pekka Salonen, L.A. Philharmonic conductor

(2) Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, left, managing director Deborah Borda, and president Barry Sanders lead the L.A. Philharmonic.

(3) no caption (Esa-Pekka Salonen)

(4) Deborah Borda officially takes over as L.A. Philharmonic managing director on Jan. 1.