Cover feature

 

A. David Moore, Inc., 

North Pomfret, Vermont

All Hallows’ Parish, Davidsonville, Maryland

 

From the builder

Designing an organ for All Hallows’ Church involved some unique challenges for its builder. The small brick building dates to 1734, and was gutted by fire in 1940. Rebuilt much as it was (without the Victorian alterations), the original walls and brick floor were retained. It seems that until 2010, the parish never owned a pipe organ.

The decision to place the organ on the left side of the chancel included the requests that the casework be no taller than the altar window, that the instrument be no larger than the sacristy in the opposite corner, and that the case was to “fit” the furnishings of the room. Thus, the back and left sides of the organ are against the walls, and maintenance can be done only through the front and right side of the main case. The detached console and Positiv division are one unit, adjacent to the case front, and facing the choir on the other side of the nave. Three flats of Open Diapason and Principal basses face the congregation, and the side contains two flats of Open Diapason basses, one of which is in a door that can be opened for Great and Pedal tuning. Those offset basses are operated by a remote assisting mechanism in which a small amount of air travels down a 5/16″ diameter tube that feeds a small wedge bellows and valve below each pipe.

The Great is on a C and C# chest, with the smallest pipes in the middle. The Positiv is played from the upper keyboard; the chromatic chest is at floor level; and the pipes are tuned by removing a grille on the top of the case. The manual keys are suspended, with a backfall system that pulls up the Positiv pallets; angled trackers and a rollerboard operate the Great pallets. The Positiv stop knobs are in the console and the Great knobs project from the main case on the organist’s left. The basswood tables of the chests will not split; the sliders are of quarter-sawn maple; the slider seals are of Neoprene; there is no plywood in the organ; the wind pressure is almost two inches; and the temperament is Kirnberger III.

Though the acoustics are quite good and the sound of the organ is focused by a curved ceiling, there is a slight “flutter echo” heard by a listener in the center of the room. The maple case is of wood harvested on the Moore farm in North Pomfret, Vermont, and sawn on location by a Wood-mizer band sawmill. There are no carvings on the case, but some subtle ornamentation appears at the tops of the pipe flats. The cornice of the case was copied from the 18th-century American case in Old North Church, Boston, and the All Hallows’ sacristy cornice was changed to match it.  

In the Great, the metal pipes are 28% tin and 72% lead, with small amounts of copper, antimony, and bismuth; the metal was cast from old organ pipes. The 8′, 4′, 22⁄3′, 2′, and 13⁄5′ ranks are close to Hook pipe scales, and have fairly low cutups and moderate nicking. The Holpipe is a metal chimney flute, and has 12 stopped wood basses; a new Haskell bass serves the Viol; and the Hautboy is an exact copy of a Hook stop. The Positiv Stop’d Diapason is of wood, small in scale but with a good fundamental tone, and is copied from a Geo. S. Hutchings stop; the Flute is of stopped and open wood and has metal trebles; the Fifteenth has 24 Claribel-style open wood basses and metal trebles. The German scales for the Dulcian are a composite, and there are half-length resonators in the lowest octave. The basses have wood blocks and shallots made in one piece, and the dimensions for the shallot openings, bores, tapers, and inside resonator diameters are close to 18th-century North European practice. The use of wood for a shallot avoids the need for lead or leather facings. In terms of hardness, the wood is somewhere between lead or brass and a leathered surface, and the brass tongues are fairly wide and thick. Long tuning wires are labeled on the tops and are easily reached.

The installation of A. D. Moore’s Opus 34 was enjoyable, and there were many trips to Davidsonville for installation, final voicing, and tuning. The crew of builders—A. David Moore, Tom Bowen, John Atwood, and Lubbert Gnodde—stayed with Jan and Mike Power. Mike Menne is the organist at All Hallows’, and collaborated on the organ’s specification. Mr. Gnodde played the dedicatory recital on November 7, 2010, which included works by Alain, Bach, Sweelinck, Scheidemann, Buxtehude, Mendelssohn, Couperin, Langlais, and the “Flower Duet” from Lakmé by Léo Delibes, featuring Sharon Potts and Laurie Hays, sopranos.

—E. A. Boadway and A. David Moore

 

From the organist

All Hallows’ Parish, also known as South River Parish, is one of the original parishes established by Act of the General Assembly of the Province of Maryland in 1692. As a worshiping community, it existed as early as 1650, with its first written record that of the birth of Thomas Chaney on 1 March 1669. The original church building, now lost, was probably of timber construction, and either burned or deteriorated to the extent that a new building, at a new site, was constructed, with the aid of a levy of 20,000 pounds of tobacco, around 1727–1730. The church bell, in a separate wooden tower, bears the inscription “Belonging to St. All Hallows’ Church 1727” and was probably provided by Queen Anne’s Bounty. 

The 1727 building, still in use, is a modest brick, hipped-roof building, just under 30 by 60 feet. There are no records extant that show the original seating plan of the building, but in the 19th century a small balcony was taken down (probably originally for the use of some of the 200 slaves who had been baptized by the second rector), and at least twice remodeled in the Victorian taste of the times, with heavy dark wood furnishings, stained glass, and slip pews.

The church was nearly lost on 11 February 1940 when a disastrous fire broke out about an hour after a service, destroying everything but the brick walls. For the rebuilding, it was decided to return the building to the look and feel of the early 18th century with white walls, white box pews, and clear glass windows. 

There is no record of any pipe organ during the building’s first 280 years, so any description of musical accompaniment before the fire is purely conjectural. After the restoration, a series of electronic instruments was installed in the front of the room. When a new rector arrived in 2000, he hired his friend James Weaver, Curator of the Division of Musical Instruments at the Smithsonian and co-founder of the Smithsonian Chamber Players, to come to the parish and revive a flagging music program and small choir of willing and enthusiastic singers. During his tenure, Weaver established a high level of musical expectation but hesitated to begin a project to replace the dreary electronic. When he left to pursue other projects and I arrived, enthusiasm to begin an organ project was high and the process began.

Early on, it was determined that (1) the organ would have mechanical action, (2) it would be tonally appropriate to the age of the building, (3) it would be visually designed so as not to overwhelm the scale and balance of the architecture, and (4) the primary visual focus at the front of the room would continue to be the triple window behind the altar. The restoration of the early 1940s had created two large closets in the front corners of the building. One was used as a tiny sacristy, the other as storage and placement for the bass speaker cabinets of the organ. It was determined that the organ would be placed where the sacristy had been, and the sacristy moved to the other side. The Altar Guild was quite pleased, as they had improved facilities and more extensive storage. 

A number of organbuilders were consulted, both from the U.S. and abroad, in our search for a builder. Almost every builder proposed an instrument that would be the dominant visual focus in the room. Some of them were tonally based on no more than an 8′ flute. David Moore, recommended by St. Margaret’s Convent in Boston and United Church on the Green, New Haven, was the only one who demonstrated an enthusiasm to work within our constraints.

As the organ and case design progressed, David proposed a novel solution: place the console at right angles to the main case and put the second manual pipes in the console in the manner of a continuo. In that manner, the main case could be lowered to match the sacristy on the other side, maintaining the Georgian balance of the church interior, while providing the tonal resources we needed. It also made it possible for the organist to face the choir directly across the chancel, with excellent sight lines.

The tonal design had three major objectives: (1) to provide leadership for congregational singing, (2) to accompany a wide variety of choral music, and (3) within its modest resources, to play as wide a spectrum of organ music as possible. 

Early in the planning stages, it was determined that the foundation would be an 8′ Principal, with both an 8′ flute and string to provide solid unison tone. A full diapason chorus, including 22⁄3, would be included, but the modest size of the building made the inclusion of a mixture unnecessary. The suggestion of a Hook-style Oboe as the Great reed was inspired! We insisted on a Tierce as well, for both solo color and ensemble brilliance. Having used a continuo for a year and a half before the instrument was installed, a similar tonal scheme of 8′, 4′, and 2′ for the second manual seemed natural. David suggested a Dulcian to round out the resources of that manual, adding significantly to the color possibilities of the instrument.

The organ has proved a tremendous success. Visually, it slips effortlessly into its corner of the building. The three pipe flats of the case front echo the semi-circular arches of the tripartite east window, repeated in pipe flats on the case side. The most oft-repeated comment from parishioners was “It looks like it’s always been there!” It was decided to use the natural darker grey of lead/tin pipe metal in the display pipes rather than shiny tin to minimize visual distraction from the altar. The wood façade pipes of the 8′ flute of the second manual are painted white to match the case. Many people don’t realize they are pipes at all until they see the mouths near the floor! The use of removable slatted grilles at the top of the second manual case allows for both good tonal egress and tuning ease. 

Musically the organ has been a huge success. The modest stoplist of 13 registers, with two reeds, two mutations, and four unison flue ranks lends itself to performing a wide spectrum of music. Though much of the instrument is inspired by 19th-century American organbuilding, early music sounds extremely convincing. Bach sounds very convincing, Sweelinck variations show off varieties of tonal color, the Dulcian can sound like a Renaissance consort when used by itself but becomes a chameleon when combined with one or both of the Positiv flutes. The Hautboy functions as a ‘petit trompette’, smooth in the treble and bolder in the bass. It serves as a very attractive solo stop, but when combined with the principals, becomes bold and assertive. Add the Twelfth and Tierce and it becomes a fiery French Grand Jeu. The solid foundation tone makes the instrument an excellent vehicle for Mendelssohn, and the Viol, both alone and with the Holpipe, provides softer sounds. There is sufficient tonal variety for stirring hymn singing as well as accompaniment of Anglican choral music. 

In addition to a performance by the young Dutchman from David Moore’s shop, Lubbert Gnodde, further recitals in the inaugural series were presented by Mark Brombaugh, Bryan Mock, and myself, with repertoire ranging from late Medieval to William Albright. 

The instrument continues to serve as proof that a real pipe organ is within the realm of possibility for a small parish, and that it can provide more musical satisfaction than an electronic with a plethora of digital gadgets and twice as many stops.

—Michael Menne

 

Cover photo: Sabine Joyce

 

GREAT (I) 56 keys, CCРg3

8′ Open Diapason

8′ Holpipe

8′ Viol

4′ Principal

22⁄3′ Twelfth

2′ Fifteenth

13⁄5′ Tierce

8′ Hautboy

POSITIV (II) 56 keys, CCРg3

8′ Stop’d Diapason

4′ Flute

2′ Fifteenth

8′ Dulcian

PEDAL 30 keys, CCРg3

16′ Bourdon

 

Couplers

I–P

II–P

II–I

 

Parkey OrganBuilders, Duluth, Georgia

Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport, Louisiana

October 2011 marked the completion of the new pipe organ by Parkey OrganBuilders for the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport, Louisiana. St. John Berchmans had embarked on a major building restoration in 1992, just a few years after becoming the cathedral for the newly created Diocese of Shreveport. The 1992 restoration included plans to build a new organ for the church, but for various reasons, though the pipe organ was signed for and partially built, the instrument was never completed. 

More than 15 years later, after the renovation was completed, the cathedral, under the direction of the rector, Father Peter Mangum, and the newly appointed director of sacred music and organist, Justin Ward, set itself a goal of expanding the cathedral music program, to include evaluating and completing the organ project. The cathedral secured the services of James Dorroh of Birmingham, Alabama, as an organ consultant to help achieve the goal of creating an organ that would visually complement the architecture of the building and tonally support both choral and congregational singing. The organ committee recognized the need for such an organ to provide sacred music in a way that would augment the worship experience for parishioners in addition to providing a cornerstone instrument for the community.

The organ committee quickly narrowed the list to three very capable firms, and in the summer of 2010, the committee chose our firm to complete the organ project. We worked directly with Mr. Ward and Dr. Dorroh to refine the initial specification drawn up by Dr. Dorroh to create a sound that would fit the needs of the cathedral. Because the choral program remains the center of music for the cathedral, we had to tailor our design for the most efficient utilization of space possible in the gallery. The new organ stands in two matching cases within the same footprint allocated for the organ in 1992. 

To accommodate any number of singers and additional musicians, the organ was designed with a movable console, which of course dictated the need for some sort of electric action. Our firm is comfortable in working with both electric and mechanical actions. When tracker action is not possible, we recommend the use of electro-pneumatic slider chests. Our windchests and winding systems are designed and built completely in-house. Using computer-aided design (CAD) software systems and computer numerically controlled (CNC) router machinery, we have developed an efficient and effective slider chest design for a clean and responsive action. The winding system is engineered based on single-rise reservoirs for a steady, fluid wind supply but with a gentle flex to provide life to the singing line of the organ.

In addition to the mechanical design of the organ, our CAD systems have been instrumental in providing extensively scaled rendering work, so that the client can see and experience the visual design of an organ before anything is ever committed to materials.

As the organ is a musical instrument capable of a strong visual and aural statement, we work to combine the art of sight and sound together. Michael Morris of our staff provided the visual design, which included retaining materials from the previous organ and expanding the case to house the new organ. In his design, one notes the core of the previous case combined with the essence of visual design seen in organbuilding of the early 1900s. Case details were shifted from the contemporary look to a much more traditional gothic format consistent with the architecture of the cathedral. A majority of material was retained from the previous case, though some parts are easily recognizable and some vastly changed. The side façades provide a magnitude of scale for the space: where the previous organ case was based on the use of 8′ pipes, the new cases are based on the 16′ Principal and Violone. The use of polychrome details combines with the colors of the nave for a more complete marriage of organ case and room architecture. Careful attention to detail was provided throughout the project. Details range from the turned wooden drawknobs to the 18k gold leaf accents in the case.

Since part of an earlier organ existed, the organ committee challenged us to retain parts of the existing instrument. In reviewing the uncompleted organ, we found that there were mechanical supply parts that could be retained without sacrificing the integrity of the instrument. Unfortunately, the pipework did not offer such an extensive array of options. While we did retain some pipework, it was limited to four ranks that were
rescaled and revoiced to be compatible with the new tonal design of the organ. The remaining organ is completely new, with custom scaling for the space.

In addition to the challenge of working with an existing organ, the cathedral realized the needs of working within an existing space. Though the organ enjoys an excellent position for tonal egress in the room, the nave presented some obstacles in terms of sonic reflections. After consultation with Dennis Fleisher of MuSonics, the cathedral underwent an extensive renovation of the ceiling in the main portion of the nave, in order to install hard surfaces over the previous acoustically absorbent ceiling. The acoustical response in the room was greatly improved. The room now readily supports the organ’s warmth and clarity equally throughout the nave.  

Our conversations with Justin Ward and James Dorroh focused on the need for the organ to lead choirs and congregations in music for the worship service. In recent years the Catholic Church has further recognized the contribution of the pipe organ as the main instrument for the Catholic Mass. Dr. Dorroh and I discussed the role and influence of the Baroque revival in America, and the influence of leading clarity common to the German Baroque organ. Those traits were combined with aspects of the weight and presence of the French Grand Orgue of the late 1800s. The result is an organ that can skillfully handle the full range of organ literature, from soft and subtle to large and fiery. However, the use of moderate pressures and large scales keeps a refined and unforced sound.

Mixtures are carefully terraced and balanced to define the chorus with a silvery clarity without becoming abrasive. Power and brilliance are also supported by the use of French reeds in the Swell division. The Cavaillé-Coll-scaled 8′ Voix Humaine was featured in the Franck Choral in proper context during the dedication recital. The Pontifical Trumpet is of ample scale to carry in the room over full organ, yet it manages chords easily with a majestic elegance. The 8′ flutes possess individual color and personality and are also enhanced with carefully balanced 4′ flutes in each division. Two independent manual Principal choruses are provided in addition to full mutations in the Choir. The 8′ Viola Pomposa and 8′ Flute a
Cheminee provide the foundation support for the Swell division. The dynamic terracing allows for a smooth buildup of sound from the 8′ Spitzflöte in the Choir to full organ.

In the end, the organ makes a strong but elegant statement consistent with the quality of worship services at the cathedral. Justin Ward and James Dorroh were a tremendous pleasure to work with during the project, providing clear and concise direction while yet allowing us room for artful design and finishing. We appreciate the confidence placed in us by the parishioners, clergy, and staff of the cathedral. I also extend my personal thanks to our own staff and suppliers who have made this an overwhelming success.

Please feel free to contact us at www.parkeyorgans.com, or contact the cathedral for further information. Visits can be arranged with Justin Ward at the cathedral.

—Phillip K. Parkey

President and Tonal Director

Parkey OrganBuilders 

 

Staff

Phillip K. Parkey—President and tonal director, voicing and tonal finishing

Michael Morris—Visual and structural design and installation

Josh Okeson—Shop foreman, cabinet maker, wiring and installation

Otilia Gamboa—Chestwork, wiring and small parts

Philip Read—CNC operator, cabinet maker and installation

Jim Allen—Cabinet maker and installation

Kenny Lewis—Voicing, wiring, installation and tonal finishing.

Marijim Thoene & Alan Knight

Marijim Thoene received a D.M.A. in organ performance/church music from the University of Michigan in 1984. She is an active recitalist and director of music at St. John Lutheran Church in Dundee, Michigan. Her two CDs, Mystics and Spirits and Wind Song are available through Raven Recordings. She is a frequent presenter at medieval conferences on the topic of the image of the pipe organ in medieval manuscripts. Alan Knight has been music director of Ss. Simon and Jude Church in Westland, Michigan, for the past 11 years, during which time he earned the D.M.A. in organ performance at the University of Michigan under James Kibbie. There, he did research into Renaissance methods of organ improvisation and performed contemporary works of Rorem, Messiaen, Schroeder, and Kenton Coe. He has served as sub-dean of the Ann Arbor Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, organized new music festivals, and contributed to this year’s successful POE. He coaches and writes reviews freelance and has recently written a memorial acclamation for the new English liturgical texts. Photo credit: Marijim Thoene, unless indicated otherwise.

 

With unflagging dedication, enthusiasm, and vision, Marilyn Mason planned and organized the 51st Organ Conference at the University of Michigan. European guest artists included Jaroslav Tůma, interpreter of Czech music; Almut Rössler, artist, scholar, and teacher of Olivier Messiaen; and Helga Schauerte, interpreter and scholar of Jehan Alain. It was exhilarating to hear these three artists perform, as well to hear them instruct students and lecture. Many other outstanding performers and scholars participated in the conference, which featured the music of Franz Liszt, Olivier Messiaen, Jehan Alain, Alan Hovhaness, and others. The overarching theme of the conference was celebration—of the bicentennial anniversary of Liszt’s birth and the centennial anniversary of the births of Jehan Alain and Alan Hovhaness.  

 

Sunday, October 2, Hill Auditorium

The opening concerts were played in Hill Auditorium on the Frieze Memorial Organ. Joseph Balistreri, student of James Kibbie, opened the conference, with a memorized master’s degree recital that featured Bach’s Fantasia et Fuga in g-moll, BWV 542, Alain’s Aria, Duruflé’s Prélude et fugue sur le nom d’Alain, and Widor’s Symphonie Romane. His playing reflected an impressive technique and a bristling enthusiasm for each work, especially the Symphonie Romane, which he introduced by singing the chant, Haec dies (after the first reading on Easter Sunday), upon which the work is based. 

The evening recital was played by Timothy Tikker, a doctoral student of Marilyn Mason. His all-Liszt program included Präludium und Fuge über
B-A-C-H, S. 260 (1885/1870), two meditative pieces from Consolations, S. 172 (Adagio IV, transcribed by Liszt, and Adagio V, transcribed by A.W. Gottschlag), Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, S. 180, and Fantasie und Fuge über den Choral ‘Ad nos, ad salutarem undam’, S. 259 (1850), Liszt’s first organ piece. Tikker’s careful preparation of these pieces was apparent, as was his emotional investment. His thoughtful comments described Liszt’s stages of grief in Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, S. 180, his anger and final resignation and acceptance of God’s will expressed in the Bach chorale, Whatever God Ordains Is Right. Tikker noted that the breakdown in western tonality began with Liszt’s Weinen, Klagen.

 

Monday, October 3,

Blanche Anderson Moore Hall

The day began with Czech organist Jaroslav Tůma, who presented a predominantly Czech program, along with Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 543, and O Mensch, bewein’ dein’ Sünde gross, BWV 622. It was a special gift to be introduced to the repertoire of Bohuslav Matej Cernohorsky, Josef Ferdinand Norbert Seger, Jan Křtitel Kuchař, Jan Vojtech Maxant, and Anonymous from Moravia by such an exuberant artist who made us want to dance. Tůma exploited every possible color on the Fisk organ. His pungent registrations and light touch were especially enjoyed in the eleven movements of Suite of Dances from the Region of Haná by an eighteenth-century anonymous Moravian composer. The reeds, cornet, and flutes shimmered in excited dialogues. Tůma ended his recital with Suite for Clavier (Organ, Harpsichord or Clavichord) by Maxant—a piece of irrepressible circus joy, filled with foot-tapping waltzes and calliopes. 

 

1:30 pm First Congregational Church

German musicologist and organist Susanne Diederich, who has examined over 150 French Classical organs in situ, lectured on “The Classical French Organ and its Music 1660–1719.” Her handout included a succinct summary of the specifications of an R. and J. Clicquot organ dated 1690/1794 as well as a cabinet organ dated 1671 by Etienne Enocq; tables listing the composition of mixtures for a small and large instrument; a table listing families of stops, the combination of ranks involved, and corresponding French title of the composition; and D’Anglebert’s table of ornaments, which J. S. Bach copied. 

Registration and ornamentation of the French Classical School were demonstrated on the Karl Wilhelm organ by Kipp Cortez, a first-year organ student of Marilyn Mason, and Christopher Urbiel, D.M.A., former Mason student and music minister at St. Sebastian Catholic Church in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. Both performers played with conviction and energy. Cortez played Plein jeu Continu du 7e ton by Jacques Boyvin, Kyrie from Messe du 2me Ton by G.G. Nivers, and Récit tendre from Messe du 8me ton by Gaspard Corrette. Urbiel played Fugue from Veni Creator by de Grigny, Tierce en Taille by Boyvin, and Dialogue in D Minor by Marchand.

 

3:15 pm Hill Auditorium

Jaroslav Tůma, with Karel Paukert acting as translator and general bon vivant, offered a masterclass in improvisation. Performers included Marcia Heirman (former student of Marilyn Mason), Joseph Balistreri, and Colin Knapp (students of James Kibbie). Tůma suggested experimenting with these techniques in developing a theme: repetition, retrograde, interval expansion, keeping the direction the same; strong rhythmic underpinning; meter change; ABA form; pedal ostinato; skeletal harmony for accompaniment or a regular scale; drone. 

 

4:15 pm Hill Auditorium

A recital of the music of Jehan Alain was played masterfully by students of James Kibbie. Professor Kibbie made this music especially poignant by prefacing each piece with an explanation of the piece, or reading from Alain’s diary. Each student clearly felt great empathy with Alain’s music. The recitalists and works included: Andrew Lang, Première Fantaisie; John Woolsey, Variations sur un theme de Clément Jannequin; Benjamin Woolsey, Fantasmagorie; Joseph Balistreri, Aria; Colin Knapp, Deux danses à Agni Yavishta; Monte Thomas, Choral dorien; Matthew Kim, Variations sur Lucis Creator; Richard Newman, Deuils from Trois danses; Daniel Mikat (organist) and Sara B. Mikat (soprano), Vocalise dorienne/Ave Maria. A recording of Alain’s music by Prof. Kibbie’s students is available on the U of M website, .

 

8 pm Hill Auditorium

It is a great privilege to hear Almut Rössler play an all-Messiaen recital. Her connection to Ann Arbor began in 1974, when both she and Marilyn Mason met as judges at the Chartres Organ Competition. In a very quiet voice, Prof. Rössler spoke about the evolution of Messiaen’s style, saying that he considered the Ascension Suite to be in his “old style” and that his true style did not begin until his Nativity Suite. He began his Easter cycle, Les Corps Glorieux, immediately before World War II. In it is the enigmatic vision of what Prof. Rössler calls “the resurrection of the successors of Christ.” She gave a brief analysis of each of the seven movements. Her assistant, Nancy Poland, a D.M.A. graduate of Michigan and former student of Marilyn Mason, read the text accompanying each work. Included here is the text that accompanies the seven movements of Les Corps Glorieux (1939), and a brief synopsis of Prof. Rössler’s analysis:

1. The Subtlety of Glorified Bodies. “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body” (I Cor. 15:44). “For they are as angels of God in heaven” (Matt. 22:30).

A.R.: “The music is totally unaccompanied monody. It is played in alternation on three different cornet stops of varying volume.” 

2. The Waters of Grace. “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of water” (Rev. 7:17).

A.R.: “The strangely ‘fluid’ character of the music is achieved in two ways—by polymodality and registration.”

3. The Angel of Incense. “And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand” (Rev. 8:4). 

A.R.: “A monodic main theme in the style of certain Hindu ragas played on clarinet and nazard.”

4. The Battle between Death and Life. “Death and life have been engaged in one stultifying battle; the Author of life after being dead lives and reigns. He has said: ‘My Father, I am revived, and I am again with you’” (Missal, Sequence and Introit of Easter).  

A.R.: “Two armies clash in battle, represented by big chords, the theme of death begins . . . ”   

5. The Power and Agility of Glorified Bodies. “It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power” (I Cor. 15: 43).

A.R.: “The ability to pass through walls and traverse space with the speed of lightning is conveyed in music of powerful vitality. Vehement and robust are the resurrected, agile and strong. This section is monodic.” 

6. The Joy and Radiance of Glorified Bodies. “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt. 13:43).

A.R.: “Radiance or splendor is the first attribute of glorified bodies, each of which is the source of its own light and its own individual luster, which St. Paul explains in a symbolical way when he says: ‘For one star differeth from another star in glory.’ These differences in degrees of radiance are mirrored in the shifting tone-colors.”

7. The Mystery of the Holy Trinity. “Almighty God, who with the only-begotten Son and with the Holy Ghost art one God not in the unity of one person but in three persons of one substance” (Preface for Trinity Sunday).

A.R.: “This entire section is devoted to the number 3. It is three-voiced, its form is tripartite, each of the three main subdivisions being in itself in three parts. The middle voice (the Son) has the straightforward tonal color of the 8′ flute; the other two (the Father and the Holy Ghost) mix the 16′ and 32′ with the 2′, in other words the very lowest with the very highest. The whole piece is in a remote, blurred pp, against which the middle voice stands out: by his incarnation the Son alone came visibly close to us.”

Also included in the program were Chants d’Oiseaux (IV, Livre d’orgue, 1951), and VI from Méditations sur le Mystère de la Sainte Trinité (1969), the Offertory for Epiphany, based on the text, “In the word was life and the life was the light” (John 1:4). It was a rare privilege to hear Almut Rössler, who has devoted her life to this music, present a profound expression of Messiaen’s sacred beliefs.

 

Tuesday, October 4, Hill Auditorium

At 9:30 am, Helga Schauerte’s lecture, “Jehan Alain: A Life in Three Dances,” reflected her life’s commitment to the study of Alain’s organ music. She was drawn to his music the first time she heard it—she had never heard anything so free. In 1983 Ms. Schauerte wrote the first English and German biographies of Alain. In 1990 Motette released her 1989 recordings of Alain’s complete organ works. The 1990 CDs were reissued in 2004 and include the addition of newly discovered recordings of Jehan Alain playing at the Temple in the Rue Notre Dame de Nazareth in Paris. Schauerte’s years of research, which led her to discover unknown manuscripts, and rugged determination culminated this year in Bärenreiter’s publication of her edition of Alain’s organ work in three volumes.

Schauerte observed that Alain’s life was mirrored in his masterwork, Trois Danses—Joies (Joy), Deuils (Mourning), and Luttes (Struggles). His youth was reflected in Joies; his grief on the death of his 23-year-old sister, Odile, who died in a mountain-climbing accident while protecting her younger brother Olivier, in Deuils; and his life in World War II as a soldier volunteering for risky missions in Luttes. Schauerte said Alain had a premonition of his tragic death, this “coincidencia” he expressed in his music, drawing, and poetry, and he, like Mozart and Schubert, crystallized his whole life’s work within a short period of time. She illustrated biographical details of his life with photographs of Alain’s parents; his childhood home; himself as a child, music student, mountain climber, and soldier; his siblings; his wife and three children; and the place where he was killed in action in Saumur. These were powerful images, filled with the beauty and exuberance of a life ended too soon. Schauerte also showed some of Alain’s whimsical drawings and read from his poetry and diary, offering intimate glimpses into his personality. She said he could be lively and wild one minute and contemplative the next. 

Schauerte stated that among her discoveries are findings from 14 autographed copies of Alain’s work owned  by Lola Bluhm and Alain’s daughter, and they are included in the new edition.  She noted that the only pieces with Alain’s own metronome markings are the Intermezzo and Suite. 

 

11:00 am Hill Auditorium

In Almut Rössler’s masterclass, Joshua Boyd, a freshman student of Marilyn Mason, played The Celestial Banquet. Prof. Rössler pointed out that these were early sounds for Messiaen—drops of the blood of Christ. In abbreviated form, I include her comments, which are invaluable to anyone playing Messiaen: 

 

The sound of water drops is achieved not by legato playing, but by movement of the leg straight down into the pedal with a sharp release. In the second edition he uses in the pedal registration 4, 22⁄3, 2, 13⁄5, a kind of cornet without a fundamental. Messiaen can be played on a North German Baroque organ, English and American organs; one must know what is adequate, what is the character, atmosphere, and emotional expression of the work. One must know the inner idea and how to achieve it. The second edition, 1960, is the most important one. Pay attention to slurs; some end at the end of the line, others go to the next line.  Always follow the slurs. Also pay attention to thumb glissandos.  

 

1:30 pm Hill Auditorium 

With her characteristic light touch Marilyn Mason, “the maker of organists” for over a half a century, shared her good luck “secret” with us. She said after one of her recitals at Riverside a woman congratulated her, saying that she was envious of her being so lucky to play so well. Prof. Mason replied, “Yes, and the more I practice, the luckier I get.” She continued, saying, “I always tell my students when they feel like giving up, that’s the time they need to really practice. Never give up.” She then introduced four of her former students who had received the D.M.A. and who proceeded to demonstrate that she’s right! Each of them played with dazzling technique, assurance, and passion. The performers, dates of their degrees, and their pieces follow: Shin-Ae Chun (2006), Prelude and Fugue on the name of A.L.A.I.N., Duruflé; Joseph Galema (1982), Allegro deciso from Evocation, op. 37, Dupré; Seth Nelson (2006), Troisième Choral en la mineur, Franck; and Andrew Meagher (2010), Prelude and Fugue, Jerry Bilik (b. 1933). This was the premiere performance of Bilik’s work, which was commissioned by and dedicated to Marilyn Mason. It features the Michigan fight song, Hail to the Victors (!)—the composer’s grin was as big as ours. 

 

3 pm Hill Auditorium

Peggy Kelley Reinburg, recitalist and Alain scholar, presented an informative lecture, “The Liturgical Potential in Selected Organ and Piano Compositions of Jehan Ariste Alain.” She demonstrated how Alain was influenced by the colors of the French Classical School by playing Clérambault’s Suite du Deuxième Ton. Her description of her visit to the Abbey where Alain played and composed his Postlude pour les Complies allowed us to absorb its stillness and peace. She quoted from his letter, “The abbey organ (Abbaye de Valloires) was beautiful especially after 9 pm,” and commented that this was his first composition written for organ. She suggested that the following pieces be used in a liturgical setting: (organ) Postlude pour les Complies, Choral Dorien, Ballade en mode Phrygien, Berceuse sur deux notes qui cornent, Le jardin suspendu; (piano) Choral—Seigneur, donne-nous la paix eternelle, Romance, Nocturne, Suite Façile—Comme une barcarolle, and Suite Monodique. Reinburg’s elegant performance of these meditative and serene pieces offered convincing support for her argument.

 

8 pm Hill Auditorium

Helga Schauerte’s years of researching Alain’s life and music were abundantly apparent in her recital. Not only was she at one with his music, breathing into it a deeply personal interpretation, but by playing two of Langlais’ pieces—one written in his memory and one dedicated to him—presented Alain the man, the self-sacrificing citizen. Included in her recital was Langlais’ Chant héröique, op. 40, no. 4, inscribed, “To the memory of Jehan Alain, fallen for France as a hero in the Defense of Saumur, June 1940,” and his Resurrection, op. 250, no. 4, inscribed, “dedicated to Jehan Alain.” Of all the Alain repertoire in the recital, which included Fantaisies nos. 1 and 2, Variations sur un theme de Clément Jannequin, Deux Danses à Agni Yavishta, Fantasmagorie, Litanies, and Trois Danses, for me it was in the Trois Danses that Alain’s spirit seemed to dance and leap. One of Alain’s daughters has thanked Schauerte for bringing his music to life, saying that her father lived on because of her. We all say thank you, Helga Schauerte!

 

 

 

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

9:30 am Hill Auditorium Mezzanine

Damin Spritzer shared her extensive research on René Louis Becker, a compilation of many published works as well as original manuscripts. As an Alsatian-born and educated musician and organist, Becker seems to have fit well into the early 20th-century American scene, first joining the faculty of his brothers’ music conservatory in St. Louis, Missouri, and then in a series of church positions in Illinois and Michigan, including his appointment as first organist of the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit, Michigan. Spritzer is interested in studying the various organs of Becker’s experience, both in America and in Alsace, as a factor in shaping his organ compositions. It is not always possible to acquire information on these organs. Spritzer suggests his three organ sonatas, which are extended works, as a starting point to appreciate René Becker’s music. 

There are several choral works of Becker’s as well. Well-respected by his contemporaries such as Alexander Schreiner, Albert Riemenschneider, and others, Becker was one of the major organ figures of his day in America, though now largely forgotten and left to the past, even in the churches where he had ministered. However, renewed interest is beginning to flower with new recordings and publications. Becker’s works are not completely catalogued, partly due to discrepancies in opus numbers of works published in his lifetime and those in original manuscripts. Spritzer related that the selection of René Becker for research was suggested by Michael Barone. In this mammoth research task, the descendants of René Becker have lent their assistance. They were present for the lecture. 

 

10:30 am Hill Auditorium

Almut Rössler resumed the masterclass begun the day before on the stage of Hill Auditorium. With Nancy Deacon (Les Bergers) and Kipp Cortez (Le Verbe), she stressed counting the subdivisions of the beat to make the longer notes precise and the rhythmic texture secure as written. “‘Espresif’ does not mean ‘free’” was one of her comments. Also noteworthy was not breathing and lifting between phrases if there are no phrase marks (slurs) indicated. Always play a perfect legato with “old-fashioned” finger substitutions (from the methods of Dupré and Gleason) as well as the thumb glissando. All-important is locating the musical symbols and depictions and playing them according to their own nature, both by the manner of playing and in the registration. One must understand the titles and subtitles to execute the meaning and color of the piece, which is almost always objective. 

No matter who is on the bench in a Rössler masterclass, it is always a rewarding experience to receive her teaching, benefit from her inspiring musicianship, and to upgrade one’s awareness of Olivier Messiaen’s music, owing to her 20 years of close association and study with him. 

 

12:15 pm School of Public Health, Community Lounge

Brandon D. Spence performed for the audience of the Community Lounge, where those on Central Campus can enjoy an organ recital in the “Brown Bag” lunch recital series at the School of Public Health on the Létourneau organ. Included on his memorized program were Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier, BWV 731, Bach; Two Meditations, Ulysses Kay; Fuga C-Dur, BuxWV 174, and Praeludium und Fuga g-moll, BuxWV 149, Buxtehude. Spence gave helpful comments on each piece before playing.

 

1:30 pm Hill Auditorium

Marijim Thoene presented an in-depth and authoritative lecture/recital of Alan Hovhaness’s eight organ works, indicating which are unpublished, as well as the published works (C. F. Peters and Fujihara Music Co., Seattle, Washington). Hovhaness is perhaps known more for his orchestral (Mysterious Mountain) and choral (Magnificat) music more than for his organ works. Discouraged by the criticisms of Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland of his Symphony in 1943, Hovhaness took the advice of the Greek psychic and mystic painter Hermon
di Giovanno, who persuaded him to study the music of his Armenian ancestors. Hovhaness then became organist for St. James Armenian Church in Watertown, Massachusetts. There he studied his Armenian musical heritage, which was not passed down to him through his family. Thoene noted his “turn toward the East” in musical language and played a recording of the beginning of the Divine (Armenian) Liturgy as well as a few notes on the sho instrument, a handheld, Japanese pipe organ of ancient Chinese origin. Hovhaness strove to incorporate the musical idiom of Eastern peoples into his compositional style and make their modalities his own. 

Thoene performed Organ Sonata No. 2, Invisible Sun, op. 385, Ms.; three pieces from Sanahin Partita for Organ, op. 69: 2. Estampie, 4. First Whirling, and 7. Apparition in the Sky; Hermit Thrush (Sonata No. 3, op. 424); and her own commission, Habakkuk, op. 434 (1995), which is Hovhaness’s last organ work (1995). In this piece, Hovhaness was asked to reflect on Habakkuk 3:17–19: 

 

Even though the fig trees are all destroyed, and there is neither blossom left nor fruit; and though the olive crops all fail, and the fields lie barren; even if the flocks die in the fields and the cattle barns are empty. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be happy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He will give me the speed of a deer and bring me safely over the mountains. 

 

Thoene performed this stirring work in an exultant manner. Hovhaness created a new harmonic language in this last organ piece to express both the despair of the prophet and of the triumph of his enduring faith. Thanks to Thoene, this piece exists.

 

2:30 pm Hill Auditorium Mezzanine

Michael Barone celebrated other composers with anniversaries aside from those featured on the conference. Playing recordings of at least two examples each as well as some other discs of interest, Barone offered a very humorous journey from names such as Georg Boehm, Louis Couperin, William Boyer, Jan Koetsier, Nino Rota, Jean-Jacques Grunenwald, Enrico Bossi, Gustav Mahler, Gian Carlo Menotti, and Carrie Jacobs-Bond. In addition, the radio exponent of the pipe organ made a case for Franz Liszt’s influence on music in general and organ music being more extensive than commonly thought. Liszt envisioned the organ beyond a church instrument, giving an influential “push” for the organ in the music world. As inventor of the tone poem, he took the organ (as well as the piano) into the expression of emotional extremes. Several examples of Liszt’s smaller, meditative works intended for private reflection were played, showing that his output of organ music goes well beyond the “big pieces.”

 

8:00 pm Hill Auditorium

Gregory Hand completed the conference, sharing his project of recording the entire corpus of William Bolcom’s Gospel Preludes. He performed Preludes 1–6 (Books I and II) with intermission, followed by Preludes 7–12 (Books III and IV) in Hill Auditorium. Adding to the delight of this performance was the presence of the composer.

This conference was a mind-stretcher in organ literature. Each of the composers—Liszt, Alain, and Hovhaness—created a special musical language of their own. Additionally, their spirituality was wedded with their musicality, often taking on a very personal expression. Thus, a huge panorama of literature, much of it from our time, was offered to the conference participants for possible exploration. At the same time, the conference was a huge dose of spiritual music of a theological bent, from the Gospel Preludes of William Bolcom to the piano pieces of Jehan Alain to Messiaen’s Les Corps Glorieux to Langlais’ Resurrection to Hovhaness’s Habbakuk and many others—attendees took in much inspiration and food for thought. Thanks to Marilyn Mason, the presenters, and the attendees for another dynamic educational event for organ music at the University of Michigan.

 

 

Will Thomas

Will Thomas currently serves as the full-time director of music and organist for Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, a 2,500-member parish in Alcoa, Tennessee, of the Knoxville Diocese. Thomas holds the Bachelor of Music degree in sacred music from Carson-Newman College and the Master of Music degree in organ performance from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. His organ teachers have included Michael Velting, Marilyn Keiser, J. Ryan Garber, and John Brock.

June 20–25, 2011 was a week full of high energy and excitement. Selected professional organists from around the U.S. gathered for the first annual Ascension Organ Academy at Manhattan’s Episcopal Church of the Ascension, Fifth Avenue at Tenth Street, in the heart of Greenwich Village. The academy was centered around the church’s new Manton Memorial Organ, built by Pascal Quoirin of St. Didier, France, which is the first French-built organ to be installed in New York City. Containing approximately 6,183 pipes, 95 stops, 111 ranks, and two consoles, the instrument distinguishes itself as the largest French organ built anywhere in almost 50 years. On this eclectic instrument with widely contrasting color palettes, one can play a wide variety of organ works, using the softest, gentlest flutes to the strongest, most powerful reeds. (See The Diapason, November 2011, cover feature.)

The academy’s theme was French repertoire, ranging from the early Baroque through Messiaen, although other works could be requested. Led by Jon Gillock and Dennis Keene, participants in the academy had the opportunity to receive outstanding coaching on two works they had prepared—one for Gillock’s class, and the other for Keene’s. The Baroque pieces were taught at the 3-manual tracker-action console, the Romantic and modern compositions on the 4-manual, electric-action, movable console. 

Each afternoon and evening was filled with high inspiration as Dr. Gillock led a class from 2:30 to 5:30 and Dr. Keene led another session from 7:00 to 10:00. While trying to teach seven different students playing fourteen different pieces in a daily six-hour time frame for five days may seem like a daunting task for any instructor, both Dr. Keene and Dr. Gillock utilized every moment to the fullest, providing immeasurable amounts of knowledge and creative perspective.

Though sessions at the console were certainly down to business, the dinner break between classes, usually spent together, allowed students and faculty the opportunity to relax and converse. Dr. Gillock autographed copies of his new book, Performing Messiaen’s Organ Music: 66 Masterclasses. With the final session ending at 10:00 p.m. every evening, most participants went on very little sleep, as they rose early for morning practice times. Nonetheless, all players greeted each new day with fire and drive, growing significantly in the development of the advanced repertoire they performed. Ascension and the faculty enthusiastically plan to continue offering this opportunity in a second organ academy in June 2012. Whatever the topic, participants will undoubtedly walk away with a fresh and inspiring mindset that will strengthen their playing.

Participants playing for the academy included Brian Glikes—Messiaen’s Dieu parmi nous and Mendelssohn’s Sonata III; Benjamin Kolodziej—Franck’s Choral in E Major and Prelude, Fugue, and Variation; Arthur Lawrence—Franck’s Choral in A Minor and movements from Couperin’s Mass for the Convents; Karen Schneider-Kirner playing Marchand’s Grand Dialogue in C and Franck’s Final; Lyudmila Sryochkina—Duruflé’s Prelude from the Suite, op. 5, and Franck’s Pièce Héroïque; Eva Sze—Duruflé’s Prelude and Fugue on the Name of Alain, and Messiaen’s Joie et Clarté des Corps Glorieux and Le Mystère de la Sainte Trinité; and Will Thomas playing movements from Couperin’s Mass for the Convents and Alain’s Litanies.

 

 

 

Glück Pipe Organs,

New York, New York

Faith Lutheran Church,

New Providence, New Jersey

The new pipe organ for Faith Lutheran Church was created for use in traditional worship and for the performance of solo organ literature with a reasonable degree of historical accuracy. Although conservative in its core concept and tonal structure, some unusual pipe forms and design elements take it beyond the realm of the tonal cookie-cutter.

The instrument replaces a very heavily unified organ from the 1960s that subsequently had been altered by a local tuner. Inspection revealed that it contained several ranks of flue pipes that could be rescaled and incorporated into the new organ. While the mouths of these salvageable ranks were “cut to speech,” the pipes had never been truly voiced or tonally finished. They were essentially raw pipes of good alloy, straight from the pipemaker. Retaining these heritage pipes accomplished three goals: it enabled us to broaden the scope of the instrument from two manuals to three, it made the congregation understand that pipe organs could be investments, not merely expenses, and it gave church members a deeply satisfying feeling of historical continuity.

 

The façade design

When this project began years ago, the bidding organbuilders were asked to design an organ for the front of the church as part of a comprehensive renovation. Despite my strong indication that I preferred a rear gallery location, I conceived two chancel designs, one unilateral, the other divided. As the years passed, larger considerations arose for this thriving church. Should they once again enlarge their present church and school complex, or build a new church on new land? The church retained respected organ, architectural, and acoustical consultant Scott Riedel of Milwaukee, whose calm advice and clear education resulted in the organ in place today, as well as enlarged facilities for the music department and an improved acoustic. 

In the end, I got my wish. The organ sings from an elevated, central position in the new rear gallery. The A-frame structure, characteristic of so many American Lutheran churches of the era, naturally calls for North European case morphology. The mahogany case, proportioned for a relaxed “fit” in the room, is accented with understated pipe shades and foliate carvings in maple.

Within this visual context, I engaged in a bit of iconography and mannerism. The central “Trinity” of pipes is non-speaking, allowing me the opportunity to increase their length and have them break through the cornice and soar heavenward. The remainder of the façade is composed of pipes from the Great 8′ Præstant. The twelve polished zinc pipes of the lowest octave, with their undulating mouth lines, represent the Apostles. They are, in turn, flanked by the spotted metal 4′ range, playing upon the number seven, which recurs often in scripture. In each “flat” of pipes, the outer two pipes are reversed to acknowledge the visual strength of the roofline, and pipe lengths are balanced by building every other pipe one semitone over-length. 

 

The console

When minister of music Dr. John Girvin asked that I address the needs of an easily navigable, mobile console with unobstructed sight lines, I took as a point of departure the Aeolian organ consoles designed for the homes of the aristocracy during the first quarter of the last century. In this restrained and modern version, the tablets operate vertically, rather than horizontally, so that there is no confusion as to whether a stop is on or off. Each divisional field is in the same location as it would be in a drawknob console. The console is equipped with a comprehensive combination action and record and playback system.

The organist can see and conduct over the console effortlessly, and musicians can even stand around it and read their music from atop its cabinetry. It glides anywhere in the new organ and choir loft on an undetectable, integrated dolly, since choral and instrumental ensembles of various configurations are a normal part of musical life at Faith Lutheran. I designed the new gallery rail to be somewhat visually opaque but tonally transparent, with rhythmic elements paying homage to the likes of Wright, Mackintosh, and Stickley.

 

Tonal structure

While assiduously avoiding the lure of the unthinking American Lutheran stoplist, the structure of the Great principal chorus nonetheless had to be the starting point. It is supplemented by an 8′ Harmonic Flute, a requirement of the French Romantic repertoire. Carried down in open metal to A10, the bottom nine notes are borrowed from the open 8′ Spitzflöte so as to have no break in the tone. Taking advantage of unit actions in the Swell, the unison flute and string are duplexed to the Great, making available the dense velour of the fonds d’huit. The 16′ Dexter Geigen, which begins at middle C, is a broad and rosiny string of both solo and ensemble capability, adding gravity to the right hand without weight. It was made from the 8′ Viola that was in the church’s original organ, a rank that had only extended to 4′ C, with a borrowed capped metal bass. 

The 8′ Trumpet is broad, warm, and round, with English shallots and bells of higher lead content than the division’s fluework. It nobly melds into the ensemble without making a brash entrance. It is actually an upward extension of the Pedal reed unit, playing on the Great but being of the Pedal.

The notably potent Swell department is home to the second, slightly brighter plenum. I did not want to overdevelop the unenclosed Positiv and leave the church with a vestigial, anemic Swell. While the Great Chorus Mixture IV assumes a predictable American formula, the Swell Mixture II–IV was composed for sparkle and clarity without losing its integrative powers. This is accomplished by having the quints and unisons either in balance or favoring the unisons at all times (which has great benefits in hymn accompaniment and contrapuntal music), and keeping a unison pitch at the top of the harmonic stack except for a very brief, essentially unnoticeable two-note break near the top of the keyboard. 

The Swell strings are firm and deliberately incisive. Two powerful wooden flutes of double-mouth construction come from the 1919 Hall organ formerly in the Swedenborgian church in New York City, a 38-rank instrument that I acquired when that building was remodeled. The 8′ Doppelgedeckt  seems exceptionally present at the console, yet is buoyant in the nave. The orchestral “spit” in the harmonic range of the 4′ Holzdoppelquerpfeife is extraordinary, and the stop is worthy of copying in the future. 

Faith Lutheran’s original organ had a handful of “wired” mutations, taken from the unified ranks of the small Swell division. Such practice can never meet with true success, because these harmonics must be independently scaled, voiced, and finished, and the laws of physics make it impossible for them ever to be in tune. The new organ’s independent Nazard and Tierce ranks are joined on one slider in deference to the budget. Although flute-scaled, the chameleon-like Cornetto II serves as a pointed Sesquialtera when drawn with the 8′ flute, yet forms a round Cornet of French flavor when drawn with the entire flute choir. The tierce remains unbroken throughout the compass, and was actually made from a fine 2′ rank that was in our stock, appropriately rescaled and revoiced.

The Swell 8′ Trompette, with Bertounèche shallots and harmonic resonators, is significantly more brilliant than its Great counterpart. The full-length resonators of the 16′ Basson assure grandeur and richness in anthem accompaniments. Half-length resonators always fall short of the mark, a imprudent expedient, especially in situations like this, where the worthier compromise is to extend the 16′ stop down from the 8′ Hautbois.

When Albert Jensen-Moulton, general manager of Glück Pipe Organs, devised the layout of the new organ, he placed the Positiv in “Brust” position, immediately behind the façade on the right side, in juxtaposition to the Great to its left and the Swell behind. It is in close proximity to the singers and instrumentalists, and enjoys the distinct physical separation sought in a Baroque tonal æsthetic. The metal flute choir (8′ capped, 4′ chimneyed, and 2′ open) forms the perfect continuo organ, its varied pipe forms avoiding the risk of duplicating or triplicating other manual stops. 

The instrument stands on slider soundboards, but the occasional extrapolation of ranks on electro-pneumatic unit actions expands the registrational possibilities, particularly in the Positiv. The center of gravity can be shifted by the warm and singing 8′ Spitzflöte, the other rank that was extended upward from the Pedal division. Once again, it is scaled and voiced as a Pedal stop, but balances perfectly here, with freedom of tonal finishing in the treble range. The 8′ Clarinet, poised for dialogue with the Swell tierce combination, has a more “antique” sound than its name implies, enhanced by the release characteristics of the pallets. Its color can be shifted quite effectively with other stops in the division, expanding its solo capabilities. The Positiv and Great manuals can be exchanged in order to accommodate music of the later French schools.

The Pedal is based upon the 16′ Holzviolon, an open wood string stop also selected from the Swedenborgian organ. It was in rough shape, with its mitered basses broken and only two octaves of wood pipes, but it was needed to lend pitch definition to the Pedal line. While we could have completed the treble with metal pipes, the very capable pipemakers at OSI crafted matching wooden trebles as well as Haskell re-entrant tubes for the bottom four notes. This stop enables the Pedal to steer in contrasting directions: a gentle, clarified, open chorus, by adding the 8′ and 4′ Spitzflötes, or a bolder sound, using the 8′ Octave and 4′ Fifteenth. The stopped wood 16′ Infrabass, retained from the previous organ, provides a solid foundation, and other mezzo-forte borrows from the manual divisions make up the rest of this flexible arrangement. The full-length 16′
Posaune has spotted metal bells in the bottom octave to inject brightness into the round, firm, rolling tone. It is extended to 8′ pitch, and is available on both the Great and Positiv manuals.

The salient factors in place that contributed to the success of this project include a supportive pastorate, an enthusiastic and generous congregation, a Minister of Music who tirelessly educated himself through research and inquiry, and a truly knowledgeable, interdisciplinary consultant who guided the project without ever interfering with the artistic process. These elements paved the way for Glück Pipe Organs, our suppliers, our subcontractors, and all those involved in the enlarging of the church complex to achieve this long-anticipated goal.

—Sebastian M. Glück

Artistic and Tonal Director

Cover photo by Albert Jensen-Moulton

 

For information: 

212/608-5651

www.gluckpipeorgans.com

 

Glџck Pipe Organs Opus 13 (2011)

Faith Lutheran Church, New Providence, New Jersey

GREAT (Manual II)

16′ Dexter Geigen 34 pipes 50% tin, slotted, from C25

8′ Præstant 58 pipes polished zinc and 50% tin

8′ Harmonic Flute 49 pipes 50% tin, C1–G#9 from Spitzflöte

8′ Doppelgedeckt from Swell

8′ Viole de Gambe from Swell

4′ Octave 58 pipes 50% tin

2′ Fifteenth 58 pipes 50% tin

Chorus Mixture IV 232 pipes 50% tin

8′ Trumpet 28 pipes 30% tin, harmonic (Pedal extension)

Chimes 25 tubes G20–G44

Great Silent

16′ Swell to Great

8′ Swell to Great

4′ Swell to Great

8′ Positiv to Great

SWELL (Manual III)

8′ Viole de Gambe 58 pipes 50% tin, slotted

8′ Voix Céleste 46 pipes 50% tin, slotted, from C13

8′ Doppelgedeckt 58 pipes wood, double mouths, stopped

4′ Principal 58 pipes 50% tin

4′ Holzdoppelquerpfeife 58 pipes wood, double mouths, harmonic

2′ Gemshorn 58 pipes 50% tin

Cornetto II 116 pipes 50% tin

Mixture II–IV 176 pipes 50% tin

16′ Basson 12 pipes 50% tin

8′ Trompette 58 pipes 50% tin, harmonic

8′ Hautbois 58 pipes 50% tin

Tremulant

16′ Swell to Swell

4′ Swell to Swell

Chimes

POSITIV (Manual I)

8′ Spitzflöte 16 pipes 50% tin (Pedal extension)

8′ Viole de Gambe from Swell

8′ Bourdon 58 pipes 50% tin

4′ Rohrflöte 58 pipes 50% tin

2′ Recorder 58 pipes 50% tin

8′ Clarinet 58 pipes 30% tin

Tremulant

8′ Trumpet from Great

8′ Hautbois from Swell

8′ Swell to Positiv

Great/Positiv Transfer

PEDAL

16′ Holzviolon 30 pipes wood, C1–D#4 with re-entrant tubes

16′ Infrabass 30 pipes wood

8′ Octave 30 pipes zinc and 50% tin

8′ Spitzflöte 30 pipes zinc and 50% tin

8′ Gedeckt from Swell

4′ Fifteenth 12 pipes 50% tin

4′ Spitzflöte 12 pipes 50% tin

16′ Posaune 12 pipes zinc and 50% tin

16′ Basson from Swell

8′ Trumpet 30 pipes zinc and 30% tin

8′ Basson from Swell

4′ Hautbois from Swell

8′ Great to Pedal

8′ Swell to Pedal

8′ Positiv to Pedal

Great Chorus Mixture IV

C1 19.22.26.29

C13 15.19.22.26

C25 12.15.19.22

C37 08.12.15.19

C49 01.08.12.15

 

40 stops

32 ranks

Swell Cornetto II

C1 12.17 unbroken

 

Swell Mixture II–IV

C1 19.22

D15 15.19.22

F#43 12.15.19.22

C#50 08.12.15.19

D#52 01.08.12.15

Jean-Louis Coignet

The new Thomas organ of Monaco is a completely new instrument in a resolutely contemporary façade

 

The present Cathedral of Monaco was consecrated in 1911; exactly one hundred years later, on December 8, 2011, the Archbishop of Monaco proceeded with the blessing of the new organ, the fourth since the consecration of the building. The first organ, attributed to François Mader, was located near the high altar; it proved to be insufficient and the need for a larger organ was rapidly felt. Charles Mutin, Cavaillé-Coll’s successor, turned it into a 50-stop instrument that he installed in two parts placed on either side of the gallery; Emile Bourdon, titular organist, inaugurated it on April 8, 1922. After fifty years of service, this organ showed signs of wear, and was replaced by a 60-stop instrument built by Boisseau; Pierre Cochereau played the opening concert on October 10, 1976. Despite work done by Tamburini in 1987, the results weren’t entirely satisfactory, and the appointment in 2006 of a new organist, Olivier Vernet, gave the impetus to consider a complete rebuild.

Following an international competition, the organbuilding company Thomas¹ was entrusted with the work. It was a challenging undertaking since “the specifications forced us not only to reuse most of the existing pipes, but also to recreate their original voicing, in order to conserve the soul of the former instrument in a new body.”² In fact, the result is a completely new organ, with the exception of some pipes that have been carefully restored (many reeds had been cut too short). The frames, case, windchests, blowers, console, transmissions, and electronic systems are new. The organ builders and architects made the bold decision to remove the organ from the gallery-alcove where it was located, and to use innovative lighting as an architectural element in its own right. Says Dominique Thomas: “We created a resolutely contemporary façade, which plays on both the lightness, transparency and light, blending harmoniously with the architecture of the Cathedral while appearing as an original work of art.” 

The instrument has 77 speaking stops (105 ranks), with 106 stops at the console (the chamades 8′ and 4′ being playable on all keyboards and pedal at different ranges). Manuals I (Positif de Dos), II (Grand-Orgue), and III (Récit expressif) all have 58 notes (C1–A5). Manual IV (Dessus de Récit) has 41 notes (F2–A5), and the Pédale 32 notes (C1–G3). The key action is mechanical for manuals and pedal; the stop action is electric and assisted by a combination action of 30,000 combinations. The couplers are electric, but there is also a mechanical Positif/Grand-Orgue coupler so that the organist can recreate the typical “old feeling” when interpreting music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Dominique Thomas clearly explains the advantage of the electric coupling: 

 

When playing symphonic or modern organ music, electrical couplers are not a drawback to the touch of the organist and have the advantage of not obliging excessive reduction of the touch. When using Barker levers for coupling in instruments of much smaller size, Cavaillé-Coll already considered the full opening of the pallet when the organist’s finger was still only half way down an advantage. 

 

There is also a playback system that enables organists to listen to their own playing from the nave.

The wind supply is particularly well designed: two Ventus blowers, 140 mm and 160 mm water column respectively, feed primary reservoirs that provide wind to wedge bellows for the Positif, Grand-Orgue, and Dessus de Récit. The Récit expressif, in turn, receives its wind from two reservoirs that feed the bass and treble separately, ensuring perfectly stable wind, while the wedge bellows give some flexibility for playing the classic repertoire. The wind pressures used are: 

Chamades: 91mm

Positif de Dos: 78mm

Grand-Orgue: 91mm

Récit expressif: 106mm

Dessus de Récit: 91mm

Petite Pédale: 112mm

Grande Pédale: 134mm.

Dominique Thomas describes the tonal architecture as “primarily a French classical organ, opening toward the symphonic style.”
 This organ falls in the French neo-classic organ tradition with its three traditional divisions, large symphonic Récit, and the well-furnished Pédale. This concept was first highly prized in the 1930–50s, then severely criticized in the 1960–70s. But it was, in fact, above all the modifying of existing instruments, both classic and symphonic, that was the subject of vehement condemnations.³ What matters most, after all, is the resulting sound, and there is no denying that the new organ of Monaco is an amazing musical instrument. As Olivier Vernet quite rightly wrote: “As a synthesis of the past with the most elaborate contemporary technology, this wonderful instrument, thanks to the huge variety of its tonal palette, is an inexhaustible source of inspiration.”

 

Photo credit: Jean-Louis Coignet, unless indicated otherwise