Pierre Lauwers

Two questions: I have an LP from Salisbury's cathedral (Richard Seal playing Bach, Liszt and Franck), recorded in January 1981. The organ was then maintained by H&H since 1976, and before that by Noël Mander. Was it then already "butchered"? Ditto an LP from Hull city Hall (Peter Goodman playing Hollins, Kellner, Harwood, Sweelinck and Guilmant's fifth's Sonata), recorded in 1975 (published 1977). Am I erring in liking it -as far as an LP can tell,I didn't hear it live)?. Best wishes, Pierre Lauwers.

Self-promotion may be useful; there are already 23 french organists who could listen to Howell's music- easy, it's the first one- trough the link I putted on the "Plenum" forum. Isn't that interesting? Pierre

No Pierre, I doubt that the story could be written with any degree of accuracy or lucidity....it is just too big to contemplate being written in one lifetime, and no-one would ever publish such an enormous tome in any case. That's the conclusion I rapidly ran into! As to find an editor, this would be even more difficult. Or we'd better borrow some pictures from Richard Mc Veigh -one for each page-, the ones from his studying period with the nice ladies. Pierre

Let's go back to some points: -Paul, I launched a Howells topic in an attempt to learn a bit more about this composer, who is one of my preffered. I'd like to know which were his ideas... -About romantic mixtures. Audsley, even if we consider the lenght of his sentences as an asset -?- tells very little. There are only some historical hints to be found there (I mean hints about the period's taste, period!). But there are no doubts the whole matter is firmly rooted in the baroque area, hence it's not surprising we find many links between the romantic period and the "neo-baroque" one. A commanding feature of the romantic "tutti" was the presence of tierce ranks in mixtures. Do anybody know more "baroque" an idea as this one? Indeed, even a link with the Blockwerk could be advocated. -Willis mixtures. Willis and Walcker organs shared one thing: they were quite bright, despite their "paper specification". Of course the means to this result were opposite. Walcker had every stop, even the darkest ones, clear in itself. Willis had his wonderful reeds and mixtures, quite sharp and crisply voiced, dominating the rest. We end up with two romantic organs that do not serve the same music! The whole story of the romantic organ remains to be written. I nurtured the idea for some (tents) of years, but did little else than filling two rooms here with papers I'd need some extra lives to sort out. Too much for a little guy! Best wishes, Pierre Lauwers.

Are you SURE Pierre, that you can remember what every organ you have ever heard, sounds like Well, me, certainly not; my DNA maybe? 5 Pence, that's many! Pierre

Well, I'd better hide this sentence for my wife. With the some fairly good organs I heard, she could put my brain on E-Bay at a not too bad price. Pierre

Gloucester - Howells did say this was his favourite organ (Quote) It's after having learn that I gave a close attention to this organ's (the previous also) specification. I was bored with the LPs I had -screaming mixtures- and was very, very interested to see Gloucester had only two mixtures, and with the same composition; a very typical one you'll never see outside UK (plus in commonwealth's countries of course): 17,19,22. The matter of mixtures in romantic and late-romantic music is a whole field that still awaits to be seriously explored. Best wishes, Pierre Lauwers.

Well, Now I really LAUGH! Pierre

you really should get rid of the Metro (Quote) Why? It can be seen as an anti-conformist tool. 10 years ago, I had free choice for a company car and took a Fiat Tipo GT, with one of the first really good derv-engines (90 bhp) in place of the Mercedes 190. The thing was black and no-frill. This was a little scandal in the company; how could this guy represent S...Ltd with that thing! The final point was reached while we drove back from a meeting with our dear (!) Managing director....who couldn't follow me and was angry for that. Exit the Tipo! Time to get rid of this reptilian-brain mentality, isn't it? (I asked for a Montego afterwards. The answer was...As you can guess!) As for the website now, you could add: More cases pictures Specifications of organs (This is very interesting for non-UK's readers) Pierre

. Check my facial expressions! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That's what I meant! those MP3 files would render anything rubbish anyway. A video isn't a CD. Best wishes, Pierre Lauwers

All right, Roffensis, but with what kind of input, then? Pierre Lauwers

I enjoyed the videos! Pierre Lauwers

It works for me with Internet explorer, but not with Mozilla. Fine sounds samples! Best wishes, Pierre Lauwers.

The links to the contents don't work yet? Best wishes, Pierre Lauwers

A sesquialtera, be it german, flemish or british, is made of Diapason pipes, tough. It is a part of the Diapason chorus. But this does not mean it cannot be made to go reasonably well with the flutes too, provided they aren't too dull in tone. In the flemish organ it's used for bell-like effects say with a 8' Bourdon, or added to the Diapason chorus in order to have a Tierce-mixture, or to bring the Diapason chorus and the reeds togheter. This is indeed the big difference between french and flemish organs (the first being a child of the second!); the french organ ignores the chorus Tierce, and is therefore an instrument divided in two parts you cannot mix (Plein-jeu and Grand jeu). The flemish Sesquialter is 2 2/3'-1 3/5' in the treble only, because it has breaks like a mixture. So it's far more close to a mixture than to a Cornet. In british romantic organs there are Sesquialters with breaks too, and with more ranks (according to Audsley, up to seven). In the baroque english organs I do not know -I never met with one!- Best wishes, Pierre Lauwers.

No problem! Any further discussion should happen in a workshop round a voicing chest, so theoretical are the names. I like Alkmaar's mixtures very much (before and after the restoration), but...In a Schnitger organ, where the foundation stops are what they are. Best wishes, Pierre Lauwers.

This is very interesting! I particularly like the Pedal design, Mixture included. This leaves us with taste matters -well, you did begin - I find it slightly sad to use baroque german Schnarrwerk (a name that pronounce like the thing itself) in an english Swell. A 4' reed would be useful there, too. The Great 8' flue ensemble will lack crispness and clarity without a not too gentle 8' Gamba. Why two "baroque", high pitched mixtures on the Great? They will clash against the unisson stops. A Rohrschalmey on the Pedal? well... This is of course all taste matters; the design itself I have nothing against on "serious" grounds. Maybe the B&W are particularly good with Dulcianas? I never did consider and shall never consider any other loudspeakers than english ones. Best wishes, Pierre Lauwers.

See my proposition again, then. Adding "sparkle" to the Diapason chorus might be less effective than a Trumpet and a second mixture with Tierce rank, as long as accompaniment is concerned. You could for instance add some ranks to the existing 2r mixture, and then add a two-rank Sesquialtera; this could be used in detail registrations as well as a bridge between the Diapason chorus and the Trumpet. A Pedal soft 16' could be obtained by borrowing a new stropped Diapason 16' in the Great. The 8' Violone for the Pedal I believe would be a good idea, ditto the 16'extension of the Great's Trumpet. And yes, keep that Dulciana! Best wishes, Pierre Lauwers

I like this one! Interesting ideas. As to have the organ in two swellboxes, Great included, this is considered a good enough idea by Schoenstein. Of course this is bound to dedicate acoustic conditions, as Mr Johnston says. Best wishes, Pierre Lauwers.

rrespective of action-types and organ layout, there seems to be a drift towards an un-healthy "Franglaisism" or even the outright pursuit of Cavaille-Coll revivalism, which really has no place in an English liturgical setting. There are even a few criminally insane, but well intentioned folk, who think that we should revive the Arthur Harrison or Willis type of instruments; though both have enormous musical shortcomings. There was the very interesting experiment at reviving the 19th cenury Hill sound, which Mander re-created splendidly at Holborn, but I suspect this will remain an interesting but worthy diversion (Quote) Sorry, sorry... Call me a criminal if you want, but these ideas were already printed fifty years ago, in a series of books called "Le livre de l'orgue français", indeed "from the other side of the classic revival", by Norbert Dufourcq. He too believed we shoudn't bother with Cavaillé-Coll's "shortcomings" as well as with Clicquot's....The result was that very "Néo-Classique" organ many people would like to trash in the bin today. He turned an extremely promising organ-builder, Victor Gonzalez -whose first jobs, like Bailleul, are exquisite gems- into a toy for his "truths". To write today "Arthur Harrison and Willis organs both have enormous musical shortcomings", like in the 1950's, implies you could do better. This we could discuss for instance on the "Two clavier design" thread, on the basis of a proposition of yours . Let us see an enlightened design please. Best wishes, Pierre Lauwers.

If the organ can be relocated, maybe the need for enlargment could dissepear.... The Celeste case is a good example of the -costly- anhihilating move of fashion... I don't understand why the Dulciana is so under-rated your side of the Channel. See the thread about the Dulciana on this very forum. Best wishes, Pierre Lauwers.

Sorry guys, I'll stick to my B&W... Best wishes, Pierre Lauwers.

dare we include Mander? (Quote) I don't think so. I think John Pike Mander is maybe one of the first of a new generation or "restaurators" in that matter. Best wishes, Pierre Lauwers.

This we don't know of course, but it was his first one! Best wishes, Pierre Lauwers