Rodrigo de Sá

Dear Pierre: Too soon, I am quite new here and want to see what seems to interest most members. Moreover I do not want to give the impression I am only interested in hypothetical organs. But thanks for the suggestion.

Curious, I feel quite the contrary. A quint 3 is usefull in counterpoint, especially if you draw the Quintadena 16 also. It strengthens the 8' tone and I actually find it usefull in counterpoint. That said, I do not like it all that much. Obversely, I very much like the sound of the II Rauschpfeiffe. The octave is stronger than the twelfth (at least that is how I like it). I do not like a 8 4 2 principal chorus in the Great Organ, but rather like a 8 4 3 2 or alternatively, 8 4 II. The penultimate variation of Von Himmel Hoch (Bach) sounds marvelously well with this registration on the right hand (in a good, clear organ). That said, I have listened and played organs that are great in the strangest combinations. So there may be horrible twelves and quite good ones. Small note: Would it not have been interesting if one were to make the specifications to a rather small chappel? Say 12*6*8m? In which case one would be able to write down all the mixtures, specify scales (more or less precisely), voicing and the tone one would want to obtain?

I am new here, but there really is no better presentation than designing the specifications of an organ. This one is strongly continental European in concept and it is what I would like in an organ for myself. I am assuming a medium-large sized european church, rather reverberant and I understand the organ is opposite to the altar, and the pipes some ten meters above ground. Tracker action; shove coupling II+I and I, II, III+P. Compass to g and to d (of f) in pedals; straight pedalboard. Electrical combinations. No swell. This is a baroque oriented organ. I did not count the stops So: Great: (I) Principal 16 Quintadena 16 Octave Gemshorn 8 Octava II 4 Rauschpfeiffe II -2, 1 1/3, repeats at central c InfraCymbel 3 2 1 1/3 repeats three times; at medium c it will be 6 4 3 Cymbel IV-VI 1, 2/3, 1/2, 1/3, treble 4 3 2 2 1.5 1.5 Terz doppelt 2/3, 2/5 Repeats back to 1-3/5 1-1/3 Fundamental trompett 16 Trompett 8 II coupling Oberwerk (II) Principal 8 (narrow) Spitzflöte 8 (narrow) Octave 4 Spizflöte 4 Spitzquinte 3 Superoctava 2 Spillflöte 2 Quinta 1-1/3 (principal group) Sexquialter 1-1/3, 4/5 (repeats to normal range at middle c) Sharff VI 1, 2/3, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/6 (complex repeating) Krumphorn 16 Vox humana 8 Oboe 8 Singend regal 8 Tremulant Brustwerk (III) Closed Wood 8 (rather chiffy) Open wood 4 Principal 2 Nachthorn 2 Larigot 1-1/3 Accuta 1 (sort of a Schwiegel) Cymbel III (2/3) Regal 8 Tremulant Pedal Prinzipal 16 Gedackt 16 Quinta gedeckt 12 Octava 8 Open flute 8 Flute 4+2 Pleinsche 6, 4, 3, 2, 1-1/3, 1 (no repeats) Posaune 32 Trombone 16 Dulzian 16 Trompete 8 I II III All voicing on the quick side, chiffs audible throughout, scales on the narrow side of normal (except in pedal); the wind pressure won't withstand a tutti and the wind is slighlty unsteady (not too much): one must use registration carefully; pedals on separate windchest, stronger wind. Concerning the use of a 16' on the manuals. This is a very large organ, with a 'rauschende' Hauptwerk with a lot of fifths, a subtle and airy bovenwerk (but very penetrating with a plenum registration) and a delicate 'wooden' brustwerk, with a nice rasping regal; a very deep pedal. In this case, the 16' range in the manuals must be the unison pitch; therefore, there are mixtures that reinforce the 16' range. Both principal and trumpet 16 must be strong, and the trumpet must sound dark, tenebrous and steady (and rather strong). In a smller organ I would definitely go for the quintadena alone concerning the 16' manuals: it allows you to play polyphony clearly. If the organ is not designed for polyphony, a bourdon would be better, but unless it is rather strong and the principal 8 rather large, you will just hear a hum under the plenum. I did not include a Positiv because it never blends well with the HP when coupled: when you listen, the positiv reaches you first and only later the Great Organ; which means you cannot very well get a 16' tone because your ears get the 8' plenum before (the musical line will sound as a muddle - or as if the 16' drags painfully behind the positiv). Finally: why just a gemshorn 8 as a flue in the HW? Because Gemshorns can, at the same time, accompany a solo (I mean, not as with a bordun, with which you listen to a vague glu-glu instead of a musical line) and also adds to the foundation of the plenum (being a tad principal-like). There are many, many different kinds of organs. I chose this particular one as it seems to allow for a big part of the repertoire that interests me. However, for Buxtehude, a very sharp positiv is, perhaps, preferable to the oberwerk. The positiv could have a somewhat less bright composition than the oberwerk I presented. Hope this is a sufficient presentation of myself.