Gargantuan House Organ...

[Guest]

Any forum members seen this:

http://www.die-orgelseite.de/disp/US...sResidence.htm

Holy hannah in the highest!!!!!!!

[Menschenstimme]

Re: Gargantuan House Organ...



Wow! (Not to mention sacre merde and heilige scheisse!!)

Something I would like to know but never will know is the fortunate Mr. Norris' net worth.

"Sing to God, ye hosts unnumbered . . .!"

[Guest]

Re: Gargantuan House Organ...



The Barry Norris House Organ is listed on the web as a 5/200 or 5manuals 200 ranks. YetI have seen ads online by Mr. Norris asking for used pipes. Wondering if they are intended for enlargement of the present organ?

Longwood Gardens started out as a private residence organ with private organist hired by the Dupont dynasty to play it. It has at least 175 ranks if I am not in error.

Ivisited in Englewood, New Jeresey the former home of the late Virgil Fox. It was interesting to see the inside, particularly where the pipes of the Skinner organ from New Old South Church , Boston, Mass-1918 Skinner, and the Keates organ in the solarium given as a surprise gift to Virgil by associate David Snyder. Other pipes were in various places throughout including upper floors speaking into a resonant stairwell .Also the Olympics -size swimming pool was quite a sight in another area of the 26 or 36 room house-whichever figure is the correct one.

Hammond Castle once would have presumably been considered a private residence organ. The Catholic Diocese was the new owner after Hammond's passing and a brief interlude in 1975 where Virgil Fox moved in and was going to add to the exisiting organ the 1932 Aeolian-Skinner organ from Harvard University and as he nicely said he would operate a program for ordinary people to become organ familar and each person would be able to put their hand in the CCCC 32' Double Open Diapason pipe.....things didn't work out with the diocese and Virgil...but a nice gesture anyway....

[Guest]

Re: Gargantuan House Organ...

"Where's the bathroom?"

"Oh, by the Gedeckt -listen for the Salicional... and be careful when washing your hands, theirs an Ophecleide is in the medicine cabinet"

[tumult_in_the_praetorium]

Re: Gargantuan House Organ...

I was somewhat shocked to discover that someone would have such a monstrosity in their home. Surely in such a small space this instrument must be terribly overpowering...

I know of a colleague here who is the organist of a large parish church, and seem to recall mentioning that he was building (in a peacemeal fashion, albeit) a pipe organ, so I shall have to send him this link and see what his ideas are! One would wonder if the adviser for this home organ project was a certain Mr. B...

Tim

[Guest]

Re: Gargantuan House Organ...



[quote user="tumult_in_the_praetorium"]I was somewhat shocked to discover that someone would have such a monstrosity in their home. Surely in such a small space this instrument must be terribly overpowering...

I know of a colleague here who is the organist of a large parish church, and seem to recall mentioning that he was building (in a peacemeal fashion, albeit) a pipe organ, so I shall have to send him this link and see what his ideas are! One would wonder if the adviser for this home organ project was a certain Mr. B...

Tim[/quote]

It is overpowering only if someone over-registers...same would be true at St.Paul's Cathedral, Liverpool or any venue. The tasteful registrant in any venue will only register what the music itself needs, nothing more. So as to a "monstrosity" well, the Hammond Museum is not as huge as might be expected. That organ is well-appointed also. I'm quite certain Mr .Norris would chuckle if he read the aforementioned decription.As for "advisors" Mr. Norris is his own consultant lastI heard.

[tumult_in_the_praetorium]

Re: Gargantuan House Organ...



Interesting. Of course, I would love an actual pipe organ, but for reasons of space, money, and my neighbours, this does not seem to be feasible option!

It is also interesting that you mentioned St.Paul's Cathedral and over-registering. John Scott once said that visiting organists do not realise that the dome section sounds, in his description, 'ten times louder underneath the dome than from the console', and thus tend to over-register. However, this organ is known for being particularly difficult to play upon, in this aspect.

[Guest]

Re: Gargantuan House Organ...

This organ cheats cos allthe 32ft ranks are DIGITAL.Iwould love one of those organsto replace my 2 man digital in my itty bitty flat. [:P]

[Guest]

Re: Gargantuan House Organ...

[quote user="tumult_in_the_praetorium"]


Interesting. Of course, I would love an actual pipe organ, but for reasons of space, money, and my neighbours, this does not seem to be feasible option!

It is also interesting that you mentioned St.Paul's Cathedral and over-registering. John Scott once said that visiting organists do not realise that the dome section sounds, in his description, 'ten times louder underneath the dome than from the console', and thus tend to over-register. However, this organ is known for being particularly difficult to play upon, in this aspect.

[/quote]

As to St Paul's and the dome: in 1982 I attended a recital there and with advance arrangements met with the now late Christopher Dearnley at the Mander V-manual console above the choir stalls after a fabulous performance by a young man in his late 20's.

Mr Dearnly stated that recitalists were usually reluctant to engage the big stuff like the 3 tubas in the dome. That day a piece by Lemmens was just right for antiphonal passages: full chancel organ minus chancel tubas and heavy pedal reeds versus the dome Trompette Militaire on 30'' wind taken directly off the blower and built and VOICED by Anton Gottfried of Erie, Pennsylvania USA in 1930 and NOT Wurlitzer, not Henry Willis III. When Senator Richards visited London in or around 1930 he had pics of the progress of Atlantic City work and Willis saw a pic of a Gottfried spun brass trumpet and told Richards to order one for him.

The sound of that stop--all upper and virtually NO foundation tone--really a magnificent Post Horn is dynamite not because of volume--because of the exquisite voicing--brilliant upper partials of great complexity and plenty of wind for a percussive tonal effect!

[Menschenstimme]

Re: Gargantuan House Organ...



I am reminded of an experience in my past right here in the local area (near Pasadena, California) where I visited a residence pipe organ of about 40 ranks. The home was just under 2000 square feet (the same size as mine). The ranks were very cleverly and neatly installed all around the living room, dining room and family room, which in typical southern California fashion, all opened into each other. Every rank was "voiced down" to match the small area. This too was very cleverly and skillfully done. However, my impression of the ensemble was that it did not blend all that well and did not build up readily. Even at full organ, it gave the impression of a top-quality analog electronic instrument with the volume turned down.

My 8-rank (plus 3-rank Mixture 1-1/3) residence organ on 2-3/8" of wind in a 300 square foot resonantroom is way more satifying to play and has a dramatic build-up of ensemble without blowing one out of the room (unless one abuses the couplers).

Oh well: "Nunquam prandium liberum." (Neverfree lunch.)