SOUNDS OF HITCHCOCK.

Byline: Marla Matzer Staff Writer

When is a Halloween concert not a Halloween concert? When playing a concert of Hitchcock film music is a ``thematic excuse'' to play some terrific, never-before-heard-in-concert music, says Hollywood Bowl Orchestra conductor John Mauceri. Mauceri and the orchestra are performing indoors Wednesday at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for only the second time since the ensemble's formation in 1991.

``It's not a concert of `scary music,' '' said Mauceri, who seems to be in constant motion, even when he's not on the podium. ``What really makes (the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra) unique in the world is our mission to explore and perform the cultural achievements of Los Angeles. And what's particularly exciting about this concert,'' Mauceri added, ``is I think 85 percent of this music we're playing is being played for the very first time here in Los Angeles.''

For example, you may think you're familiar with the music to ``Psycho'' - particularly the distinctive screeching played at the movie's horrifying climax. But Bernard Herrmann's original score has never been performed in its entirety before. Mauceri was set to receive a copy of the original manuscript over the weekend; his crackerjack orchestra, made up mainly of musicians who make their living recording film and TV soundtracks, needs only a few rehearsals to play it like the seasoned pros they are.

After seven years of never making an appearance at the Music Center, the Bowl orchestra is playing its first two subscription concerts there this year: this one and a Valentine's Day-themed concert on Feb. 9. The concerts - packaged in new, three-event ``Rendezvous'' series with concerts by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra - are designed for ``audiences new to classical music,'' according to the Phil's season brochure.

``The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra is a `first point of entry,' '' explains Bowl orchestra manager Steve Linder. ``It allows people to be exposed to classical music, to discover it. We're not `Philharmonic Lite,' though. The Hitchock concert is serious music, even though we don't like that term: `serious.' ''

Mauceri also is passionate about the fact that the film music of Los Angeles is important and underrated. ``The `Los Angeles sound' in this music is a natural development of European music from the first quarter of this century that continued unabated without any interference from the arbiters of `serious music' in New York,'' Mauceri says. ``Classical music organizations have shunned this music,'' Mauceri says. ``The reasons are bound up in complex political and racial issues, which are too complex to get into here.''

The nice thing about film music, though, is one doesn't have to analyze such things if one doesn't want to. Whether you're going to enjoy the unique, European-grounded ``Los Angeles sound,'' or simply to re-create movie scenes in your head while listening to wonderful music, you're sure to enjoy yourself.

``We have a very broad, very smart audience. In fact,'' says Mauceri, who has guest-conducted around the world, ``I think they're the smartest audience I've ever played to. This summer, we played to 250,000 people. They're not shunning other types of music; they've made a conscious choice as to what music they like to hear.''

The facts

The concert: ``The Music of Hitchcock: A Centennial Celebration,'' featuring film music by Bernard Herrmann, Dmitri Tiomkin, Franz Waxman and others.

Who: The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, conducted by John Mauceri, special guest artists Scott Dunn (pianist) and the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

When: 8 p.m. Wednesday.

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

Tickets: $15 to $70, available at the Music Center Box Office, at all Ticketmaster locations, or by phone, [phone]; www.laphil.org on the Web.

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1 -- 2) John Mauceri, above, considers the scores for films by Alfred Hitchcock, inset, as part of L.A.'s contribution to classical music.