David Coram 0 Report post Posted September 29, 2009 Depends if you think it's worth paying a small fortune to enable you to play the Thalben-Ball variations. Or has anything else ever been written that demands top G? Grumpy Grandfather's theme in Peter and the Wolf. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
heva 0 Report post Posted September 29, 2009 Doesn't Duruflé's Sicilienne need an F#? But ofcourse we all do prefer a pedalboard that's either constructed and/or placed 'ambachtelijk' (artisan/artisanal). The old masters didn't do ergonomics, why would we .... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian Ball 0 Report post Posted September 29, 2009 Doesn't Duruflé's Sicilienne need an F#? But ofcourse we all do prefer a pedalboard that's either constructed and/or placed 'ambachtelijk' (artisan/artisanal). The old masters didn't do ergonomics, why would we .... I'm tempted to say "because I'm not a 17th century Dutch dwarf"... but I'll resist. Perhaps it's more to do with the fact they couldn't easily do 3 hours+ organ practice in one session, without buying a blower many beers. So I guess back ache seldom set in! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
martin_greenwood 0 Report post Posted September 29, 2009 This talk of requiring an additional semitone beyond the reach of the upper reach of the pedal division instrument reminds me of the inverse problem when playing the bassoon. Occasionally a piece requires a low A, which is a semitone lower than the standard lowest note of Bb (the Rumpole of the Bailley theme springs to mind). In this situation a rolled up piece of music stuck in the top of the bassoon does the trick nicely. But an equivalent low tech approach to the upper note issue on pedal divisions would require a hacksaw, so I guess that's not a go-er. Sq Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Contrabombarde 0 Report post Posted September 29, 2009 The Cortege et Litanie by Dupre EC Dang, there goes any hope of learning one of my favourite pieces on my home toaster then :-( Why didn't I check before I bought? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Graham Powell 0 Report post Posted September 29, 2009 One of Alain's Variations sur un thème de Clément Janequin requires a top G, although it's easily taken in the left hand. Graham Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ajsphead 0 Report post Posted September 30, 2009 Langlais Suite Breve 2nd movement needs top g, also Sowerby Pageant of Autumn and a big piece of Sigfrid Karg-Elert (other than his name) that needs a g too. AJS Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DHM 0 Report post Posted September 30, 2009 I have had a straight/flat for over 3 years and was quite surprised at how little time it took me to adapt. I also have a radiating/concave one, and don't find any particular problems in switching between the two. Ah, so which do you prefer? There isn't an easy answer to that. If both are available, I tend to use the former more for earlier repertoire and the latter for later stuff. But sometimes it's also just a question of mood. And the former console has better keyboards than the latter. Let alone Italy: the new organ for St. James's, Florence we have provided with a flat, concave pedalboard - much to the surprise of many, needless to say!DW Surprise indeed! Forgive me if I've misunderstood something, but aren't flat and concave mutually exclusive? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Henry Willis 0 Report post Posted September 30, 2009 but aren't flat and concave mutually exclusive? Quite so, you've passed the observation test! I meant, of course, Straight and concave. While we're on the subject, I'd probably take issue with the comment earlier that it costs a fortune for the two extra notes - It doesn't and I have always been at a loss to understand why 58 (or, worse 56)-notes and 30 notes of pedals are the usual compasses for modern, new instruments. Seems like penny-pinching to me. DW Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
En Chamade 0 Report post Posted September 30, 2009 Dang, there goes any hope of learning one of my favourite pieces on my home toaster then :-( Why didn't I check before I bought? I would still go ahead and learn it. The top Gs only appear twice throughout the work and can easily be transposed down an octave. EC Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Contrabombarde 0 Report post Posted September 30, 2009 Quite so, you've passed the observation test! I meant, of course, Straight and concave. While we're on the subject, I'd probably take issue with the comment earlier that it costs a fortune for the two extra notes - It doesn't and I have always been at a loss to understand why 58 (or, worse 56)-notes and 30 notes of pedals are the usual compasses for modern, new instruments. Seems like penny-pinching to me. DW Out of interest how much money would be saved by not going for the top notes of the keyboard? You need top F# for the Widor toccato so 56 is a minimum for any church :-) and 58 lets you play the Andante of Guillmant 1. But I don't think I've ever reached top C except if transposing up a 16 foot which I hardly ever do. Do the extra few notes cost that much, bearing in mind that we are dealing with the smallest pipes in the range? Or does their size mean they are more fiddly to make and therefore more costly? Contrabombarde Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DHM 0 Report post Posted September 30, 2009 Out of interest how much money would be saved by not going for the top notes of the keyboard? You need top F# for the Widor toccato so 56 is a minimum for any church :-) and 58 lets you play the Andante of Guillmant 1. But I don't think I've ever reached top C except if transposing up a 16 foot which I hardly ever do. Do the extra few notes cost that much, bearing in mind that we are dealing with the smallest pipes in the range? Or does their size mean they are more fiddly to make and therefore more costly? Contrabombarde Rutter's B flat Jubilate needs a top (manual) B flat at the end. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nachthorn 0 Report post Posted September 30, 2009 Rutter's B flat Jubilate needs a top (manual) B flat at the end. William Mathias' Toccata Giocosa calls for a top B flat too. I played this for my ABRSM Grade 7 exam (some years ago!) on an organ with 56-note manuals, and in the scheme of things, a single substituted note chosen wisely makes little difference. Incidentally, I've opted for a straight/concave 30-note pedalboard. Thanks to all for helping me to choose Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sbarber49 0 Report post Posted October 1, 2009 You need top F# for the Widor toccato so 56 is a minimum for any church :-) Contrabombarde Is that the famous Toccata in F sharp? Ah just realised we're talking about manuals, not pedals! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
APB 0 Report post Posted October 1, 2009 There is a work by Jean Langlais called La Cinquieme Trompette. In the middle section of this, top G is required on the pedals (as well as F sharp more than once). It is not possible to 'fake' this, as the pedal registration is specified as a 4ft solo, with two different manual registrations (left hand playing slow-moving chords on a Celeste, right hand playing a 'spiky' fast moving rhythm on the Jeu de Nazard, if I remember correctly). There is a recording of the piece on a CD by John Scott at St Paul's Cathedral. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
