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    Frederik Magle
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    Krummhorn
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Pierre Schyven...

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
According to one of our colleagues on MIMF, Pierre Schyven had the distinct privilege of working with CC at his shop in Paris. One of Schyven's instruments of only 22 stops but in an acoustically spectacular environment is heard in the vid-link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZATiZ_DanY&feature=related&fmt=18

Here's the stoplist:

http://195.108.118.111/scripts/wwwopac.exe?database=orgbase2&%0=2004142&LGE=EN&LIJST=lang

It is quite magical how such a modest instrument is capable of so much grandeur.
 
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Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
Marvelous acoustics ... I envy those who play these organs in acoustically live buildings.
Brilliant performance ... absolutely love anything by Vierne.
 

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
Aloha GrandMaster Krummhorn,

When I've been pondering about the people who have been associated with CC to learn the organbuilding trade and who then have returned to their respective homeland, I then marvel at the influence CC had. The Swedish organbuilder Carl Åkerman, Pels of Holland, and others whose instruments have CC traits are a real joy to play on. Yes, a superb acoustic makes a good organ sound great.

I shudder to think how a CC would sound in some American Churches whose acoustic ambience is like that of a funeral home chapel - all that carpeting, thick curtains, and plushly padded pews/seats...Heavy Sigh :shake::shake::shake::shake::shake::shake::shake:

Cheerio,

CD :tiphat::tiphat::tiphat:
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
Me too, brother CD ...

I play every weekend in one of those "padded closets" ... the sound stops before I lift my fingers off the keys. But, it's the only Lutheran church in the region with a pipe organ, albeit 9 rks, a post that I've had since 1982 and not about to give it up.
 

Aristide

New member
According to one of our colleagues on MIMF, Pierre Schyven had the distinct privilege of working with CC at his shop in Paris. One of Schyven's instruments of only 22 stops but in an acoustically spectacular environment is heard in the vid-link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZATiZ_DanY&feature=related&fmt=18

I don't live far away from there. I have played this organ several times, including a few recitals.
The church (St Anna in Gent, BE) is gigantic and the organ, when you see it high up the loft, looks like something barely larger than a choir organ.
The sound and the touch however make it much more fascinating than several Cavaillés of about the same size that I have played.
I'd take the post of titulaire any time.
 

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
As a comparison, here's a photo of Jesuskirken in Copenhagen with its 2-manual+Ped. CC of 20 stops/23 ranks - also a great acoustic space:

http://www.jesuskirken.dk/media/foto_kirken_interior.jpg

There was supposed to be a 3-manual 40 stop CC but the organ consultant, a church organist named Johan Henrik Nebelong who was organist at St. Johannes Church in Copenhagen, gave the strange advice that the organ should not exceed 20 stops. Of course CC had already envisioned a 40 stop organ.

The patron who gave from his fortunes to build the Church and provide for its interior including an organ, a brewery owner named Carl Jacobsen, took the advice from the consultant. Could it possibly be that there was some competition as to which Church should have the bigger organ?

That question will probably remain unanswered in the annals of organographical/organological history. Mr. Jacobsen apparently had the funds. Mind you, this instrument was one of the last organs from CC's shop while the Great Master was still alive. One could conjecture that had CC been more personally involved in the project, the Church would have had the 40 stop instrument. The case is undoubtedly dimensioned for more pipework than what is there now.

An exterior photo of the Church - Looks like it could be from Italy:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...penhagen.jpg/300px-Jesuskirken_Copenhagen.jpg
 

Aristide

New member
I found a great interior photo of St. Anna Church in Ghent with the organ - Tis a massive interior space:
http://www.gentblogt.be/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/20061120_stanna06.jpg

That is a very nice photo indeed. In fact from where the photographer stands, the space behind his back is twice as deep as the distance from him towards the organ. The church is a big hall, with nothing much standing in the way of accoustics. To some, the accoustics are too much. It certainly requires the necessary attention towards playing articulately. As the church attracts less and less people for years on end, part of the chairs have also been removed and the building is mostly closed.
The titulaire is about my age, so when he retires from there, I'll probably do the same ;) ...
 

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
Aloha Aristide,

I take your word for it that the space behind the photographer is twice as deep - WOW!!! That just blows my mind. And it is just a Parish Church - not an Abbey or Cathedral. And all that space is served by a humble instrument. I bet the following photograph is taken from the organ loft of that Church:

http://cultuurofzoiets.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/img_4678_klein.jpg

Humbly,

CD :tiphat::tiphat::tiphat:

Ps: More pictures of Sint Annakerk in Gent:

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...mages?q=sint+annakerk+te+gent&um=1&hl=en&sa=N
 
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Aristide

New member
Hi Corno Dolce,
Thank you for the picture link ! I didn't have any pictures from the inside. I have a big one of the outside somewhere in my archives (could check it out if you want). Apparently there was some event for the young ones that day.
The organ is currently in the care of Andriessen Orgelbouw Anneessens bvba (successors to Anneessens). I work for them sometimes. They have a real passion for the instrument. On their website, they have a link to this organ witch specs, a few pictures and a sound sample.
http://www.andriessenorgelbouw.be/en/GSA-info.html
 

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
Aloha Aristide,

A rich specification for such a humble instrument - Thanx for the link.

Cheerio,

CD :tiphat::tiphat::tiphat:
 

dll927

New member
Yes, a nice specification, and typical C-C. Did he or any of his cohorts ever build an organ without that voix humaine? It's been said that more people have been 'saved' by the v. h. than by any other stop in the organ. And coupled with a soft string, a v. h. can almost mimic a theater organ. (Tremolo, tremblant, or tremulant added, of course.)

I've read that C-C did not like curved surfaces in churches. Far ahead of any scientific instruments or engineering geniuses, he was probably as aware as anyone of the effect the building has on the sound. It doesn't take First Congregational L. A. to fill a church.
 

Aristide

New member
Yes, a nice specification, and typical C-C. Did he or any of his cohorts ever build an organ without that voix humaine? It's been said that more people have been 'saved' by the v. h. than by any other stop in the organ. And coupled with a soft string, a v. h. can almost mimic a theater organ. (Tremolo, tremblant, or tremulant added, of course.)

A Voix Humaine should be found on most C-C or Schyven organs, even on the smaller ones. In fact in the pre C-C and Schyven days, a Voix Humaine was mostly built into the Great on French classical organs. C-C started off by moving it to the Récit, into the swell box, and voicing it somewhat differently. It soon became a very important stop as much for solo work as for use in the combined reed sections.
 
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