PREVIN MOVES SIDEWAYS AT ROYAL PHILHARMONIC

Andre Previn, music director of both the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) in London, will change titles at his British connection, effective Jan. 1.

In a letter to the players of the Royal Philharmonic, Previn said that next month he will become principal conductor of the orchestra at the same time conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy, who has a long-standing musical relationship with the RPO, will become, in Previn’s description, “music director (or adviser)” of the orchestra.

Previn said his change of titles won’t affect his current allotment of time to the orchestra--10 weeks annually, plus tours, recordings and television, nor will it change his exclusivity with the Royal Philharmonic in the United Kingdom. In addition, Previn said the job-shifting isn’t expected to have a major impact on his work with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

“This new arrangement . . . should enable the RPO to take the first qualitative steps toward attempting to minimize the extraneous workload with which all London orchestras are plagued in their pursuit of making an adequate living in a situation unfortunately peculiar to England,” Previn said in his letter.

“My affection and loyalty to the orchestra will remain unchanged and the advent of such a distinguished music director as Mr. Ashkenazy will certainly ensure the orchestra’s future.”

In Los Angeles Tuesday, Previn said that his “giving up the administrative duties (with the Royal Philharmonic) means a lot less of the time-consuming work I’ve been doing. Last season, whenever I would have two free weeks, I’d have to whip over to London for problem-solving. I made a total of 12 trips across the Atlantic in 1985. Now, that many won’t be necessary.”

Ernest Fleischmann, executive director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Assn., said Wednesday that “obviously, this change will make Previn a lot more available to us, even outside his conducting, and will facilitate our planning, both short- and long-term. It will also enable (Previn) to be even more fully a music director than he already is.”