Posted by Paul Maybery on June 02, 2000 at 12:03:30:
In Reply to: Abe Torchinsky posted by Jason on June 02, 2000 at 11:15:25:
Dear Jason.
Abe Torchinsky was my teacher back in the '60s. Back then he was Mr. Torchinsky, not by the affectionate nick name Mr. T that he was known as in the 70s & 80s at Ann Arbor. As far as I know he is still alive and living outside of Philly, Plymouth Meeting I believe. I saw him a few years back, out at Aspen, and he looked great, but not playing anymore, just teaching.
I recall from conversations that he got his start from Leo Romano who was tubaist with the Philadelphia Post Office Band. Abe went to Massbaum Vocational High School in the '30s with a great uncle of mine; then to New York to study privately with William Bell and Fred Geib. Abe did some theater playing with Warner Brothers "Seven Lively Arts" and with Donald Vorhees. Later orchestra jobs took him to Washington, DC with the National Symophony and Hans Kindler, NBC Symphony with Toscanini, and ultimately to the Philadelphia Orchestra with Eugene Ormandy. I even heard that on occasion he played with a brass band from the Salvation Army.
Abe played on a wonderful King CC rotary valve tuba built in the early 40s. I always coveted that horn. I was fortunate, in 1975 I found one of the original 6 that King built in 1940 and still have it as my favorite horn.
Abe's retirement from the orchestra led him to the U of Michigan. It was during that time that he and other brass players from the Philadelphia Brass Ensemble recorded the Hindemith Sonatas with pianist Glenn Gould.
Abe has been active as a teacher with the Aspen School of Music in the summer. In the summers before full season orchestra contracts, many brass and wind players from New York and Philly played in the Asbury Park (NJ) Municipal Band (once lead by Arthur Prior.) Abe,Bill Bell and other legendaries were know to warm seats in that really great band.
I will always be indebted to Abe for giving me the foundation that has helped me get through 35 years of professional playing. He was tough as they come and relentless in his disciplining. I admire him tremendously. He came from a time when things were tough.
He and his generation of brass colleagues really paved a path for todays players.
The Torchy Jones Quintet "Catch the Brass Ring" foretold the antics of the modern brass quintet, decades before the Canadians, and of course the Gabrieli recording with Chicago and Cleveland is a landmark. I still hear the Phildephia Brass Ensembles Christmas Carols at Christmas time literally all over the country and in department store elevators at that.
At one point during my lessons, I asked him why he rarely if ever offered much encouragement. His comment was something to the effect that "If I can TALK you out of music as a profession, you certainly will never make it when things get tough."
They did get tough on many occasions and I made it. (Thanks Abe!)
And Jason, thanks for bring up the subject.
Paul Maybery
St. Paul, MN
PS I suppose Abe could really tell his story better than anyone, but I enjoyed recalling a man who was such a great part of my life and I know many others.