The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 215

MUSIC, DANCE NEWS BACK-TO-BASICS 'NUTCRACKER' BY DANIEL CARIAGA For its new production of "The Nutcracker," to be danced in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Music Center Thursday through next Sunday nights, Los Angeles Ballet will utilize Tchaikovsky's complete score in tandem with the newly translated original scenario submitted to the composer by Marius Petipa, the choreographer. Clyde Allen, music director of Los Angeles Ballet since its inception, says, "Our main concern was that, if nothing else, our production should follow the original scenario Petipa had written and Tchaikovsky had followed." This scenario has been published in the complete works of Tchaikovsky, but it occurs, of course, in Russian. Allen says he asked former dancer Tamara Lepko to make the translation, adding that he also received invaluable help from musicologist Nicolas Slonimsky (author of Baker's Dictionary of Musicians), who translated many of the footnotes. "Tchaikovsky's previous experiences with choreographers before Petipa was frustrating to him," says Allen, "because it is difficult to create an art-composition which fills both musical and balletic needs at the same time. "But with 'Sleeping Beauty' the two found a method of working together.

Petipa came up with a numbered scenario with an explicit description of the action of each number. "This was the method they then used for By adhering to it, John Clifford (artistic director of Los Angeles Ballet and choreographer of the new production) has been able to avoid the trivialization of many previous productions. This choreography will be in sync with the music." For this production, using new sets and costumes by Robert O'Hearn, Allen has reinstated the English Dance omitted from the original 1892 production. Allen says this brief dance "was probably forgotten" at the time, some days before the opening, when Lev Ivanov, Petipa's assistant who took over for the ailing 70-year-old choreographer, reordered the scenario of the ballet. "The English Dance exists only in piano score," Allen relates, "so I orchestrated it in the style of Tchaikovsky and reinstated it at its original spot, just before the Trepak.

There are also four bars after the English Dance leading into the Trepak. It's interesting to note that the Trepak was not intended to start with that bang." The reinstatement aside, Allen says, "Our main goal was Clyde Alten, music director 0 LA. Ballet, conducts "Nutcracker" at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion this week. to maintain the musico-dramatic unity of the original and not to do violence to the score." Allen also points out that for this, Los Angeles Ballet's first full-length work to be presented at the Music Center, "This will be the first time this company has danced in a union house with a pit big enough for a large orchestra." For the seven-performance engagement Allen will conduct a 55-member orchestra, one he describes as "really a pickup orchestra, except we pick up the same players each time. This 'Nutcracker' marks the beginning of the period when we can use a live orchestra all the time." Performances are scheduled Thursday through next Sunday nights at 8 and Friday through Sunday afternoons at 2.

For casting, see our Listings page. POSTSCRIPT: In a review published Dec. 11, this writer, through a combination of circumstances, did not mention a principal element in a concert by the Long Beach Symphony at which Akira Endo was guest conductor. That element was the 100-voice Long Beach Symphony Chorus, which sang Stravinsky's "Symphony of Psalms" and the Polovtsian Dances from "Prince Igor" with stylistic contrast, a clear and balanced sound and appropriate enthusiasm. Apologies to the chorus and to its founder-director, Robert L.

Collins, who prepared the performances of Dec. 8 and 9. PEOPLE: John Cage and Lawrence Morton are the recipients of the American Music Center's letters of distinction for 1979 Victoria Vergara, a mezzo-soprano from Chile, will sing the role of Suzuki in Long Beach Grand Opera's February performances of "Madama Butterfly" Bernard Rubenstein, music director of orchestra and opera at the school of music at Northwestern University, has been appointed associate conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony, effective with the beginning of the 1980-81 season Thea Musgrave will preside over the first event in the Los Angeles Philharmonic's "Composer's Choice" series, Jan. 21 at Schoenberg Hall, UCLA. Subsequent series guests are Morton Subotnick (Feb.

11), Dor-rance Stalvey (March 24) and John Cage (April 7) Theodore Lettvin opens a new Tuesday-night concert series at Steinway Hall, 3330 Wilshire Jan. 15 Korean violinist Dong-Suk Kang makes his Southern California debut, at El Camino College Auditorium Jan. 18, 8 p.m. James Bonn will play on a Mozart piano, a harpsichord and a modern piano at his Bovard Auditorium recital Jan. 3 at 8 p.m.

Single? FEATURING OUR UNIQUE "INVESTMENT GUARANTEE" CHOOSE NOW FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S FINEST SELECTION OF DISCOVER A WHOLE NEW WORLD of adventure, romance, and great, times with great people. ClnbWorld, the nation's most unique private membership club for sophisticated, successful singles. Enjoy Penthouse parties, dinners, dances, cultural events, sports outings, entertainment discounts, weekend excursions, personal growth programs and more. Featured on TV, in Playboy, Cosmopolitan, etc. Thousands participating.

ClnbWorld that special something you've been looking for. a pa PJ e5 PINBALLS SLOTS Formerly IDC CMlbWoirfldl The Club Designed With You in Mind. New York Florida California Nationwide JUKEBOXES STREET LAMPS FOOSBALLS BUMPER POOL BARBER CHAIRS BRASS GIFT ITEMS COLLECTIBLES Pi 2 It II ploN FOR REE INFO TO ClubWorld'Tc 8383 Wikhire Bind Beverly Hills. Calif 9021 1 I Age I Sireel FULLY GUARANTEED HOME SERVICE 3 BLOCKS WE8T Of ANTIQUE GUILD CALL NOW OR WRITE Beverly Hills (213) 654-4000 Orange County 7L Slate Zip a. (714) 835-3956 I MON.

THRU SAT. 10-8 SUNDAY 11-6.