AJJ Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 Trawling some sites on a wet Saturday afternoon (kids occupied and Mrs AJJ shopping) I came across this. Without hearing it one can not tell its effectiveness but the tonal scheme strikes me as being incredibly logical in a 'multum in parvo' sort of way. What do people think? AJJ PS And this also displays a similar skill in getting two manuals out of one - I could certainly live with this on a Sunday - maybe my one manual could be adapted........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Lane Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Trawling some sites on a wet Saturday afternoon (kids occupied and Mrs AJJ shopping) I came across this. Without hearing it one can not tell its effectiveness but the tonal scheme strikes me as being incredibly logical in a 'multum in parvo' sort of way. What do people think? AJJ PS And this also displays a similar skill in getting two manuals out of one - I could certainly live with this on a Sunday - maybe my one manual could be adapted........... This is also an interesting concept, I found it on the M. L. Bigelow & Co site, and whilst not being overly keen on American voicing, the principal seems useful. The flexibility seems endless, but would require an organ to be either fully enclosed or unenclosed to be musically integral one would think. Take a look here. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazuin Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 "This is also an interesting concept, I found it on the M. L. Bigelow & Co site, and whilst not being overly keen on American voicing,".... What, in your view, constitutes "American voicing" and what do you object to? Given that the USA has organ builders including both Schoenstein AND Martin Pasi, (to suggest just 2 extremes) this seems a quite staggering generalisation. Bazuin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Lane Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 "This is also an interesting concept, I found it on the M. L. Bigelow & Co site, and whilst not being overly keen on American voicing,".... What, in your view, constitutes "American voicing" and what do you object to? Given that the USA has organ builders including both Schoenstein AND Martin Pasi, (to suggest just 2 extremes) this seems a quite staggering generalisation. Bazuin I'm referring to the mainstream in American voicing, running through from Arthur Harrison, to the whole gamut of organs by Austin, Möller, Wicks, etc. It is just that I don't like it, but that is also true of some continental and English voicing too. Everyone I suspect has a favourite style, and mine will always be Cavaille-Coll, but that is personal preference. On the other hand I am an enormous admirer of the American trend in actions, and also of their tremendous openness, particularly on their websites, they are keen to show what they do, and how they do it. It is also great to see some English builders following in this tradition, and grasping the advantage the the world wide web can be in promoting their work. But back to the the thread, it is really my preference, and I acknowledge there are many who do not follow in this tradition. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazuin Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 "I'm referring to the mainstream in American voicing, running through from Arthur Harrison," or perhaps you mean G Donald Harrison? "to the whole gamut of organs by Austin, Möller, Wicks, etc. It is just that I don't like it," and I rather suspect that Mike Bigelow doesn't either! Greetings Bazuin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Lane Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 or perhaps you mean G Donald Harrison? Bazuin Correct, brain was asleep after a hard morning unloading organ pipes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Barry Williams Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 "....and mine will always be Cavaille-Coll" And mine too, for none has ever got anywhere his remarkable voicing, though some have tried. Barry Williams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcnd5584 Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 "....and mine will always be Cavaille-Coll" And mine too, for none has ever got anywhere his remarkable voicing, though some have tried. Barry Williams I would concur heartily with this sentiment, Barry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Lane Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 I would concur heartily with this sentiment, Barry. My fascination for his voicing was again renewed by David Briggs superb CD on BBC Music Magazine, the organ sounds wonderful and of course the playing, as always is immaculate and entertaining. And as for the improvisation, if only I could achieve half of that I would be delighted! Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Lauwers Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Though the Art of Cavaillé-Coll's voicers -that is, not himself, but the Rheinurgs etc- is unquestionnable, maybe we should avoid "searching for the top winner", like we human beings like to do, which oftens ends up with another fashion. There were many, many others romantic builders whose voicing was admirable, if different from Cavaillé-Coll's. In Belgium Hyppolite Loret, Schyven, Van Bever and Kerkhoff were as good. Fritz Walcker (who voiced Riga), William Thynne, Schulze and Lewis Diapason work, Dalstein & Haerpfer (who succeeded melting Cavaillé-Coll and Walcker, their masters, styles, a nearly impossible feat, but they did it!), and, and, and. Cavaillé-Coll was very strong with reed voicing, no doubt. But this is also a matter of taste -in which the language has its part-. One may prefer Willis reeds! Pierre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcnd5584 Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 ... Cavaillé-Coll was very strong with reed voicing, no doubt. But this is also a matterof taste -in which the language has its part-. One may prefer Willis reeds! Pierre Well, I grant that it is a matter of taste - but give me a Cavaillé-Coll Bombarde over the 'Willis' Pedal Ophicleide at Truro any day. At least with the C-C stops, they can be used with something other than the full organ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Lauwers Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Well, I grant that it is a matter of taste - but give me a Cavaillé-Coll Bombarde over the 'Willis' Pedal Ophicleide at Truro any day. At least with the C-C stops, they can be used with something other than the full organ. Strangely maybe, I'd tell the reverse. Whenever you draw a Cavaillé-Coll reed stop, you do not hear anything else anymore. BROOOOOOOOOOOOH..... Pierre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcnd5584 Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 Strangely maybe, I'd tell the reverse. Whenever you draw a Cavaillé-Coll reed stop,you do not hear anything else anymore. BROOOOOOOOOOOOH..... Pierre This is not true on a number of his instruments. The Pédale Bombarde at S. Etienne, Caen, for example, has a greater utility than a FHW Ophicleide. Having played the organ of Truro Cathedral on a number of occasions (including both service and recital work), I can assure you that this is not the case at Truro. The Pedal Ophicleide is simply too loud for anything less than the full organ. Having also played the organ at Caen (again on a number of occasions), I did not find that it was as you described on this instrument. In addition, if one is referring to reeds by Cavaillé-Coll in the general sense, I can think of a good number of chorus trompettes and clairons which certainly do not obliterate the flue-work, for example. I doubt that I have to mention (yet again) the tendency of a particular type of G.O. 'chorus' reed, by a certain Edwardian gentleman* actually to drown almost everything else on that division. * Well actually at least three gentlemen: AH, WCJ and ColD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Lauwers Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 "I doubt that I have to mention (yet again) the tendency of a particular type of G.O. 'chorus' reed, by a certain Edwardian gentleman* actually to drown almost everything else on that division." (Quote) ....Or, rather, to slip underneath, in order to give the impression there are 10 foundation stops at 8' instead of 4 or 5... The ears are subject to differ somewhat! (Had our excellent Colonel, the voicer and the builder -who was above all a voicer himself- worked on the continent, we might have known something else than those "free toned" "schieve Trompettekes", best kept for the Christmas midnight mass...) Pierre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcnd5584 Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 ....Or, rather, to slip underneath, in order to give the impression there are10 foundation stops at 8' instead of 4 or 5... The ears are subject to differ somewhat! Pierre They are indeed, Pierre. I have yet to hear an AH/WCJ G.O. Tromba which aurally slips under anything.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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