Hi All,
Does anybody know of any good books about pipe organs? I am interested in the the building and technical side of things. If anyone has suggestion, please write back.
Thanks,
PT
Allen MDC Classic 42
Neronde Flo Tone Electric Accordion
The "standard literature" is Barnes: "The Contemporary American Organ," Sumner: "The Organ: It's Evolution, Principles of Construction and Use" Audsley: "The Art of Organbuilding" Ochse: The History of the Organ in The United States" Irwin: "Dictionary of Pipe Organ Stops"
Audsley is the easiest to find and gives a good, complete overview. Accesible reading if you can get over his pedantic style. But please place it in context: 19th-early 20th century when the ideal organ was one that was loud, muddy and incapable of counterpoint.
I have a book from the late 50's about organ building, styles, and maintenance. I will edit this with the title and more details.
Edit: "The Organ in Church Design" by Joseph Blanton, was published in 1957. It is most likely out of print though, so you will have to search for it. It is a very thick book, but it has much information.
Last edited by Duff48; 12-25-2012, 06:23 AM.
Reason: Added Book Info.
The "standard literature" is Barnes: "The Contemporary American Organ," Sumner: "The Organ: It's Evolution, Principles of Construction and Use" Audsley: "The Art of Organbuilding" Ochse: The History of the Organ in The United States" Irwin: "Dictionary of Pipe Organ Stops"
This is an excellent core library. One might add Hopkins and Rimbault "The Organ" or substitute it for the Sumner. The Sumner is largely a rehash and update of the H&R. The H&R, originally published 1855, third edition 1877, has much information not readily available elsewhere, although neither this nor the Sumner are really reliable sources.
Last edited by Westminster; 12-25-2012, 08:42 AM.
Reason: the grammar police in me
I have a book from the late 50's about organ building, styles, and maintenance. I will edit this with the title and more details.
Edit: "The Organ in Church Design" by Joseph Blanton, was published in 1957. It is most likely out of print though, so you will have to search for it. It is a very thick book, but it has much information.
This is an excellent survey of the visual design of the organs of various nationalistic styles and periods. It has to be said, though, that much of the photographic reproduction can only be described as atrocious. The accompanying text has to be viewed in the light of it representing the biases and tastes of a mid 20th c American architect - organ dilletante.
Looks like you’re enjoying the discussion, but you haven’t signed up for an account yet.
Tired of scrolling through the same posts? When you create an account you’ll always come back to where you left off. With an account you can also post messages, be notified of new replies, join groups, send private messages to other members, and use likes to thank others. We can all work together to make this community great. ♥️
We process personal data about users of our site, through the use of cookies and other technologies, to deliver our services, personalize advertising, and to analyze site activity. We may share certain information about our users with our advertising and analytics partners. For additional details, refer to our Privacy Policy.
By clicking "I AGREE" below, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our personal data processing and cookie practices as described therein. You also acknowledge that this forum may be hosted outside your country and you consent to the collection, storage, and processing of your data in the country where this forum is hosted.
Comment