BUSY? GUNTHER SCHULLER THRIVES ON THE PRESSURE

“In my whole life, I’ve missed only two deadlines on works I’ve been commissioned to write,” says composer Gunther Schuller. “And those weren’t that late--the performances went on, as scheduled, on time.”

One of the more visible of American musical hyphenates--composer, conductor, ragtime bandleader, educator and author--the 62-year-old musician says his versatility is not always prized.

Among other preoccupations, he says, “my passion, my love, my excitement, is in finding music I had not known before.” That includes, he explains, brand-new works as well as historical novelties. “But I don’t get any thanks for it in this business. People like to put other people into pigeonholes. If you’re not ‘labelable,’ they think you don’t fit in.”

Still, the eclectic personality perseveres. On the phone from Baltimore last week, Schuller revealed he is preparing--for later broadcast on National Public Radio--a program with the Peabody Conservatory Orchestra of music by pupils of the great French pedagogue Nadia Boulanger.

“We have tried to avoid the more obvious names among her students. Instead, this program has music by Bernard Rogers--in my opinion the most neglected American composer of this century--David Diamond, Walter Piston, Harold Shapero, Lili Boulanger (younger sister of the pedagogue) and Robert Hall Lewis.”

And this week, Schuller returns to Los Angeles, not to lead his New England Ragtime Ensemble, as he has in his last few visits, but as guest conductor of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. With harpist Heidi Lehwalder as his soloist, Schuller will preside (Friday night at the Embassy Theatre, Saturday at Ambassador Auditorium) over a program consisting of Carlo Farina’s “Capriccio Stravagante,” the Harp Concerto by Ginastera, Haydn’s Symphony No. 55 and the Divertissement (1930) by Jacques Ibert. Fascinating program, yes?

“I hate doing, I really hate doing, and I hate it when others are doing, the same 20 pieces over and over again. New repertory is what this business should be about .”

Survival is what this business becomes about, Schuller acknowledges. He is not happy, thinking about the recent demise, and additionally threatened lives, of a number of U.S. orchestras. But he predicted it.

“I’ve been pointing to this for years. Not the demise of the orchestra for musical reasons--as Leonard Bernstein and others have been predicting--but the death of orchestras, financially and structurally.

“The problems we know about. The solution is conciliation and education. The infighting over non-musical issues must stop. Power struggles have to be resolved. The incredibly ignorant have to be informed. Hopefully we will get participants on both sides who are more intelligent than the ones we had before. On the other hand, maybe that’s a vain hope.”

In the meantime, Schuller the versatile plies his trades. He reveals that, at the moment, he is working on 19 separate commissions.

“I thrive on pressure. I’m even inspired by it. A couple of these commissions are due next month. When I finish them, I’ll accept some more. Yes, I have a need to be prolific.”

AN “AIDA” FOR L.A.: In the recent announcement by Houston Grand Opera of its 1987-88 season, one item seemed to jump off the page: The new “Aida” production, due in Houston in October of this year, has been co-produced by Los Angeles Music Center Opera. According to John Howlett, speaking for the Opera Assn., this production, designed by the Italian Pier Luigi Pizzi and scheduled to be staged by the designer in Houston, will be mounted here in August, 1989, with a staging and musical team is to be announced.

ANOTHER VERSION OF “ARIADNE”: When Long Beach Opera stages Richard Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos” in English next month, the version staged will not be the 1916 version used by most opera companies. It will instead be the 1912 version in which, first, Moliere’s play, “The Would-Be Gentleman” is presented (by a troupe of actors); second, the Prologue, spoken but not sung by the cast of singing actors, is given, and third, the opera proper is sung. In addition, this version will utilize Zerbinetta’s second aria, at a point in the opera shortly after her first aria; in that first aria, incidentally, the finale in this version is up a whole step. The Long Beach Opera production, to be staged by Christopher Alden and conducted by Randall Behr, is scheduled March 8, 11, 13 and 15 in Center Theater at the Long Beach Convention Center.

AT THE PHILHARMONIC: Andre Previn returns to the podium of the Los Angeles Philharmonic this week. Thursday through Saturday nights at 8, and next Sunday at 2:30 p.m., the orchestra’s music director will lead a program devoted to the First Symphony by resident composer John Harbison, the Cello Concerto by Elgar and Haydn’s Symphony No. 102. Yo-Yo Ma will be soloist.

Saturday morning at 10:15, Heiichiro Ohyama leads a Symphonies for Youth event called “With Strings Attached.” Assisting Ohyama will be the Crossroads School Chamber Orchestra, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, narrator Gail Eichenthal, four violinists from the Philharmonic, and another Philharmonic member, Michael Nutt, playing country fiddle. Information: (213) 972-7211.