The largest electronic organ? not sure

[dll927]

Of course, don't forget that any number of pipe organ manufacturers, some once quite prominent, have gone down the drain. Remember Moller or Aeolian-Skinner? Where are they now??

[Corno Dolce]

Apropos disappearing organbuilders...America has some really crack organbuilders like Schoenstein, Fisk, and Lively-Fulcher. I recall the hue and cry from European organbuilders when Fisk nabbed the contract for the Lausanne Cathedral Organ Project...It is an extremely prestigious project in the heart of Europe.

Now, getting back on topic...I perceive that the really big problem is that the organ is not part of the whole church building project...'Tis but a quaint after-thought...To be purchased like an appliance, preferably wholesale...No!!! The organ must be a part of the building as a whole, integrated into the acoustic space and aesthetic design of the churchbuilding.

[Krummhorn]

Of course, don't forget that any number of pipe organ manufacturers, some once quite prominent, have gone down the drain. Remember Moller or Aeolian-Skinner? Where are they now??

Quite true ... however, Möller's demise was not from and any lack of business.
The 'investors' who bought the company from the Möller family squandered the money for their personal use - never re-invested a dime back into the company, and as a result eventually went under. T'was a shame too ... Möller was for many years thought to be the Cadillac of American organs.

Fortunately, for both Möller and A-S, there are reputable builders who do greatly respect both of those names, and when rebuilding try to keep as much of the original and working design as possible. There are also butchers in the business, sad to day.

[Contratrombone64]

As much as I greatly admire, enjoy using and appreciate electronic technology for what it is and for what it does, I still marvel much more at the genius behind the "simple" mechanics that make up a pipe organ where the only electricity required is to run the blower and reading lights.

Soubasse - I wholeheartedly agree as the organ that I am extremely priviledged to be able to use pretty much as often as I want (Pymble Ladies' College chapel T.C Lewis) is exactly as you say: the only electricity used is to fill the lungs and help the occulars.

This organ has been around for more than 100 years, and the pipe work is still in first rate order. Obviously there have been replacements made over the years of mechanical aids and parts, primarily felt in the keyboard, leather (faux leather) in the bellows and pieces of this and that, but essentially the maintenance is very, very low per year. The most expensive part of the upkeep for our Chapel organ is the tuning. Being in Australia, as you painfully know, there is no airconditioning in most churches/chapels so the reeds DO suffer during the change to from spring to summer and autumn to winter.

[Organ Matters]

Hi!

My concert instrument comes near and the trumpets make more of an impact -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe_eJ60PmtM (1:30 for some dark trumpets)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9usBggyS5Nk (4:59 & 9.50) for some wicked French Trumpets. This instrument comes to life over others because it is not a commercial instrument and on account of my special speaker designs.

But uncurated? No. Before any serious recital I have to go through the instrument and make sure that all aspects are working. Corrodable contacts on a set of octave couplers, due to be replaced by gold wires, one and then another channel of a subsidiary PA amp for a pedal channel and the Choir Tuba, a special exotic speaker for the Moucherel Reeds, the Hohl Flute on the Choir which goes on holiday from time to time, and now for the second or third time a reed switch on the pedal board causing a pedal note to disappear. So really when you have an instrument of complexity, it needs maintenance, even if electronic. So no real competition for a permanent pipe organ installation.

Best wishes

David P

[wljmrbill]

David P enjoyed your performance and the sounding of the organ..Thanks

[Contratrombone64]

Hi!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe_eJ60PmtM (1:30 for some dark trumpets)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9usBggyS5Nk (4:59 & 9.50) for some wicked French Trumpets.

David P

"The greatest organist" ... really, so how come I've not heard of him and what do you base your statement on? I'd be fascinated to learn, for me, there is no greatest organist as many are at the top of their league and all of whom (I hesitate to say) people who subscribe to this forum will have heard of, I'll name some of the top of my head and this is by no means comprehensive:

Olivier Latry
Marie Claire-Alain
Helmut Walcha
Jean Gillou
Dame Gillian Weir
Simon Preston
Peter Hurford
Virgil Fox

So, there is not one on the list I've supplied above that I would dare state as "the greatest" as I detest empirichal data, all to me are wonderful and equally talented.

[greatcyber]

Certainly quite an impressive looking and sounding organ. Makes me pine for the days (Sundays in Atlanta) when I would watch Diane Bish on The Joy of Music and her touring the world playing the best of the beasts around the globe.

[Soubasse]

America has some really crack organbuilders like Schoenstein, Fisk, and Lively-Fulcher.

Nice to see Mark and Paul getting a mention there - I was immensely impressed with one of their instruments (in Washington I think) when I heard a recording of Latry playing it, a magnificent (and very French) sound. I actually contacted them about building an organ for us in our cathedral down here - they were keen, but of course, our Philistine administration weren't.

The organ must be a part of the building as a whole, integrated into the acoustic space and aesthetic design of the churchbuilding.

And a hearty "Hear hear" to that! One of the things I like about our otherwise humble school chapel organ is the way it looks and sounds as though it was always always a part of the original building (even though it wasn't). But because the builder took great care in materials and voicing, it's marvellous, and it makes a genuine difference to performing on it when you can hear that from both the console or from the back of the space with someone else playing.

[Organ Matters]

"The greatest organist" ... really, so how come I've not heard of him and what do you base your statement on?

Hi!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9usBggyS5Nk is an organist who shines on a world scale and is recognisable by his playing.

On account of my attention to acoustic reproduction in terms of speaker design I prefer this five manual 154 speaking stop instrument to much hyped electronic instruments that bedazzle in terms of their publicised technological details and cost.

I should add that organists are very welcome to come and play at any time for fun, practice, serious rehearsal for big beast recitals elsewhere or for performance here. We get audiences who really come to enjoy the music rather than to be critical so it's a brilliant place to try things out.

There was the famous case of the mysterious "world renowned" pianist Blackbirinoff who was either pulling off a bet or rehearsing for something important wanting to avoid publicity should something have displeased his audience when his agent, one Mr Perez, announced to the owner of the Bell Vue Hotel in Alderney that he would like to perform on 20th December 1972. He was collected from the airport, arrived at the piano in full evening dress, performed impeccably, was taken to the airport and vanished into the sky - forever. His identity was never discovered.

There is a need for out of the way venues that no-one has ever heard of to try out programme for bigger things in bigger places, and that's one of the things that this instrument enables. If you're an organist who would like to do that and give great pleasure to some audiences along the way, then that's just what this instrument is for.

It's also useful to try out interesting things:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8m2ok1Hlh0
and competent in true French style
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi2pdYou-Rs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1YcEjz8Xro

Whilst size matters, this instrument is not big just for the sake of size and illusions of grandeur b- it's big to provide just that sort of versatility, to further educational activity and for exploration into areas which one cannot explore with a fixed pipe specification in equal temperament.

In using this instrument, I have in mind that it's important for electronics to be used for a specific justification and not as a mere substitute or replacement for the real thing. Far from it, electronics should be adventurous enough to be real inspirations for the real thing.

Best wishes

David P

[Corno Dolce]

"The greatest organist" ... really, so how come I've not heard of him and what do you base your statement on? I'd be fascinated to learn, for me, there is no greatest organist as many are at the top of their league and all of whom (I hesitate to say) people who subscribe to this forum will have heard of, I'll name some of the top of my head and this is by no means comprehensive:

Olivier Latry
Marie Claire-Alain
Helmut Walcha
Jean Gillou
Dame Gillian Weir
Simon Preston
Peter Hurford
Virgil Fox

So, there is not one on the list I've supplied above that I would dare state as "the greatest" as I detest empirichal data, all to me are wonderful and equally talented.

AAAYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! Ya forgot Daniel Roth!!!!!!!

Seriously though...I also detest empirical data, especially when rating excellent performers.

[Corno Dolce]

Nice to see Mark and Paul getting a mention there - I was immensely impressed with one of their instruments (in Washington I think) when I heard a recording of Latry playing it, a magnificent (and very French) sound. I actually contacted them about building an organ for us in our cathedral down here - they were keen, but of course, our Philistine administration weren't.


And a hearty "Hear hear" to that! One of the things I like about our otherwise humble school chapel organ is the way it looks and sounds as though it was always always a part of the original building (even though it wasn't). But because the builder took great care in materials and voicing, it's marvellous, and it makes a genuine difference to performing on it when you can hear that from both the console or from the back of the space with someone else playing.

Hi Soubasse,

I'm elated to hear that you have an excellent understanding of the organbuilding problematique - So many *philistinial church councils* have totally missed the boat in re to true organbuilding.

[Organ Matters]

AAAYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! Ya forgot Daniel Roth!!!!!!!

Hi!

And another . . . !

Best wishes

David P

[Corno Dolce]

My apologies to me *mate* CT64 if he feels unnecessarily browbeaten upon

[Contratrombone64]

Nah, not feeling browbeaten at all, I also didn't mention some extremely capable Australian organists for the simple fact that most Americans wouldn't have heard of them (however, this doesn't diminish their capabilities as organists). So:

Robert Ampt
Amy Johansen
Peter Jewkes
David Coburn

and they're just Sydney players, I'll come up with some from other states after some for greycell activity.