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Pierre Lauwers

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Posts posted by Pierre Lauwers

    An armchair journey to the Czech Republic

    in The Organ

    Posted

    ==========================

     

     

    I'm going from memory here, but I recall reading that only the Engler pipework was used for the Bach; the additions being Schwellwerk and some fairly ferocious chamades etc. (Rieger-Kloss of course)

     

    It's a tremendous instrument, which seems to be all of a musical piece, whatever the origins or authenticity. My feeling is that the instrument should be kept as it is now, irrespective of the Engler significance, and I say that because two truly great organ-builders have contributed to the present instrument, and deciding which is more important could be a folly too far in my view.

     

    If it sounds that good, why not just leave it the way it is?

     

    MM

     

    Indeed, one should give it a thought before attempting anything there.

     

    Pierre

    Pour another whisky and consider this

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Good point, Patrick, and fair to say that the man who maintains the organ and will do the work on it has been Very Patient with changes of mind, suggested new designs and so on. You are probably aware of other non professional organists who like to fiddle for no good reason! There was some initial concern that this organ should have been left intact as a good example of a 1930s house organ. However by the time my brother-in-law had installed it in his house ten or more years ago, he had already made small alterations.... This time he wants it all done professionally and asked me what I would do if I had the above numbers of stops on each division. My first response was "What do you want to play on it?". He asked for a number of options, so I obliged as an armchair exercise. But yes, it could well be left alone,

     

    , and this is what I -and presumably others here- would do.

     

    Pierre

    T C Lewis & Thomas Hill

    in Nuts and bolts

    Posted

    "I think if I were involved as a consultant for a new organ, these builders would be my first source of inspiration."

    (Quote)

     

    This would be by no ways a bad start, indeed. As far as your question is concerned, I think

    the "Reformers" wanted us so strong to believe they represented a "complete departure" from

    the 19th century that they could not accept at all:

     

    1)- 19th Century organs which obviously rooted in older traditions;

     

    2)- True Baroque organ which paved the may towards the romantic ones.

     

    And so something like a Schulze Diapason Chorus was to be dismissed, better, ignored,

    along with what followed; and so, baroque organs like those of Casparini, Jordi Bosch

    in Spain, and even Gabler, not to mention many others in central Europe, were "best left",

    or, even better, destroyed (Görlitz!!!).

     

    When I toured Britain in the 1980's, the "Schulze Diapason chorus" was still praised, though,

    but the "Reform" had not yet reached its dictatorial nadir in Britain then.

     

    Pierre

    The A. Oldknow organ of Dinan (F) 1889

    in The Organ

    Posted

    This organ, in original state, is one of the british historic

    organs of Brittany.

    It was built by Alfred Oldknow of Jersey in 1889.

     

    Specifications:

     

    CHOIR (56 notes)

     

    Lieblich Gedackt 8'

    Dulciana 8'

    Keraulophon 8'

    Flûte 4'

    Clarinette 8' (commence au 2° Do)

     

     

     

    GREAT (56 notes)

     

    Montre 8'

    Viole 8'

    Clarabella 8'

    Prestant 4'

    Flûte harmonique 4'

    Fourniture 3rgs

    Posaune 8'

     

    SWELL (56 notes)

     

    Bourdon 16'

    Montre 8'

    Gambe 8'

    Voix-Céleste 8'

    Rohr-Gedackt 8'

    Prestant 4'

    Fourniture 3rgs

    Trompette 8'

    Hautbois 8'

    Voix-humaine 8'

     

    PÉDAL (30notes)

     

    Flûte ouverte 16'

    Bourdon 16'

     

    See also here:

     

    http://www.uquebec.ca/musique/orgues/france/dinansm.html

     

     

    And here are two recent sound files, recorded by someone who wandered trough the church in the meantime:

     

    http://www.steekr.com/n/50-17/share/LNK74644d32eb0350f41/

     

    http://www.steekr.com/n/50-17/share/LNK74514d32eb1ea39a9/

     

    We also have many big-size pictures on the french forum (I would not dare copying them here for space

    reasons!)

     

    Enjoy,

     

    Pierre

    Dupré and the Mixtures

    in Nuts and bolts

    Posted

    I cite Cynic on another thread:

     

    "There was huge surprise when Marcel Dupre first played Bach in London - and the surprise? It was because Dupre was heard to draw the whole Diapason chorus to Mixture and didn't have any reeds on to 'cover' the mixture! It is a fact that organ-builders of the time may not have voiced their Mixtures for use with only fluework at all!! Puts your typical Willis 17-19-22 into context, doesn't it?"

     

    (Quote)

     

    And it provides the opportunity for a new thread about the influence of Dupré, worldwide,

    upon some neo-baroque ideas that were a mistake as far as the baroque organ is concerned.

     

    1)- When Dupré registred that way in London, one may wonder if those upper ranks were

    in tune, not filled with dust etc. As Cynic pointed out, even provided with a fine Lewis organ,

    the organists seldom used anything above 4'...In the french romantic repertoire, there

    is no mention of any Mixture at all up to the Widor's 10th Symphony (Romane) !

    Cavaillé-Coll organs had Mixtures, though. Fournitures, Cymbales, Cornets, Carillons,

    Progressions harmoniques, Mutations ranks (Notre-Dame Paris, Septièmes included),

    he built them all, and often took them over while rebuilding ancient organs.

     

    2) The way Dupré used the Mixtures is an idiosyncratic, specifically french one; I seriously doubt

    Bach registred that way. It goes back to the french organ of the 18th century, with its strictly codified

    "Plein-jeu".

     

    3)- Such a thing did not exist elsewhere at the same epoch. It is thrilling to hear Michel Chapuis,

    on a belgian Baroque organ which pre-dates the french influence here, draw the Mixture, the Sesquialter,

    and the Cornet, all togheter, and then end up with the Trompette added !

    The same is of course true with the orggans in central Germany, with the notable exception of the

    frenchified Silbermann organs (why do you think the neo-baroque opinion leaders knew only them among

    the dozens of baroque organ builders in that area?)

     

    So it might be interesting to gather here the deeds and sayings of Dupré in Britain about that matter, so that

    we could grasp his influence upon the evolution of the organ-design there.

     

    Pierre

    T C Lewis & Thomas Hill

    in Nuts and bolts

    Posted

    .....But they were perfectly suited to Howells. The 8' and the 4' ranks should have

    been copied elsewhere...(Indeed, I know no organist here who would have come to the idea

    of playing Bach there!)

     

    Do not forget this:

     

     

    As a kind of goûts réunis among the varied british styles.

     

    Pierre

    Italian organs

    in Nuts and bolts

    Posted

    The italian an the iberian organs belong to two different worlds; the iberian

    organ descent from the brabanter one (Niehoff, to cite the best known builder

    from that area), like the flemish, the french and the northern styles.

    The iberic organ was grounded by flemish builders (Langhedul school), in a period

    when Belgium belonged to the spanish crown.

    Italy, on the other hand, was the other centre of the organ culture in the Renaissance,

    along with the Brabant; a completely different kind of organ emerged (Ripieno), which remained

    remote from most of foreign influences up to the end of the 19th century, despite some

    foreign builders who tried some synthesis (The flemish Willem Herman, the german Eugen Casparini)

    there during the 17th century.

     

    Pierre

    WE THE JURY

    in The Organ

    Posted

    Weingarten, and J. Gabler, are by far closer to the region Bach lived in

    than anywhere else towards the north.

     

    And it shows here:

     

     

    Note how the tierce ranks enhance the lisibility; without them, the Pedal would

    upset the balance.

    New CD

    in The Organ

    Posted

    See here about the Antwerps organ:

     

    http://www.akc-orgel.be/akcv2/main.php?tekstid=15

     

    Schyven was the pupil of Josef Merklin. He was his workshop manager

    while Merklin was established in Brussels, and took over when Merklin

    left for France.

    As a result the Schyven organs are close to Merklin's in style, somewhat

    hybrid France/ Germany: less powerfull than Cavaillé-Coll's, more refined,

    sweeter, and with some free-reed stops.

     

    Pierre

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