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Most interesting:organ installation,duet performance

Soubasse

New member
How extraordinary, have never seen anything like that before, particularly the short compass manual and pedals. Curious to see the player on the left leaning around to change stops. Wouldn't mind knowing a bit more about that setup, whether the secondary console has a dedicated set of stops, or if you can "assign" particular stops from the grand organ.
Great performance too, if that was improvised, it was extremely well done!
 

dll927

New member
Somebody has to know where that is. It doesn't appear that the "mini-console" has its own stops.

There are more than one church with two or even multiple organs. First Congregational in L. A. has chancel and balcony organs put in at very different times. There are twin consoles, so two organists can easily (?) play the two.

The Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove also has two organs, but the consoles are very different in appearance. I once watched Fred Swann and Peter Biacchi play the Gigout "Grand Chouer Dialogue" as a duet, and it was smashing.

As for the one in this video, I can't help wondering what the point is. It sure is a rare bird.
 

wljmrbill

Member
I found this additionial info from a web site of the conservatory: " Large concert organ with five keyboards,mechanical transmission, two pedals, 58 records and over 6000 barrels"..... using goole translator SO I assume:

main organ 4 keyboards and side organ ( lack of better word.. maybe a choir organ possibility ) is the 5th one,

two pedals gives you one pedal organ for each instrument

an assuming they share the :with one set for the instrument on the left ( as if a five manual console)of the main console...

56 stops and over 6000 pipes for the organ installation.

The would be my opinion for what it is worth
 

Contratrombone64

Admiral of Fugues
The Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove also has two organs, but the consoles are very different in appearance. I once watched Fred Swann and Peter Biacchi play the Gigout "Grand Chouer Dialogue" as a duet, and it was smashing.

Didn't know that Gigout work at all, not surprisingly but here's a PDF, look interesting, very antiphonal (no surprises there either).
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
The organ is installed at the Conservatorio Statale di Musica, in Perugia, Italy.
It is a IV/83 built by Pinchi possibly in the year 2000, according to Martin Doering's database. There is no explanation of the little console to the left ... only thing I can think of that it might be used for maintenance and/or tuning of the instrument.

It seems apparent that both share the same keyboard mechanisms (tracker action perhaps) as the two organists are never playing at the same time.

The stop pulls done by the fellow on the left are probably necessary as it also doesn't appear that there are any pistons, although I cannot hear any discernible difference in sound when stops are pulled or retired.
 
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Contratrombone64

Admiral of Fugues
Sadly Pinchi's website, though attractive, is difficult to navigate (unless your fluent in Italian, which I'm not). And, if you do then find a tantilising sound file, you have to be registered before you can listen. I just ran out of attention span ...
 

dll927

New member
CT64 -- thanks for that PDF. Hope I didn't violate any copyright laws in printing it out. I found three different performances on Youtube. It must take a good bit of practice, as it's full of double pedalling.

The piece was supposedy written for one organ, but under the proper conditions it seems a natural for two. It seems like something Diane Bish would be fond of, but I've never seen her do it. Interestingly, some of the videos I mentioned are done on two-manual organs. FCCLA and Crystal Cathedral are graced with five-deckers.

BTW, both of the above have websites. I assume most know about the glass house. The other is www.fccla.org. I've been to both, and in both cases the organs can shake the rafters, assuming CC has them.
 

wljmrbill

Member
dll927 It seems to me I remember Diane Bish doing this as a duet.. in one of her duo (2 -organ concerts) with an English organist.. Maybe I can find it somewhere...
 

dll927

New member
Most likely Simon Preston. I once saw them do the Widor "Toccata" with both of them playing at the Coral Ridge Church -- Preston was playing an electronic.
 
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