ENTMTAINMENT

OBSERVATIONS
and
CITATIONS

!GOING PLACES

WEEK OF
MARCH 23-29

JEWISH EVENTS

JEWISH ENSEMBLE
THEATRE

Jewish Community
Center, 6600 W. Maple
Road, West Bloomfield,
Last Resort, through
April 1, admission,
661-1000.

JEWISH COMMUNITY
CENTER

Oboist Theodore Baskin remembers his
r hometown as he makes music in Montreal.

WENDY ROLLIN

Special to The Jewish News

11 instrumentalists
seem to say their
instrument is most like
the human voice. But I think
the oboe is the one that has
the most possibility for
nuance"
Like someone talking about
an old friend, Theodore
Baskin describes the oboe
with familiarity, precision and
affection. Since 1980, Baskin
has been principal oboist of
L'Orchestre Symphonique de
Montreal (The Montreal Sym-
phony Orchestra).
"The oboe's sound," he con-
tinues, "can be very poignant.
It has tremendous expressive
potential. It can play legato in
a way that is quite unusual,
linking one note into the next
without any break or seam."
Baskin was first wooed by
his favorite woodwind back in
1962, when he was a 12-year-
old student at Roosevelt school
in Oak Park. His band teacher
happened to have an oboe,
gathering dust on a shelf,
waiting to be claimed by so-
meone. Playing a sample oboe
excerpt from The Grand Ca-
nyon Suite, the instructor ask-
ed if there were any
volunteers.
"Sure," Baskin said.
Although he was studying
clarinet at the time, he was at-
tracted by the oboe's distinc-
tive tone. And, he adds, "I
always liked a challenge."
At an age when many kids
are downright culture-phobic,
Baskin approached his oboe
instruction with enthusaism.
He credits the consistent en-
couragement and support of
his parents, Benjamin and
Beatrice Baskin. And, he says,
he was inspired by a gifted
mentor — Arno Mariotti, then
principal oboist of the Detroit
Symphony Orchestra.

"Mr. Mariotti was a superb
musician and an excellent
teacher. He made each lesson
fun. Coming from basketball
or baseball practice, it never
seemed dull or in any way ir-
relevant to my life"
Those early lessons turned
out to be the first step in a
lifelong oboe odyssey, with
many gratifying destinations.
Attending Cass Tech in
Detroit from 1965-1968,
Baskin was stimulated by the
arts-oriented atmosphere. "It
was a wonderful experience,"
he says. "I still think about it
frequently."
After a year at the Juilliard
School of Music in 1968,

Theodore Baskin
Baskin went on to four years
of study at The Curtis In-
stitute of Music in
Philadelphia, graduating with
a bachelor of music degree.
Returning to Detroit, he
established new musical and
marital status. Baskin played
with The Detroit Symphony
Orchestra from 1973-1975 as
an assistant principal oboist.
He met symphony cellist
Karen Shaffer, originally from
Washington, D.C. Then, oboe
and cello decided to duet:
Baskin and Shaffer married
in 1974.
The next few years were
highlighted by travel, ac-
complishment and varied
assignments. In New Zealand

from 1975-1977, Baskin
played with the Auckland Sin-
fonia and earned his master of
music degree.
He performed with the
Israel Philharmonic. And, for
four years, he and his wife
freelanced in New York, work-
ing for ballet and opera com-
panies, orchestras and
chamber music groups.
Montreal-based since 1980,
Baskin has a full schedule and
a career that continues to
crescendo. As principal oboist
of The Montreal Symphony
Orchestra, he is committed to
many hours of concerts and
rehearsals.
Additionally, he is Professor
of Oboe at McGill University
and coaches the woodwinds of
The McGill Symphony
Orchestra.
Last year, Baskin played at
an international music
festival at lbhaikovsky Hall in
Moscow.
"Russia is just incredible,"
Baskin says. "Life is so dif-
ficult there. But music, art and
writing are so important to so
many people. Pushkin is like
a god there. It's so different
than it is here."
Baskin's Moscow perfor-
mances included works by two
noted contemporary Russian
composers. He premiered an
oboe concerto by Alexander
Raskotov, and he played a con-
certo for oboe and harp by
Alfred Schnittke.
While Baskin says he feels
a strong affinity for classic
composers such as Bach,
Mozart and Beethoven, he
adds: "I feel new music is ab-
solutely indispensable for you
as a living, growing, thriving
musician."
On the home front, Baskin
and his wife have two children
— Jeremy, 9, and Sarah, 5, —
both of them play piano.
Baskin notes the importance
of exposing children first-hand
to the joy of classical music.

I

"It's such a mixed blessing"
he says, "to have so much elec-
tronic media in terms of
television, radio, hi fi, CDs,
etc. People get spoiled."
He cites the negative aspect
of the musical quick fix, the
engineered approach to music
and electronic instruments.
"The players don't seem to
sensitize their ears and beings
to what sound can do."
In addition to criticizing the
too-easy listening served up by
the media, Baskin comments
that the educational system
doesn't provide the cultural
foundation that it did 20 years
ago.
"Music's the first thing to
go," he says.
Even in this MTV world,
Baskin says classical music,
with its conceptual and emo-
tional appeal, "has the power
to reach anyone. It can be
listened to over and over again
with discovery. You can con-
stantly go back to it for more
nourishment."
He describes a recent perfor-
mance of Beethoven's Eroica
Symphony. "It seemed like
the most powerful statement
a human being could ever
make. After it was over, the
whole audience stood up
unanimously — not just put-
ting on their coats and walk-
ing away — but standing and
clapping their hands over
their heads."
Despite the anti-classical
odds, Baskin is not discourag-
ed. "It makes me feel more
determined than ever. I try to
spread my feeling to the
students I have — and they're
very enthusiastic."
Asked about his future
plans, Baskin responds,
"What I would like to do is to
continue to study and learn
new music — restudy and
replay great music that I've
played in the past — and in-
volve myself with musicians of
like mind."

6600 W. Maple Road,
West Bloomfield, Sheila
Fiekowsky, Julius Chajes
Music Fund Concert, 3:30
p.m. March 25, admission,
661-1000.

TEMPLE BETH EL

Birmingham, The Bel
Canto Choral Society, 8
p.m. March 23, admission,
353-5486.

COMEDY

COMEDY CASTLE

Mark Ridley's, Royal
Oak, Dave Coulier,
through March 31,
admission, 542-9900.

THEATER

FISHER
Detroit, Rumors, March

27 through April 15,
admission, 872-1000

ATTIC THEATRE

7339 Third Avenue at W.
Grand Blvd., Detroit,
Hamlet, through April 8,
admission, 875-8284.

DAYS HOTEL

17017 W. Nine Mile,
Southfield, Little Mary
Sunshine, through
March, admission,
557-4800.

WAYNE STATE
UNIVERSITY

Detroit, Hilberry Theatre,
She Stoops to Conquer,
through March 30; A
Chorus of Disapproval,
March 23 through April
13, admission, 577-2972.

MEADOW BROOK

Oakland University,
Rochester, The Great
Sebastians, through
March 25, admission,
370-3300.

MUSIC

OAKLAND
UNIVERSITY

Rochester, Varner Recital
Hall, Flavio Varani,
pianist, 3 p.m. March 25,
admission, 370-3013.

❑

TUC rICTD11,17

