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heva

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Posts posted by heva

  1. Not exactly organ music (although one has been arranged for organ) - I would like a recording of Durufle's Trois Danses for orchestra - does anyone know of one? (There is a fairly old recording of the Requiem with one tacked on as a 'filler' but my reliable local CD shop has as yet been unable to source a copy).

    Cheers,

     

    AJJ

     

    You might get yourself the 2cd-set from Erato label nr. 3984-24235-2 (don't know if it's still available), it's a re-edition of recordings from the 1960's

     

    The disc comprises Requiem op.9, Veni creator op.4, Prelude and Sicilienne from Suite op.5, Mass Cum Jubilo op.11, the four motets op.10, three dances op.6, scherzo op.2 and the ALAIN pr. et f. op.7.

     

    Durufle plays and conducts all except scherzo and the ALAIN, which are performed by his wife.

     

    A must have if you ask me ...

  2. So the dutch too are understatment's fans!  :D

    (At least they don't destroy their historical organs...)

     

    Heva, are you sure the farmers and the organists

    were the same people?

     

    Here is a picture of a Pedal from Bätz, an excellent

    dutch builder:

     

    http://www.xs4all.nl/~twomusic/orgel/pictu.../05console.html

     

    Best wishes,

    Pierre

     

    I used 'farmer' to characterize the organists, not that they wére farmers ....

    And Bätz, well yes, excellent, but I don't want organs to be built with consoles like these in the 21st century, certainly not in large organs...

    My experience with these consoles are that manuals are to far 'in' the organ and the pedals are to far under your seat. Result: balancing between falling forward (you wánt to play the uppermost manual) and not being able to reach the uppermost manual (because you wánt to play the pedals).

  3. Interesting to hear your comments, Heva. You don't find any problems with your heels not having enough space? I remember having to stretch quite a lot on some 18 & 19th Century organs in holland to reach the extremities of the pedalboard. Some of them are BIG!

    Well, for once my length comes in handy here (1.92m), but I think these old pedals (like Dordrecht) are 'designed' to be played with klompen - that's why they're so big ;-)

     

    You can imagine a farmer with klompen on a 19th century dutch organ console, you can imagine a Savil row gentleman on a Willis/Hill/ACC console. That's the difference (and still is? :D )

  4. Who voted for radiating concave?  Would you tell us why?  You will be the first person I believe I have ever spoken to who actually likes them.  I've always wondered how it came to be adopted as a standard.

     

    Being dutch, I've played on many kinds of pedals here in the Netherlands (as well as abroad) and having two organs in 'my' church, one of which is a two-manaul Hill I definitely choose the radial-concave pedal (like on the Hill). It takes about a month to get used to it (the pedal of the great-organ "upthere" has a 19th century dutch pedal, probably made to play with 'klompen' (woodenshoes), or maybe not to be played at all :D ).

    It's just very convenient to be able to play the entire pedal range with any feet, to easily play two notes with one foot, and/or to play a quint in foot LEGATO (shoe size 42). The 1905 Hill console is way ahead of it's time for Holland - even today organs are built that are much less sophisticated or ergonomic (but then these are probably 'historic').

     

    BTW. I don't think that here in the selfacclaimed organmekka there's anything like a standard with regard to organ consoles, let alone pedals. It's funny to see how 'we' have evolved here (not, that is ...)

  5. Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,

     

    In order to illustrate something I wish to explain on my french-speaking

    forum, I'd like to have one or some MP3s I could link to, illustrating

    the true Dulciana (so the non stringy type) from a 8' alone to a chorus

    up to Dulciana Mixture.

    Does such a thing exist?

     

    Thanks and best wishes,

    Pierre

     

    Pierre, could this be something:

     

    http://www.organstops.org/_sounds/StAnnesM...lciana8_arp.mp3

    http://www.organstops.org/_sounds/StAnnesM...ciana8_stan.mp3

  6. I'm a little puzzled by reading (if I read it correctly) that the 32ft reed on the Pédale was accoustic. Is this achieved in the same way as accoustic 32fts in flue ranks? I would have liked to have seen a real 32ft flue rank in the Pédale.

     

    The bombarde being 'Acoustic' (or 'acoustique') probably means 'half-length' in this case.

  7. I was wondering if anyone knows of original Barker Lever actions still in existence.  The Romsey GO is an example I am aware of, but someone asked me the other day, and I was hard pressed to think of a single one.  The Romsey one is perfectly reliable and prompt and it strikes me that it's a sensible way to go when compared, say, with the well-documented deficiencies of pneumatics.

     

    There are still many in use. You can even listen to them at the downloads here:

    http://www.stsulpice.com/Docs/video.html

    ;)

  8. This is of course a matter of taste -mines are already too well known here-.

    This design, as well as a majority that are done worldwide today, fits in a

    kind of "Post-néo-baroque" style.

    Style is one thing, quality another one.

     

    Best wishes,

    Pierre

     

    I say it's a pity: the casework looks promising, but then the composition is neo-neoclassical, the console is neo-ACC.

    To much 'poldermodel' for my taste ....

  9. This organ filled 13 (tirtheenth) pages on the french organ Forum...

    According to the people who knows its builder, we should expect

    something interesting as far as tonal matters are concerned.

     

    Best wishes,

    Pierre

     

    The composition is very DomBedos-ish, it'll probably sound 'good', but from the specs I don't expect something that knocks you of your feet :lol:

  10. I was shocked recently of the construction of the console of the main organ at notre dame paris on a recent visit.

    I have been told that french organ builders

    are not very good at building organ consoles. Anyone with comments?

     

    As far as I know, the "Cochereau console" was American. So if there's anything left of it, it won't be very french.

  11. http://home.wanadoo.nl/akenfens/brit2000/b...st/n1abbey.html

     

    I'll translate it whenever I have some time. In the meantime you'll find

    the disposition at the bottom of the page.

     

    Well, sorry Jeremy!

    Best wishes,

    Pierre

     

    A quick one then ....

     

    The original abbey was founded during the government of Canute in 1018. The community flourished until Henry VIII broke with Rome. The breakup with Rome caused the abbey to detariorate, stones were taken and used for different purposes.

    In 1882 the ruines were bought by french monks who lived secluded and it were these monks who rebuild the abbey on the original foundations. On the occasion of the inauguration of the major part of the abbey in 1922, the Plymouth based firm of Hele & Co, provided a new organ. The organ comprised two manuals en pedals and was a donation of the R. Rev. Mgr. C.W.S. Smith. The choirorgan, built in 1923

    , was also a donation of Smith. In 1929 the covered choirstalls were finished an

    d the organ got its definitive shape. The Great organ was placed in a niche on the eastside of the choir, the pedalstops next to it, and the choirorgan was built

    in the western niche of the choir. Directly above the Great in the triforium a

    concrete room was built to house the Swell organ; the Solo organ was to be placed in an other room. The console got its place in the southside of the choir.

    In 1938 the organs action became unreliable and early 1939 a new plan was developed by Ralph Downes and J.W. Walker & Sons installed a new modern console to connect the existing organ. This console was identical to the console that J.W. Walker installed in Doncaster Parish Church. From 1952 on until 1963 a revision of the organ took place, in cooperation with Ralph Downs, during which the windchests were renewed and the Aeolian-chest were restaured. The different sections of the organ were more logicallay regrouped and the organ got a front with speaking pipes.

    (copyright Gerco Schaap)

     

    That should save Pierre some time ....

  12. Priory have just re-issued on CD a 1987 recording of David Patrick playing the Downes/Walker organ in Buckfast Abbey. Uncharacteristically, and very remiss too, the minimal notes include nothing about the organ. The NPOR isn't much help either, the last survey dating back to the 1970s and even then not very sure of itself and a Google search on the web hasn't come up with anything either, except for something written in Dutch. If anyone knows anything about this instrument, that would be mightily helpful, not to mention interesting!

     

    Many thanks.

     

    You can post the dutch info here, and I'll translate it for you (if someone else doesn't do so before me, 'we' speak a great many languages here :rolleyes: )

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