In 1988 the County of Los Angeles received its largest gift ever of $50,000,000 from Mrs. Lillian Disney, the widow of the late Walt Disney, for the construction of a new music hall for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. To be known as the Walt Disney Concert Hall, this new edifice was to stand on land which had been set aside for this purpose in 1964 when a major complex of three performance halls and theaters was completed. Also received for an organ was a $1,000,000 gift from the Toyota Motor Corporation. With an architect not yet selected, the design of the hall not yet conceived, and the organ's specifications not yet planned, it was soon determined that the amounts on hand for the hall and the organ were not to be adequate.
The selection of internationally acclaimed architect Frank O. Gehry resulted from worldwide competition in late 1988 during which scale models of the proposed building were submitted for evaluation. Also selected was Dr. Minoru Nagata, acoustical engineer, Tokyo, Japan, whose recent work had included the acoustical design of Suntory Hall in Tokyo.
In early 1990 Ernest Fleishmann, then executive director of the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra, appointed a search committee to determine the design of an organ that would serve the needs of the orchestral literature and fill the role as a solo instrument as well. The members of this committee were: chairman, J. Michael Barone, organist, founder and host of the nationally broadcast radio program Pipedreams; Ms. Cherry Rhodes, professor of organ at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; Dr. Robert T. Anderson, chairman of the organ department at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas. This committee evaluated proposals from many organ builders and determined that Rosales Organ Builders, Inc. was the best choice for the creation of the new organ. Mr. Barone was selected to continue as the organ project consultant and liaison.
From the outset, however, it was agreed that the responsibility of the visual design was to remain with Frank Gehry, and Rosales Organ Builders was to be responsible for all other aspects of mechanical and tonal design. On July 27, 1990, a letter of agreement was signed with Rosales Organ Builders, and the design of the organ commenced. Initially planned to require six months, the process of visual and mechanical design continued for two and one-half years.
Given the traditional nature of the organ and the reluctance of organ builders to depart from historical models, Mr. Rosales' work with Frank Gehry proved to be both a stimulating challenge and a frustrating experience. In the vocabulary of the Gehry architectural school, there were to be no limits to the design possibilities for the façade and casework. From the outset, totally original ideas were considered, including pipe arrays suspended from the ceiling of the hall. With each design a 1:24 scale model was built to evaluate the results. Eventually, the design which is now being built was arrived at and agreed upon by both Manuel Rosales and Frank Gehry as one which would allow the architectural expression desired and one that would not detract from the mechanical and tonal needs of the builder's design for the organ. A 1:10 scale model of the organ was built to fit inside the 1:10 scale model of the hall's interior which was used to conduct acoustical tests. The unforgettable design of the façade will provoke much discussion but more importantly, it will create curiosity and amazement in the many visitors to the hall who will wish to hear the instrument contained therein.
Unfortunately, in 1994, shortly after the occurrence of the Northridge earthquake (6.4 Richter Scale), all design work and construction of the hall were stopped as the mechanical and financial requirements of the building were re-evaluated.
In 1998 the project was revived under new leadership from impetus stimulated by the Mayor of Los Angeles, The Honorable Richard Riordan, and businessman Eli Broad. Under their leadership, the economic and social position for the fund raising achieved new heights and the project was fully revived with construction resuming in Summer 1999. Now under the leadership of project manager Edward J. Burnell, the Concert Hall I management group will oversee the project to its completion.
During the four-year period of construction interruption, Rosales Organ Builders had been invited to collaborate with the firm of Glatter-Götz Orgelbau, Owingen, Germany, for the tonal design and voicing of the new 3-manual, 56-stop organ for the Claremont United Church of Christ, Congregational, Claremont, California. The success of this collaboration resulted in commissioning of another joint project for Neighborhood Congregational Church in Palos Verdes, California (in the Los Angeles area), and the eventual invitation by Manuel Rosales to Caspar Glatter-Götz that he consider a joint project for the Walt Disney Concert Hall organ. It was clear that Caspar Glatter-Götz and his staff are persons for whom the challenge of building the Gehry façade design would be energizing and exciting. The proposal to build the organ in a collaboration was accepted by the "Walt Disney Concert Hall I" management team, and a contract was signed in April 1999. Michael Barone was formally engaged to continue as organ project consultant and liaison.
The tonal design by Rosales Organ Builders features a traditional plan with unenclosed Great and enclosed Positive and Swell organs. Additionally, the tonal resources are augmented by the Hispanic-inspired fourth manual division La Llamarada (literally translates "blaze") which will feature a large principal chorus, blazing harmonics, mixture and reed stops at three levels of power. Included are the horizontal Llamada 16', 8', 4' reeds on high pressure and the appropriately named Trompeta de Los Angeles 8' which will be placed in an en chamade cluster at the center of the façade. The entire tonal design is supported by the two full-length 32' ranks of the Gehry façade whose pipes will be played from both the Great and the Pedal. Additionally, two powerful, full-length 32' stops, to be installed inside the organ case, will underpin the full ensemble. With a total of 72 registers on 4 manuals and four 32' stops, this instrument will have many unusual and interesting features and accessories.
Completion of the hall is scheduled for October 2003 and although the organ installation is planned to commence in March 2003, the tonal finishing and tuning of the instrument will continue until May 2004. It is expected that the instrument will be featured at the biennial national convention of the American Guild of Organists in July 2004.
Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, California
Rosales Organ Builders/Glatter-Götz Orgelbau
72 stops, 107 ranks, tracker action with duplicate electric action and two consoles
GREAT - Manual II (unenclosed)
32' Violonbasse
32' Grand Bourdon
16' Prestant
16' Violonbasse
16' Bourdon
8' Principal
8' Diapason á pavillon
8' Violoncelle
8' Flûte harmonique
8' Chimney Flute
51⁄3' Grand Nasard
4' Octave
4' Spire Flute
31⁄5' Grande Tierce
22⁄3' Octave Quinte
2' Super Octave
III Grande Fourniture
VIII Mixture
IV Cymbale
VII Corneta Magna
32' Contre Basson
16' Basson
8' Basson
4' Basson
8' Trompeta de Los Angeles (IV)
POSITIV - Manual I (enclosed)
16' Quintaton
8' Principal
8' Unda Maris
8' Gambe
8' Flûte harmonique
8' Gedackt
4' Octave
4' Hohlflöte
22⁄3' Nasard
2' Octave
2' Waldflöte
13⁄5' Tierce
11⁄3' Larigot
IV Mixture
16' Cor anglais
8' Trompette
8' Cromorne
4' Clairon
Tremolo
16' Llamada (IV)
8' Llamada (IV)
4' Llamada (IV)
8' Trompeta de Los Angeles (IV)
LLAMARADA - Manual IV (enclosed)
8' Flautado grandiso
4' Octava real
V Compuestas
V Lleno fuerte
16' Bombardon
8' Trompeta armonica
4' Clarín armonico
Tremblante
16' Llamada
8' Llamada
4' Llamada
8' Trompeta de Los Angeles
Cymbelstern
Pitch Pipes
SWELL - Manual III (enclosed)
16' Bourdon
8' Diapason
8' Flûte traversière
8' Bourdon
8' Viole de Gambe
8' Voix Céleste
8' Dulçiane douce
8' Voix Angelique
4' Principal
4' Flûte octaviante
22⁄3' Nasard
2' Octavin
13⁄5' Tierce
1' Piccolo
III-V Plein-jeu harmonique
16' Bombarde
8' Trompette
8' Hautbois
8' Voix humaine
4' Clairon
Tremolo
PEDAL
32' Flûte
32' Violonbasse (Gehry façade)
16' Flûte
16' Prestant (Gt.)
16' Violonbasse (Gt.)
16' Subbass
16' Bourdon (Sw.)
102⁄3' Grosse Quinte
8' Octave
8' Flûte
8' Violoncelle (Gt.)
8' Bourdon
4' Octave
4' Flûte
V Mixture (51⁄3')
32' Contre Bombarde
32' Contre Basson (Gehry façade)
16' Grande Bombarde
16' Bombardon
16' Basson (Gt.)
8' Trompeta
8' Basson (Gt.)
4' Clarín
4' Basson (Gt.)
Manuel J. Rosales is president and tonal director of Rosales Organ Builders, Inc. Currently, Rosales Organ Builders is engaged in the following work: the tonal finishing for Rosales Opus 22 (a three-manual 41-stop instrument for Saint Paul's Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia); the tonal finishing for Glatter-Götz Opus 4 (Neighborhood United Church of Christ, Congregational, Palos Verdes Estates, California); and the installation of Opus 27, a three-manual, 52-stop organ for Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. Future projects include organs for churches in Chicago and Atlanta. Rosales currently serves on the Technical Advisory Board for the restoration of the organ at the Wanamaker Store in Philadelphia, and is a member of the International Society of Organ Builders and the American Institute of Organ Builders. He is also a founding member of the Pacific Southwest Chapter of the Organ Historical Society, and a past national councilor for the OHS.
