Anton Torello
The Catalan Bassist
Born on June 30th, 1884, Anton Torello was a virtuosic double bass player from Catalonia who reshaped how music on the instrument was played and heard in the United States.
Born into a musical family, his technical mastery over the instrument, unique compositions, and expressive voice went on to have a profound impact on the double bass world. He was the "great-grandstudent" of the legendary Giovanni Bottesini, and in his earlier years studied under Pedro Valls and performed as a solo bassist in Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona.
In 1909 — then in his mid-twenties — Torello emigrated to the United States. After spending some time in New York and Boston, he was hired in 1914 as the Principal Bassist of the Philadelphia Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski and Eugene Ormandy. By 1926, he had become the first professor of double bass at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
Notable Collaborations
He worked closely with Italian virtuoso double bassist Isaia Billé, who trusted Torello’s musical instincts so deeply that he wrote works specifically for Torello and his son William to perform. Billé believed Torello possessed a unique ability to shape melody on the bass through his bowings, articulations, and fingerings — techniques preserved in Torello’s manuscripts.
Torello performed chamber works and recitals, including a historical recital with José Mardones, the Metropolitan Opera bass, which received mention in the New York Times.
Reshaping American Bass Playing
Anton Torello was deeply thoughtful about the double bass as a colorful and expressive force and its capabilities as a solo instrument.
Many of Torello's original compositions were never formally published during his lifetime. Through LowNote Music, I've brought these compositions to life once again, complete with original markings, so that they may be enjoyed by the bassists and listeners of today.
Torello is credited with introducing and popularizing playing with the French (overhand) bow style in the United States. His bowing, articulation, and phrasing allowed his bass to project in a way that was then unprecedented.
He was known for making his bass sing.