DANIEL KESSNER: ACCESSIBILITY IS ‘IN’

Daniel Kessner likes what he hears these days. “I think there’s a pendulum effect in composition,” he said. “In the ‘50s, the pendulum moved away from audiences. Everyone seemed to be creating personal explorations. It wasn’t much fun. But now, I’m happy to say, it’s moving back. Actually, I think it’s going to move further toward the listener.”

By example, the Cal State Northridge faculty composer points to the program he will conduct on Monday at the Japan America Theatre, when the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group presents “Music From the Midwest.”

“All of these pieces are accessible,” Kessner said, adding that he will only be on the podium for two of the four works. One is by Salvatore Martirano. Kessner acknowledged Martirano’s witty style (an earlier piece, “L’s G A,” turned Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address into a crazy, multispeed sonic collage), and pointed out the jazz flavor of “Thrown.”

“It starts fairly seriously, then walks the jazz borderline and finally ends up with some straight-forward jazz.”

The notion that such catering to popular tastes smacks of sell-out finds no sympathy from Kessner. “Remember back when musicians used to think, ‘Well, if someone likes this, it can’t be good’? This is music that will be liked, and I see nothing wrong with that. It’s one way to reach a broader audience.”

Which is not to suggest that listeners will stroll out of the Japan America whistling the tunes. Take, for instance, John Eaton’s song cycle “Ars Poetica,” the other work Kessner will conduct. “It’s definitely the most difficult piece on the program,” he said. “It’s on the borderline of unperformability. There are quarter-tones all over the place.”

Eaton will be in attendance to introduce the work, which uses poems by William Butler Yeats sung by the composer’s wife, mezzo Nelda Nelson.

Also on the agenda: “Sphaera,” for piano and computer-generated tape, by William Albright and “Waltzes,” for an unusual string quartet of violin, viola, cello and bass, by Fred Lerdahl.

The pendulum’s swing toward accessibility also has affected young composers these days, Kessner said. “My students didn’t go through the overintellectualized scene of the ‘50s. So their major heroes are George Crumb, Luciano Berio and Witold Lutoslawski.

“Thank goodness.”

PHILHARMONIC AT UCLA: Next Sunday, the Philharmonic will play the first of three concerts at Royce Hall, UCLA, as part of a residency at the Westwood school. Andre Previn will serve as conductor, pianist and pre-concert lecturer for the opening matinee event. The agenda lists the West Coast premiere of Philharmonic composer-in-residence John Harbison’s Symphony No. 1 (commissioned for the Boston Symphony Centennial in 1981), the Violin Concerto by Cesar Chavez (with concertmaster Sidney Weiss as soloist) and Gershwin’s Concerto in F (with Previn doubling as piano soloist).

At the “Upbeat Live” event, scheduled for 1:30 p.m., Previn will be joined by Harbison for an introduction to this concert of “Music of the Americas.” In a departure from normal practice, admission will be free to ticket-holders and non -ticket-holders alike.

Remaining events in the orchestra’s visit to UCLA include a concert of music by Elgar (“Enigma” Variations), Previn (his “Reflections”) and Prokofiev (Symphony No. 5) on May 9 and a matinee on May 11 consisting of Mozart’s G-major Piano Concerto (Previn once again as soloist) and Britten’s “Spring Symphony.” Incidentally, the Elgar, Prokofiev, Mozart and Britten all appeared on the just-completed Music Center season agenda. The May 11 event is a re-creation of the second-week program.

NOW-IT-CAN-BE-TOLD DEPARTMENT: When Roger Wagner conducted Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis” at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion last week, the orchestra that sat between him and his Los Angeles Master Chorale was identified as the Orange County Pacific Symphony, just as it had been for the opening event in this, Wagner’s final season as music director of the chorus. At all the in-between concerts, the ensemble was listed as the familiar Sinfonia. Or was it?

“In fact,” said Master Chorale executive director Robert Willoughby Jones, “the Pacific Symphony played at all our concerts, except the one led by William Hall.” No need to call in Sherlock Holmes here. Jones explained that, after a disagreement over the hiring of “certain key players” last year, the Master Chorale and the contractor who assembles the Sinfonia parted company.

“Roger had guest conducted with the Pacific Symphony before, and liked them,” Jones said. So they were hired for the bulk of the season--once the players agreed to receive Metropolitan L.A. union scale. But why the deception in names? “When we hired the Pacific Symphony, we weren’t sure if Roger’s successor (who turned out to be John Currie) would want to use the Pacific Symphony or hire another contractor and form a new Sinfonia. So, we decided to keep the (Sinfonia) name in circulation.” The Orange County orchestra was credited only at the “serious concerts,” Jones said. In any case, Currie has not reached a decision.

PEOPLE: A campaign, spearheaded by actor Kevin Peter Hall (“Misfits of Science”) is in progress to get the legendary tap-dancing Nicholas Brothers a star on Hollywood Boulevard. According to Jay Fenichel, who represents Hall, MGM agreed to donate the $3,500 needed to acquire the star, but “the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has been dragging its feet,” something the Nicholas Brothers did with consummate artistry in their many athletic routines on stage and film in the ‘30s and ‘40s. Hall has been attempting to gather 3,500 signatures in support of the Nicholas star. But Fenichel agrees that a phone call or two or two hundred to the Hollywood C of C (213) 469-8311) couldn’t hurt.

South African pianist Anton Nel was awarded seven awards at the Joanna Hodges Piano Competition, completed recently in Palm Springs. Nel, 24, won an appearance with the Royal Academy of London Orchestra and a Carnegie Recital Hall date in New York. Also awarded a Carnegie date was pianist Thomas Labe, 24, of Connecticut.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic presented three young musicians the Bronislaw Kaper Awards earlier this month. Cellist Allison Eldredge, 16, of Connecticut won first prize ($1,000 and a performance date with the orchestra); pianist Reiko Uchida, 15, of Torrance won second prize which includes an appearance at a Philharmonic chamber music concert; violinist Pauline Kim, 12, of Duarte captured third prize, a season box at Hollywood Bowl for the Philharmonic Institute Orchestra. The Kaper awards are a restructured version of the Student Stars Auditions.