RELUCTANT MOZARTEAN

“I’m just a little bit apprehensive,” says American pianist Richard Goode, facing his first appearance at Hollywood Bowl, Thursday night.

“I’ve played outdoors only a few times, and I worry about things--like being heard.” The winner of an Avery Fisher Award in 1980 and a Grammy in 1982 is not characteristically nervous, he assures us. But his scheduled performance of Mozart’s G-major Concerto, K. 453, with conductor David Zinman and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, on the second of four pre-season concerts, reminds him of two other outside concerts.

“The first one was with the Pittsburgh Symphony, and it was in a stadium near the river. I remember the place was extraordinarily noisy, with passing boats and other distractions.

“Then, a few years later, in Grant Park in Chicago--that was a lot better, because I could hear myself. But it turned out to be an unseasonably cold night, with the temperature going down to the 50s. I felt like the keyboard might freeze. I was very uncomfortable.”

Assured that both boats and freezing temperatures are seldom encountered in Cahuenga Pass, the 44-year-old pianist says he looks forward to his debut at the Bowl, “though I might have chosen a more outgoing piece than K. 453.

“I originally offered the C-major, K. 503, but was told it had been done here recently. And I couldn’t repeat the D-minor (which he played here in January).

“It’s a funny thing about Mozart outdoors, too. unlike musicians like Brahms or Dvorak, I always think of Mozart as an indoor composer.”

After several delays, Goode’s two long-term Beethoven projects--playing the complete sonatas--are about to come to fruition in 1987-88. His long-awaited recordings--he has already made two albums--of the 32 sonatas for Book-of-the-Month Club will be completed this season. And his live performances, one a month, through the winter, at the 92nd Street YMHA in Manhattan, are now scheduled. He will complete the cycle in April. And, after that?

“Well, I’ll probably play a lot of Debussy, my love of French music being one of my other great interests. But first, I’m going to take eight months off, not necessarily from playing the piano, though I may stay away from the keyboard for a few weeks. It will be a period of study, one of experimenting with repertory, and of playing, too--but not in public.”

Zinman and the Philharmonic open the four-night, pre-season week at the Bowl Wednesday, with a Russian program listing Glinka’s “Russlan and Ludmilla” Overture, Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (with pianist Jeffrey Kahane as soloist) and Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony.

Thursday, with Goode at the keyboard, the composer is Mozart, the works the Symphonies Nos. 33 and 40, the Piano Concerto in G, K. 453, and the Horn Concerto No. 2, with William Lane, the Philharmonic principal, as soloist.

The first Bowl Marathon in several years takes place Friday, beginning at 6 p.m., when Lukas Foss returns to the Philharmonic podium for “An American Holiday Marathon.”

This evening-long event will utilize the services of five conductors, two symphonic ensembles (the Philharmonic and Philharmonic Institute Orchestra), and more than 200 instrumentalists and a jazz band, plus other guests.

Besides Foss and David Alan Miller, the other three conductors will be fellows of the summer-long institute: Peter Ioannou, Clyde Mitchell and Peter Rubardt. Among the visitors will be actress Esther Rolle (narrating Copland’s “A Lincoln Portrait”), harmonica-player Robert Bonfiglio, baritone John Atkins, pianist Michael Zearott and the Holman United Methodist Church Choir.

The marathon will begin with Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man,” and will include music by Ives, Cowell, Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Barber and Morton Gould; the centerpiece will be Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony, as played by the combined orchestras.

Saturday night, for the traditional fireworks/picnic concert, the Bowl will host the Long Beach Symphony, conducted by its music director, Murry Sidlin. This event begins at 7:30.