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    Frederik Magle
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The Atlantic City organ

Alexander smith

New member
I found this link at Frederik Magle's post "Pipe Organ Internet Resources"
I really like this organ! It has a lot of powerful and orchestral voices. Though I don't think the action is Ideal for the technique that is so useful on a tracker, I suppose, in an instrument of this size it's impossible to have a mechanical action. So, enjoy! :)http://www.acchos.org
 

giovannimusica

Commodore de Cavaille-Coll
Yeah, tracker action would not function very well in an instrument of this size. Then you also have those very high wind pressures to deal with. Tracker action will generally not function at pressures much over 4", unless one employs the *Servo-Pneumatic* lever system as designed by the good people at C.B. Fisk. If memory serves me their instrument at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas has the Resonance division on 12.5" and the Tubas at 25". Also an Untersatz 32' on 19" in the pedal which also has a Tuba Profunda 32' on 25".

Cheers!

Giovanni :tiphat:
 

NEB

New member
I was under the impression that the AC - 7 manual organ was in pretty poor shape because it's too big (and costly) to maintain? Or have I got the wrong one in mind?
 

NEB

New member
Thanks Krummhorn, that's what I thought.

Cost $400,000 to build in 1929 and took 3 years to build. - Someone must have been a bit canny to have escaped the crash and great depression sufficiently unscathed to finance such a project.

One thing I couldn't quite pick up on, was the whole thing ever playable or only ever bits of it?
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
H NEB ...

From what I can gather from this ATOS Site is that it was totally playable at the beginning. Apparently a big storm in 1944 rendered the combination action useless, and other part of this organ suffered water damage.

Although the AC instrument is the largest organ, it still takes 2nd chair to the Wanamaker Organ which is the largest playable organ in existence.
 

giovannimusica

Commodore de Cavaille-Coll
NEB,

AFAIK, that someone who was canny and avoided the ravages of *The Crash* and *The Great Depression* and swung around to finance the Atlantic City Organ is Sen. Emerson Richards.

Regards!

Giovanni :tiphat:
 

Soubasse

New member
Have just glanced thru the ACCHO specs and I'm :eek: :eek: :crazy: :eek:
Err, um, how many different ways does one seriously expect to be able to voice a Diapason? 10 on the Great???? Ye gods - could anyone really tell the difference?
And I've not seen a 10-rank mixture before either.

It's all a bit overwhelming - I need a drink
 

acc

Member
And I've not seen a 10-rank mixture before either.

Such big mixtures are actually quite old. Cavaillé-Coll put a 10 rank Plein-Jeu in the Madeleine organ, and even planned a 15 rank Plein-Jeu in his proposal for Liverpool (a contract he didn't get).

There are much older examples, such as the organ in Bernau, Germany, built by Scherer in 1572, with a 12 rank mixture.

After all, mixtures grew out initially from the medieval Blockwerk whose number of ranks could be substantially larger (such as in the 1361 organ in Halberstadt).
 

giovannimusica

Commodore de Cavaille-Coll
Soubasse,

All those diapason ranks are of different metals and woods and with differing windpressures to boot. Also to keep in mind is that the Atlantic City Auditorium is a HUGE space. Also to keep in mind are those diapason ranks producing a tone unlike anything else. Don't sweat the details, ok?

Regards!

Giovanni :tiphat: :tiphat: :tiphat:
 

Soubasse

New member
Obviously I need to get out more ... besides, what do you expect living in a land of cultural Philistines? :)

My experiences of multiple Diapasons is limited to badly voiced ones on quasi-English style cathedral instruments which, when used together, only have the effect of seriously muddying things. I also did work experience with a voicer who claimed that he saw little point in having any more than three Diapasons on one manual (but I don't recall that he actually qualified the statement).

The largest rank mixture I've ever played was VII and that was on a rather curious affair where you could actually choose the disposition of the individual pipes in the mixture with a special sub-set of smaller stops.

Matt
 

giovannimusica

Commodore de Cavaille-Coll
Soubasse,

What land, pray tell, is that which is marked by cultural philistinism? Hey, I live in Hawaii so I have to travel to San Fransicko or *Lost Angels* (L.A.) if I need to need hear good music peformed by a better orchestra. Ya know, it gets somewhat expensive with all that flying even with a *mileage account* but I don't care to move to *Californicated* so I make my own music - transcribe for organ the symphonic music of different composers.

Regards!

Giovanni
 

Soubasse

New member
Well it's spelled "Australia" and that's how I actually pronounce it, but it gets me strange looks from the locals because they say they're from "Straya" for some stupid reason.

Now let's see, this is my 47th post and I think it must be a record. I'm usually well over the 100 mark on other forums before I start Australia bashing. Despite a small number of quality instruments here (not to mention one that was for a little while, the largest in the world until the title of this thread got in the way:) ), quality players thereof are seriously underused and even more undervalued to which I've already alluded in other posts.

Anyway, probably not best to get me started. In a nutshell, this country annoys and often depresses me, particularly when it comes to the organ and it's music.

Matt
 

giovannimusica

Commodore de Cavaille-Coll
Hi Matt,

Yeow - You live in the land of Oz - yes, I understand it can be very *philistinial* :grin: there. Although, the instruments there are of very good caliber - maybe its a little too much *frontier* mentality for some, especially for those with finer tastes. Then again, Sydney has that great Opera House designed by a fellow from Denmark which is known for its sentiments in good design. Of course, if one lives in the outback of Oz then, yep, it can be *tough*. Then I guess the only place where any *culture* is available is down at the local watering hole where one *knocks down* a few with the *mates* - G'day Wally, how's everything in Parramatta???:D :D :D

Regards!

Giovanni

Legal Disclaimer: The above is not to be construed as a slight against the majority of Austrailians who are upstanding citizens.
 

Contratrombone64

Admiral of Fugues
Giovanni - Matt has made some "grand and sweeping" statements about the "average Australian" ... unfortunately most of what he says is true (as I live in the land of Philistines, too).

As to the arts - you are either "the flavour of the month" or not and if you're not you don't get work. I'd hate to be a composer here, even the really good ones like Gordon Kerry (who I know personally) struggles and has a partner with a "steady income".

Sadly, the arts are underfunded and interest in them is considered marginalised and elite ... you just can't win when the leader of the country is a right-wing, intelligent, thug.
 

Soubasse

New member
Giovanni - Matt has made some "grand and sweeping" statements about the "average Australian" ... unfortunately most of what he says is true
Most of what I say you may all pay no heed whatsoever as I'm usually being a grumpy old git.
I'd hate to be a composer here,
Yes you would - I certainly do:(
you just can't win when the leader of the country is a right-wing, intelligent, thug.
The one we had before him was worse IMO, but yeah, basically, if you're not interested in sport, you're nobody worthwhile (schools don't help either - one of my extra-curricular duties is to assist in supervising after-school sports practice ... PARDON??? I wonder sort of fuss we'd get if we asked people from the PE dept to help supervise orchestra rehearsals??? :banghead:)
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
... (schools don't help either - one of my extra-curricular duties is to assist in supervising after-school sports practice ... PARDON??? I wonder sort of fuss we'd get if we asked people from the PE dept to help supervise orchestra rehearsals??? :banghead:)

Hi Soubasse,

This was happening when I was in high school, too ... My female choral teachers were expected to assist coaching girls volleyball, and the male ones worked with track & field. On the flip side of the coin though, the math, history and english teachers helped with musical presentations all the time, so the trade was pretty fair. This was (I'm going to antiquate myself now) 41 years ago in the US (Southern California).

Nowadays, here at least, there is little support for music in the schools, unless it is at the Uni level. Hopefully things will change for the better.
 

Contratrombone64

Admiral of Fugues
As to the Wannamaker organ ... I own a CD of it ... amazing sounds really, fancy installing an organ in a shopping mall ... the mind boggles ... only in America I guess.
 
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