Death of an oboe legend
mainOboist friends have informed us of the death of Professor Günther Passin, one of the instrument’s most highly regarded teachers. He was 75.
Leipzig born, Passin was principal oboe in Chemnitz, Berlin (RSO, with Lorin Maazel) and Stuttgart (with Helmut Rilling). He also deputised with the Berlin Philharmonic under Karajan and Celibidache.
But it was as a professor in Munich and Salzburg that his career truly flowered. His students hold principal oboe posts in Zurich, Tokyo, Leipzig, Berlin, Hamburg, Tel Aviv and Singapore.
Just listen.
I remember Passin very well from his appearances as guest principal with both the BP and RSO Berlin in the 80s and early 90s, including the concert with Bruckner 7, when Celibidache returned to conduct the BP. Passin can be seen here, for instance at 12:40: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeNWLEXmb_A
I used to have this great album with baroque oboe concertos on LP: http://www.amazon.de/Die-Oboe-Meisterhaft-Gespielt-Passin/dp/B000025PWB/
Looks like one of his successful students, a young Christoph Hartmann beside him in the video.
Another oboe legend has died — Ray Still.
http://blogs.wfmt.com/offmic/2014/03/12/cso-oboist-ray-still-dead-at-94/
Yes, and there was a post here about Still’s passing:
http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2014/03/chicagos-great-oboist-has-died.html
Singapore??