The Recent Revolution in Organ Building - George Laing Miller

Скачать книгу

ORGAN IN WOOLSEY HALL, YALE UNIVERSITY, NEW HAVEN, CONN.

       ORGAN IN ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL, BUFFALO, N. Y.

       ORGAN KNOWN AS THE HOPE-JONES UNIT ORCHESTRA, IN THE PARIS THEATRE, DENVER, COLORADO.

       The Author Playing a Hope-Jones Unit Orchestra.

       CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE, NEW YORK CITY.

       ORGAN IN UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, CANADA.

       CITY HALL, PORTLAND, MAINE.

       LIVERPOOL CATHEDRAL, ENGLAND.

       Table of Contents

      Some years ago the elders and deacons of a Scotch church were assembled in solemn conclave to discuss the prospective installation of a pipe organ. The table was piled high with plans and specifications and discussion ran rife as to whether they should have a two-manual or a three-manual instrument—a Great and Swell or a Great, Swell, and Choir organ. At last Deacon MacNab, the church treasurer and a personage of importance, got a chance to speak.

      "Mr. Chairman," said he, "I don't see why we should have a Great, a Swell, and a Choir organ. I think that one organ is quite enough."

      Now, Deacon MacNab was a master tailor, and a good one at that; so the musical man who was pushing the thing through appealed to his professional instincts in explaining the situation by saying:

      "Surely, Mr. MacNab, you would not say that a man was properly dressed with only a coat on! You would expect him to have on a coat, waistcoat and trousers!" And the day was won for the three-manual organ.

      Of course there had been no organ in this church before, or the worthy deacon might have known more about it. If he had read the second chapter of this book, he would have known all about it. The following pages have been written with the idea of helping those who may be placed in a similar position; who may be called upon to decide the serious question of the purchase of a new organ for their church, town hall, or an auditorium, or the rebuilding of the old one now in use; who are distracted by the conflicting plans and contending claims of rival organ builders; who are disinclined to rely upon so-called "expert" opinion, but wish to look into these things for themselves and intelligently purchase an instrument which is thoroughly up-to-date in every particular, which will not drive the organist to the verge of profanity every time he plays upon it, and will not prove a snug source of income to its builders—for repairs.

      The organ-student, the amateur, and eke the professional organist, will also find much here that will interest them and lead to a better understanding of the instrument.

      The revolution in organ-building herein described has for the most part taken place under the personal notice of the author, during the last fifty years. The organists of a younger generation are to be congratulated on the facilities now placed at their disposal, mainly by the genius and persevering efforts of four men—as hereinafter described.

       Table of Contents

      The Organ in St. George's Hall, Liverpool, Eng. … Frontispiece Prehistoric Double Flutes The Wind-chest; Front View. The Wind-chest; Side View. The Pneumatic Lever Nomenclature of Organ Keyboard Portrait of Moitessier Tubular Pneumatic Action The First Electric Organ Ever Built The Electro-Pneumatic Lever Valve and Valve Seat, Hope-Jones Electric Action Portrait of Dr. Péschard Console, St. Paul's Cathedral, Buffalo Console on Bennett System Console, Trinity Church, Boston Console, College of City of New York Principle of the Sound Trap Sound Trap Joint The Vacuum Shutter Series of Harmonics Estey's Open Bass Pipes Diapason Pipe with Leathered Lip Haskell's Clarinet without Reed Diagram of Reed Pipe Vowel Cavities Diaphone in Worcester Cathedral Diaphone in Aberdeen University Diaphone in St. Patrick's, N. Y. Diaphone in Auditorium, Ocean Grove, N. J. Diaphone in St. Paul's Cathedral, Buffalo Diaphone Producing Foundation Tone. New Method of Tuning Reeds Portrait of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll Portrait of Charles Spachman Barker Portrait of Henry Willis Portrait of Robert Hope-Jones. Keyboards of Organ, St. George's Hall Keyboards of Organ, Notre Dame, Paris Keyboards of Organ, Westminster Abbey Organ in Balruddery Mansion, Dundee, Scotland The Author Playing a Hope-Jones Unit Orchestra

       IN ORGAN BUILDING

       Table of Contents

       Table of Contents

       Table of Contents

      "The Organ breathes its deep-voiced solemn notes,

       The people join and sing, in pious hymns

       And psalms devout; harmoniously attun'd,

       The Choral voices blend; the long-drawn aisles

       At every close the ling'ring strains prolong:

       And now, of varied tubes and reedy pipes,

       The skilful hand a soften'd stop controuls:

       In sweetest harmony the dulcet strains steal forth,

       Now swelling high, and now subdued; afar they float

       In lengthened whispers melting into cadenced murmurs,

       Forming soft melodious strains, and placid airs,

       Spreading gently all around, then soaring up to Heav'n!"

       —Dryden.

      The origin

Скачать книгу