Abe Torchinsky - Miraphone 186 recordings?

in that recording
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kathott
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Abe Torchinsky - Miraphone 186 recordings?

Post by kathott »

Could someone comment about Abe Torchinsky's Philadelphia Orchestra recordings? During which era he might have recorded on a Mirafone 186 CC? (he was featured in promotional literature of both Mirafone and Meinl-Weston).
Thank you,
Kathott
Last edited by kathott on Mon Jun 12, 2023 5:03 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Todd S. Malicoate
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Re: Abe Torchinsky - Miraphone 186 recordings?

Post by Todd S. Malicoate »

Wow...I guess actually meeting a famous tuba player and seeing them play doesn't make one an expert about what instruments that player ever played...anytime...anywhere...ever.

In other words, "you've been pwned."
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Re: Abe Torchinsky - Miraphone 186 recordings?

Post by Mike »

This is an interesting thread we have here. There have been other similar threads regarding adds and album covers showing some of our better known tuba artists holding or standing near a particular brand of tuba. One such thread concerned the cover of the Phillip Jones Brass Ensemble recording "Just Brass" showing John Fletcher's Holton CC among some other brass instruments. The question was, did JF use the Holton for that particular recording? The answere was "No he did not." In fact he never used a CC tuba for any of the PJBE performances, live, recorded, or otherwise. I know this because I asked him myself. Yet, there it stood in the picture. It was his tuba.

Another example from my personal experience was a photo that was taken of the Texas Tuba Quartet, of which I was a member, for yet another Miraphone add. We were all posed in front of an outdoor sculpture in Austin, Texas, each of us holding a Miraphone tuba. Miraphone was a sponsor of the quartet. But I have never owned a Miraphone tuba. The people at Miraphone were very good to us and picked up the tab on numerous occaisions, but I have never owned or played Miraphones.

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Re: Abe Torchinsky - Miraphone 186 recordings?

Post by swillafew »

When I met him he had the King in his studio, a rotary horn, and every student but one (to my best recollection) was using a rotary tuba, with Miraphone as the runaway favorite. The exception was using a Yamaha Eb. I never saw or heard mention of him using anything but the King.

He could make a passionate speech about not attributing your sound to gear. In other words, never attribute your sound to your gear. In fact, 30 years later it still rings in my ears.
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Re: Abe Torchinsky - Miraphone 186 recordings?

Post by randy westmoreland »

On of Torchinsky's 186es lives about 30 miles from me.
I saw ghost riders in the sky, and they each played a York EEb tuba.
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Re: Abe Torchinsky - Miraphone 186 recordings?

Post by hbcrandy »

I specifically asked Mr. Torchinsky, during a lesson, what tubas he used for what repertoire. He told me that he used his King for everything except the solo in the 3rd movement of Mahler 1. For that and only that he owned an F tuba. He told me that he had an Alexander that was loaned to him that he kept as a back-up tuba. I saw a photo of the Philadelphia Brass Ensemble once where he posed with the Alex. He did mention the Eb tuba but said that he did not use it. I also asked him about the Meinl Weston brochures where he is posed playing the Bell model MW. His answer was that they gave him a MW tuba but it was not to his liking. During this conversation, Mr. Torchinsky never mentioned a Miraphone 186. It may have been like the Meinl Weston in the ad in which he appeared.
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Re: Abe Torchinsky - Miraphone 186 recordings?

Post by hbcrandy »

Here is the photo of Mr. Torchinsky with the Alexander.
Phila-Orch-Brass-Section-1959.jpg
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Re: Abe Torchinsky - Miraphone 186 recordings?

Post by jffenton »

I just became aware of this thread and thought I'd provide a little more info. I studied at UofM with Mr. Torchinsky from 1975-79. In the fall of my first year I purchased and still play his Miraphone 186-5U CC, this is the horn that is pictured in the ad and was given to him by Miraphone. The horn was built about 1964 and is a unique build in that it's rose brass with extensive nickle-silver work used for it's slides, receivers and valve casings. He also gave me an extra lead-pipe that he said was designed by Roger Bobo. Mr. T. said that only two horns were made like this, the other was Tommy Johnson's. The horn plays well, with a beautiful dark sound and most who have played it have felt it plays unlike most other Miraphones. The King was his primary horn, but the Miraphone was used enough by him (or others) that much of the lacquer was worn off... Mr T. said his hands were very acidic and ate through the lacquer. He recorded the Hindemith approx. 1976 and I'm fairly certain he used his King (and the Bell scales to get into shape). The MW Bell Model horn was in the studio which he'd use occasionally if he wanted to demonstrate something (ie: the Bell Scales, or an excerpt). I bought my Yamaha 321 Eb in 1978 through Mr. T and his store (Zaph's) connections in Philly. The horn had just come out and a number of us were buying them. Wes Jacobs bought one also, added a 5th valve and used it with the DSO. I wasn't aware that Mr. T. had a Yamaha Eb unless he got one for general use in the studio. However, he did buy an Ophicleide, which he and I performed French Ophicleide duets on a studio recital (my ophicleide came from the Stern's collection).
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