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    Frederik Magle
    Administrator

    Krummhorn
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ALIENS AND BEST PIPE ORGAN. Opinion poll

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
Aliens??? Oh brother...:shake::shake::shake:

Now, as to the best organ(s) - My criterion is simple: Able to handle all organ repertoire! There are three instruments that come to mind:

St. Sulpice Cavaille-Coll Organ in Paris, Liverpool Anglican Cathedral Willis Organ, and the Wanamaker Organ at Macy's in Philadelphia.
 

Ghekorg7 (Ret)

Rear Admiral Appassionata (Ret)
Cavaille-Coll, St Sulpice Paris and the one in Caen.
Also the Schnitger 4m/p in Zwolle.
Ah, and a Silbermann !! Friberg possibly :)

But, the... Aliens already know which to choose..... every serious and inner note played on this earth through the years to this very moment, is transmitted in the whole universe. So they have listened and have select the one, if there is such a selection.

Every organ is unique and lovely and thank God we have sooo many on this earth, so each one can be the favourite of a 1000 people or so (please correct my maths...LoL)
 

Luis Enrique

New member
Cavaille-Coll, St Sulpice Paris and the one in Caen.
Also the Schnitger 4m/p in Zwolle.
Ah, and a Silbermann !! Friberg possibly :)

But, the... Aliens already know which to choose..... every serious and inner note played on this earth through the years to this very moment, is transmitted in the whole universe.

Dear CD and Ghekorg:
This is an usual conversation topic with other fellow organ lovers around, and it is nice (marvelous, better) that an opinion from South America may get a reply from Moscow and Athenas the same day. Just for the sake of forum conversation, please let me comment that I have touched ("to play" is as big verb for an amateur like me) St. Sulpice and Wannamaker. I wouldn´t give them the # 1 because the first one adds to the pipes music the clapping of its Barker levers -some organists love it!- and the second one, at least for my taste and anatomy, is oversized. I do not know Willis´s Liverpool but in terms of pipes is similar to Syndey and this one is tracker, perhaps the most characteristic and valued organ action, and also all literature may be played on it.

I wish´d dear friend from Platon´s land, that organ waves traveled to outer space, but they are mechanical, not electromagnetic, so I think they cannot survive beyond our tiny atmosphere.
Best regards,
Luis
 
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Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
I have played a few larger organs in my lifetime ... the one that sticks out in my mind is the Mormon Tabernacle instrument, although the best sound is not seated at the console, but rather out in the room.

Two years ago, I played a concert on a 2009 II/25 Frobenius at Jølunde Kirke in Denmark that was absolutely fantastic. Our site owner, Frederik Magle, designed that one and saw the project to its completion and played the dedicatory recital as well.

In my own church where I am employed as the organist, we have a II/9 Möller Pipe ... very adequate for the building which seats 250 ... and it is able to play any of the organ repertoire quite nicely ... however, the limitation are pieces that don't require rapid piston changes as there are only 4 generals, but there is a crescendo shoe.
A few years ago I performed the Mendelssohn Sonata I on it ... and have done the Franck Chorale No. 3 in A minor successfully too.

I suppose "size" is relevant ... and although the larger ones do have more choices for ensemble sound and tons more solo stops, the smaller instruments are equally as nice too and need to be appreciated more.

Kh ♫
 

Ghekorg7 (Ret)

Rear Admiral Appassionata (Ret)
Hi Lars :)

I love small organs.... you already know that LOL
And you proved many times that you can do miracles with that crescendo shoe of yours!
And more miracles with your registrations with just 9 stops.....
OK and some more super power as admin here !!!! LOL LOL

HOW ABOUT THE FRANKENSTEIN SILBERMANN baby ???? Isn't she a beauty ?

Hey dear Luis, Hi :)

even a simple note played from a doublette 2' can reach the far beyond place where it's about to be heard !
 

Diode

New member
As far as aliens are concerned I would want to be sure that they did not have ulterior motives before showing them this little gem in my home town, particularly if their home planet possessed an atmosphere similar to ours. It may not be the best in the world but it may make it on to their short "trophy" list just out of convenience. Why? Even though it weighs roughly 13 tons it is essentially portable (or should that be "portative"). As part of the original design it was build on a hovercraft so that it could be moved back-of-stage when not in use! There is a story about the original design that suggests that the Rieger Orgelbau reps were asked just how much a 50 stop pipe organ (particularly a tracker version) could be flexed - they did not have an answer because it had never been done before.

http://www.ohta.org.au/organs/organs/AdelaideFestTheatre.html

Diode -|>|-
 

wljmrbill

Member
Diode.. What a beautiful facade and I never heard of an installation that could be moved as a unit. Amazing and practical too.
 

Ghekorg7 (Ret)

Rear Admiral Appassionata (Ret)
Hi Diode,

Awesome !
I think this is the one Aliens would take with them to their home planet. No doubt !
Careful !!!!!!
 

Diode

New member
Hi All,

The really sad part is that this particlar organ is rarely played - which may help the aliens to justify whisking it away. See link below. I don't play - but I did have the privelege of seeing its internals just before it was commissioned - superb workmanship! - and later heard it played by Peter Hurford.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeG8I_1k3k4
 

Nikam

New member
Interesting comment made at the end of the video by Peter Kelsall, "I do wonder where the next generation of organists is going to come from, and who is going to encourage and support them." Interesting in that the exact same comment was made in the summer by an organist on a Scottish island which boasts a 4-manual, a 3-manual and a 2-manual but with only two organists, one of whom is said to be leaving the island soon. Interesting too his comment about falling church congregations, another common problem potentially affecting the future of organs and organists.
 

dll927

New member
In his long-ago autobiography, "Out of My Life and Thought", Albert Schweitzer made the remark that there were 100 organs that were the best, and many that were the largest. In other words, it all depends on who is talking. I doubt if much has changed since he wrote that -- in German, of course.

There doesn't seem to be much argument about which is the largest functioning organ -- it's the Wanamaker. But the definition of "church" seems to bring up whether the Cadet Chapel or First Congregational in L.A. has the largest "church" organ. Or, is the Cadet Chapel a "church"?? I have been to FCCLA lots of times, and that thing can uproot trees if enough is put on at once. Actually, it's two organs - the chancel organ and the gallery organ, but they can be played from either of the twin consoles. Quite a collection of vertical tubes -- except the chamades, of course.
 
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