Largest organ in Europe, not in a church

[Dorsetmike]

Compared the Stockholm organ against the RAH, RAH definitely wins on number of stops 147 v Stockholm's 135, but Stockholm wins on number of pipes, Stockholm 10,217, RAH 9,997.

Which is the ultimate criteria, stops or pipes?

[Corno Dolce]

Hi Dorsetmike,

I love your question as to what is the ultimate criteria. Imho, a stopname is more or less a nomenclature used to describe the character of the rank's sound which the organ builder has in mind at the time of the instrument's conception, design, building, and finishing. It can be often subject to change.

Most organists and keen organ music aficionados know that through duplexing and borrowing you can get *LOTS* of stops from relatively few ranks. Sizewise, the amount of pipes and ranks is more informative. But an even finer discriminant can be how well a rank of pipes is voiced and finished. A relatively small but excellently voiced organ can give greater joy than a leviathan whose pipe divisions are nothing but trash in re to voicing.

Maybe my few cents worth could help to clarify the thread somewhat...

Cheers,

CD

[Contratrombone64]

Corno - wise words indeed. Perfect example is the tiny two manual Lewis organ at my work place (Pymble Ladies' College, Sydney). It is exquisitely voice, there's no borrowing and it roars when in pleno. I must find out how many pipes there are, next time I venture inside I think I'll do a count.

[Contratrombone64]

Right you are. One thing that comes to mind is the Lewis at St. Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne.

Thomas Lewis normally used light wind compared to what the Willises used.

An that's a fine instrument, too. I play it's little sister quite often at Pymble Ladies' College, in Sydney. Lewis made five organs for Australia, only three survive, can't remember where the third one is...

[marval]

Hi CT

According to this website there is one at St.Pauls Cathedral Melbourne and at St George's Uniting Church, St Kilda, Victoria, Australia.

There are links so you can have a look.


http://www.music-room.freewebspace.com/organ.html


Margaret

[smilingvox]

The 1873 Lewis at St. John's Pro-Cathedral, Brisbane, according to one source, was moved to All Saints', Wickham Terrace (Brisbane). It was enlarged by WJ Simon Pierce. 4 manuals.

The 1886 at Pittwater House, formerly at the Wesleyan Church, Tyrrell St., Newcastle (not clear on this). This Lewis originally had 9 stops, but, over the years, was considerably enlarged by other builders.

[Corno Dolce]

Hi CT64,

Thanx mate - Yes, I have heard the little gem at the ladies college and it certainly shines. I guess that sometimes the *size* of the musical instrument will draw more attention to its resources. Yes, there are magnificent large instruments with excellent voicing c.f. Saint Sulpice in Paris or the Willis in Liverpool, or St. Pauls in London, or the Skinner in Woolsey Hall at Yale University. Now, getting back to the thread topic, it seems that RAH fits the bill as being the largest in a secular setting - However, there has been an even bigger instrument in the Jahrhunderthalle in Breslau, a Sauer-built instrument with five manuals and 222 stops!

Sadly, this instrument has been deconstructed , the pipework is included in two Cathedrals, one in Poland and the other in Germany - the names of the Cathedrals escapes me at the moment. The Osiris Catalogue of Organs (note: this is an FTP) housed in the server for the University of Vienna has the Spec sheet if one wishes to examine it.

Cheers,

CD

[smilingvox]

I'm with you on the great RAH organ. The largest, most powerful in Europe outside the ecclesiastical places.

[Organ Matters]

I'm with you on the great RAH organ. The largest, most powerful in Europe outside the ecclesiastical places.

Well . . . there is this one . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe_eJ60PmtM


And you can see the organist at a recital without needing a TV screen . . .

Best wishes

David P