A unique pipe organ is being build in the Studio Acusticum Concert Hall in Piteå, Sweden.
It will have 208 voices including an unusual "Harmonics Division" (with more "advanced" harmonics than the similar named division in the West Point Cadet Chapel Organ), tracker action (!), and much more. When completed it will be, I believe, the 5th or 6th largest pipe organ in the world!
Official website with specifications, etc: Studio Acusticum Organ
I applaud this project. It's wonderful that such a triple E: Exciting, experimental, and extravagant pipe organ can be build today, and I'm looking much forward to hear it when it is completed.
My only concern would be the size of the Piteå Studio Acusticum concert hall where the organ is being installed. According to what I have read it can accommodate an audience of up to 600 people.
Now, this is perhaps not so much a concern but rather a question as I haven't been in the hall (and if I had been maybe there would be no question), but the question is how well an organ of such immense size will balance with the relatively small hall and speak through the likewise relatively small facade.
The organ could easily be too subdued. Yes, you read right! Subdued.
In order to avoid the full organ (or large registrations) to completely overpower the hall, some individual voices or divisions could be voiced too softly, thereby potentially depriving them of character. Also, there's an awful lot of pipes that will have to speak through a - from the looks of it - relatively small front, which also could have a dampening effect.
With that said, obviously the competent people involved in the planning and construction of the organ has considered this and come up with a solution. Hence my "concern" being more of a question rather than an actual concern.
A very exciting project!
It will have 208 voices including an unusual "Harmonics Division" (with more "advanced" harmonics than the similar named division in the West Point Cadet Chapel Organ), tracker action (!), and much more. When completed it will be, I believe, the 5th or 6th largest pipe organ in the world!
Official website with specifications, etc: Studio Acusticum Organ
I applaud this project. It's wonderful that such a triple E: Exciting, experimental, and extravagant pipe organ can be build today, and I'm looking much forward to hear it when it is completed.
My only concern would be the size of the Piteå Studio Acusticum concert hall where the organ is being installed. According to what I have read it can accommodate an audience of up to 600 people.
Now, this is perhaps not so much a concern but rather a question as I haven't been in the hall (and if I had been maybe there would be no question), but the question is how well an organ of such immense size will balance with the relatively small hall and speak through the likewise relatively small facade.
The organ could easily be too subdued. Yes, you read right! Subdued.
In order to avoid the full organ (or large registrations) to completely overpower the hall, some individual voices or divisions could be voiced too softly, thereby potentially depriving them of character. Also, there's an awful lot of pipes that will have to speak through a - from the looks of it - relatively small front, which also could have a dampening effect.
With that said, obviously the competent people involved in the planning and construction of the organ has considered this and come up with a solution. Hence my "concern" being more of a question rather than an actual concern.
A very exciting project!