George Sakakeeny and György Lakatos will perform "Six Arias from the Barber of Seville" Sunday.
			This Is New Music for Bassoon Month, Declares George Sakakeeny By Michael Chipman
	Another reason for declaring November New Music for Bassoon Month is the guest residency of Jeff Lyman, who hosted a recital and master class Tuesday in Kulas Hall. Sakakeeny describes Lyman as a superb musician with a wonderful approach to bassoon playing. Lyman is a professor of bassoon at Arizona State University and plays for the Phoenix Symphony. He has performed with the Savannah Symphony, Michigan Opera Theater, the Toledo Symphony, and Grand Rapids Symphony. His academic appointments include positions at Georgia Southern University, Armstrong State College, and the University of Michigan. Lyman's recital included "Seven Short Yadhtrib Variations" by Bright Sheng; Sonata #1 for bassoon solo by Merab Gagnidze; Sonata #2 for bassoon and piano by Efrem Podgaits; "Responsorio: In Memoriam Matthew Shepard" for bassoon and percussion by Mario Lavista; and Sonata for bassoon and piano by John Steinmetz.		NOVEMBER 19, 1998--"I have declared November New Music for Bassoon Month," says George Sakakeeny, associate professor of bassoon. Though spoken tongue-in-cheek, Sakakeeny's declaration merits serious attention. Upcoming events at Oberlin include three bassoon recitals and several bassoon master classes, all featuring music written during this decade. One reason for the concentration of new bassoon music at Oberlin is the five-week residency of Hungarian bassoonist György Lakatos, who has dedicated much of his career to performing new works. Born in Kalocsa, Hungary, Lakatos graduated from the Budapest Franz Liszt Academy of Music. He has been principal bassoonist of the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra since 1983. He has played principal bassoon for the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, and is a faculty member of the Franz Liszt Academy and the Béla Bartok Conservatory in Budapest. During his residency Lakatos will offer at least one lesson to each of the 16 bassoonists in Sakakeeny's studio and give group master classes and recitals. "I am enjoying the students here," says Lakatos. "There are some very talented and strong players in the studio." Lakatos comes to Oberlin under the sponsorship of ArtsLink, a foundation that places artists from Eastern and Central Europe in United States arts organizations. Sakakeeny says the ArtsLink panel independently chose Oberlin for Lakatos' residency, but their choice turned out to be a good match. "I thought perhaps György would have a different technical approach to playing the bassoon--a common occurrence in international exchanges such as this--but we have similar ideas about playing. We teach in different ways but always toward the same end. The students are having a great time and are excited to have a somewhat different perspective." Lakatos's first recital, Thursday at 4:30 P.M. in the TIMARA Studio #2, will feature Lakatos in four recently composed pieces for bassoon. They are "Models" by Hungarian composer Sugár, "F Otto Ag." by Szigeti, "Back to the Beginning Again?" by Grimmsson, and "Dance, Distance, Discern" by American B. Battey. Two of the pieces are dedicated to Lakatos, as have been many others. "I believe working with composers is so important," he says. "All great composers, including Mozart, have written pieces for specific musicians. I want to continue that tradition by working with composers who know my technical abilities and who can write pieces designed for me." On Sunday at 8 P.M. in Kulas Hall, Lakatos will present a recital, including "La folia" by Corelli; "Après un rêve" by Fauré (arranged by Lakatos); "Pièce en forme de habanera" and "Pavanne for a Dead Princess" by Ravel, and "Six Arias from the Barber of Seville" by Rossini (arranged for two bassoons by Gebauer), which he will perform with Sakakeeny. It's no coincidence that three of the four pieces on this recital are based on vocal music. "The bassoon is a lyrical instrument--the tenor of the orchestra," says Sakakeeny. "Particularly Verdi, Tchaikovsky, and Stravinsky all appreciated the singing quality of the bassoon and used it extensively in opera." The second half of the recital will feature several new works for solo bassoon, and for bassoon with electronic tape, including "Grandmother's Dance" by L. Sáry; "Jack Daw" by Wayne Siegel; "Major Love," by G. Vukàn and Solo no. 7 by L. Dubrovay. "The electronic tape in "Grandmother's Dance" sounds like a marimba," says Sakakeeny. "It is interesting, rhythmic, and complex music." Both Sakakeeny and Lakatos believe the bassoon is meant to be a solo instrument. "Since the turn of the century the bassoon has taken a much more prominent role in orchestral and solo music." says Sakakeeny. "Structural changes in the instrument around 1910 increased the expressive range and projecting power of the bassoon. Its sound possibilities range from melancholy and wistful to comic and declamatory. The bassoon is no longer the clown of the orchestra."