Posted by Jay Bertolet on June 02, 2000 at 20:38:24:
In Reply to: Abe Torchinsky posted by Jason on June 02, 2000 at 11:15:25:
I am also one of Abe's students and have many fond memories of the experience. If you (or anyone else) have the chance to take some lessons from him, DO IT! In my mind, nobody knows orchestral repertoire like he does. And not just the parts, and I do mean just about every tuba part ever written (at least before the time he retired), but he is a wealth of information about orchestral tuba playing techniques. One story sticks in my mind that he told me about his career: When he auditioned for the NBC Symphony, it was all arranged for him (as auditions were at that time) through Bill Bell. When an orchestra needed a tuba player, they would simply call the big name teachers and ask for their best students. So it was that Abe auditioned for the NBC in some hall in New York (I can't remember the name). So, he shows up with his tuba ready to play the audition and in walks Toscanini with an interpreter. They exchange pleasantries and then Toscanini rattles off some Italian and the interpreter asks Abe to play an excerpt. Abe calmly asks if they brought any music and the interpreter says no, the audition is all from memory. Without missing a beat, Abe plays the excerpt from memory, and a few more, and does well enough to impress Toscanini and get the job.
When I think of Abe and his career, I think of the consummate orchestral tuba player and his approach is one I've always tried to emulate and expand upon. If you want to hear some of his orchestral work, try out the Philadelphia Orchestra's old recording of Prokofiev 5th, a work they premiered, I believe. I have two copies of the old vinyl and it is really an education to here Abe's take on this tuba mainstay.