LONG-AWAITED IRISH GIG

It’s a concert-promoter’s dream, a match made in heaven: the Chieftains and James Galway--two popular Irish exports who seem to make music sheerly for the joy of it. But according to Galway, bringing the musical funsters together for a record and tour proved as easy as bringing peace to Northern Ireland.

“Of course, that was part of the problem,” the flutist said with a good-natured chuckle. “I’m from Belfast and Paddy (Maloney, leader of the Chieftains) is from Dublin. But it was more than that: These people (the Chieftains) always look down on commercial efforts.”

Reached at his Swiss home before leaving on a 12-date joint U.S. tour that opens Wednesday at Hollywood Bowl, Galway told of prodding Maloney for years. “Finally, we were on a flight together back to Dublin and I used that time to convince him we should get together. The record (“In Ireland,” a worldwide best seller) was made with great difficulty, one of the most expensive I’ve ever made.

“There was a lot of debate on who should do what. Look at ‘Danny Boy,’ for instance. We recorded it three times--one of them sounded like ‘Tosca.’ Listen, if you know anyone who wants a Puccini ‘Danny Boy,’ we’ve got it.”

Of the sessions, Galway said that input came from both sides: “Paddy’s style rubbed off on me and vice versa.” Though he pointed out that the Chieftains’ intonation can get “pretty dirty,” the flutist insisted that his formal musical background did not intrude. Yes, he did hone his chops in Herbert von Karajan’s Berlin Philharmonic, yet Galway’s roots are more traditional. The tunes on the record represent “music all of us grew up with,” he said. “When I was young, I played in the streets like the other guys did.”

Galway pointed pridefully to those early days when discussing his famous forays into the crossover market. Charming an audience with pop is not as easy as it looks, he said. “It has to come from inside you. Anyone can give it a go, but it has to be done in the best of taste. Others tried repeating ‘Annie’s Song,’ but nothing happened. You need a combination of professional polish and joie de vivre .

“Interpretation is the name of the game. Right now, I know more about ‘Danny Boy’ than anyone. But I assure you that the next recording of it will be by someone who’s never been to Ireland.”

Generally, crossover is not Galway’s favorite subject. “It’s really a minimal part of my life. Everyone thinks I do it for the money, but there are better ways to get rich than selling records. I realize that my crossover stuff is what gets the publicity. It’s kind of like that story about the Golden Gate Bridge--no one knows the name of the man who designed it, but everyone knows about the guy who first exposed himself on it.”

BUSY OPENING WEEK: The Los Angeles Philharmonic opens the summer season at Hollywood Bowl with six consecutive nights of music making. Surrounding the Philharmonic-sponsored Galway-Chieftains concert will be a pair of Beethoven programs led by Gunther Herbig. On Tuesday, the music director of the Detroit Symphony will lead the Philharmonic in the “Egmont” Overture, “Emperor” Concerto and Symphony No. 7. On Thursday, the agenda lists excerpts from “The Creatures of Prometheus” and two more piano concertos: Nos. 1 and 4. In all three concertos, the soloist will be Alfred Brendel.

The first weekend pops programs will showcase the comedic and musical talents of Dudley Moore. The actor-pianist will join with the Philharmonic, led by David Alan Miller, in a mix of classics and jazz Friday and Saturday, aided by the orchestra’s tuba player, Rober Bobo, and bassist Ray Brown.

Next Sunday night, the 1987 edition of the Philharmonic Institute Orchestra plays its first full concert, led by Lukas Foss and two conducting fellows, Clyde Mitchell and Peter Rubardt. Pianist Ursula Oppens will be soloist in Bartok’s Third Concerto. Also on the agenda: Brahms’ “Academic Festival” Overture and Tchaikovsky’s “Pathetique” Symphony.

On weekday mornings, the Bowl will once again present its Open House programs, hosted by J. P. Nightingale. At 9:30 and 10:30 Monday through Friday this week, the subject will be music and dance from south of the border with the Grupo Yatiri, Mario and Marin, Parati and Ballet Folklorico Cuicacalli.

AROUND TOWN: Steven Mayer will present an unusual recital at the Getty Museum Saturday and next Sunday, playing both sides in a 19th-Century piano duel between Franz Liszt and Sigismond Thalberg. Mayer’s program, “A Parisian Musical Salon,” offers works played by those two virtuosos on that memorable night of March 31, 1837: a transcription of Weber’s “Konzertstueck,” Liszt’s “Rakoczy” March and a group of opera fantasias. So, you ask, who won that legendary Battle of the Hands? It was a draw.

“Lorca: Child of the Moon,” an opera based on the life of celebrated Spanish writer Federico Garcia Lorca, will be presented in a workshop/lab production by the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts Tuesday through next Sunday at the foundation theater at 421 N. Avenue 19. The score is composed by Ian Krouse, who also conducts. The book was adapted by foundation artistic director Margarita Galban utilizing Lorca’s words exclusively (Michael Dewell and Carmen Zapata did the English translation). The cast includes Allison England, Susana Guzman, Annette Cardona and Maria Bermudez. Information: (213) 225-4044.