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Stockholm City Hall Harrison and Harrison

Started by David Pinnegar, January 21, 2012, 12:39:04 PM

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David Pinnegar

Hi!

The recording of the Hollins Overture on this 5 manual instrument suggests that it should certainly qualify for the "inspirational" title . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPIAXwMuYqQ

Best wishes

David P

AnOrganCornucopia

#1
Been listening to that loads recently. The CD it comes from is available at http://www.nosag.se/cd/cd180.html - definitely on my list of things to buy, even if 230 kronor (£21.80) seems a bit steep. I see that the unit price comes down as the number of CDs bought increases, though. Amazon also stocks it - their price is quite a bit higher but other sellers beat them by quite a margin! http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B004EYM0G0/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&qid=1327150841&sr=1-1&condition=new

The vast organ in the Blue Hall of the Stockholm Stadshuset is not actually an H&H, it's a 1925 Walcker with some additional pipework and a console by H&H. 140 ranks are by Walcker - unfortunately H&H's website is down so I can't check its current spec, which does highlight what is by whom!

It contains the biggest Fernwerk (echo organ) in the world - 20 stops (I think including one or two pedal stops) in a separate chamber behind the organ, the sound of which is then channelled above the ceiling of the hall through a plywood tunnel to an outlet on the far side of the hall from the organ. The result is apparently that the sound comes "from nowhere and everywhere". It had not been heard in living memory until the recent H&H restoration (which essentially rectified the many wrongs of the 1970s rebuild, in which H&H supplied a few ranks of pipework). Let me be clear, lest the lawyers fall onto me and this forum, H&H were not responsible for that bodge job - supplying pipework was ALL they did. During that time, a 4m Wurlitzer was used in the hall - Sweden's largest theatre organ. It subsequently vanished and was believed destroyed. However, it was found (ALL of it) in the Fernwerk tunnel! It is presently (according to my information, which is now a few years out of date) in professional storage as its original home is prepared for its return.

The whole very long story was written up in the Institute of British Organbuilders' annual journal, "Organ Building". I shall see if I can find it and scan it for the forum's membership to peruse it.

Also, I ought to clear up confusion over the name of the organ's home, the Blue Hall - the architect originally intended that the whole space should be plastered and painted blue (and I'm sure it would have looked wonderful). However, when he saw the space bare, he decided that the brickwork had a beauty of its own and abandoned his plan to have it plastered.  What I would like to know is - was the organ (any of it) installed and working at the time that the architect made his decision not to have the space plastered? Did its inspirational sound cause him to consider the acoustic effect of the plaster?

Pierre Lauwers

#2
Here is the original Specifications by Oscar Walcker:

http://www.walckerorgel.de/gewalcker.de/PDF/op2073.pdf

The original windchests have been destroyed in the 70's, and replaced with
the then "mandatory" slider-chests.

An historical summary:

http://international.stockholm.se/Tourism-and-history/The-Famous-City-Hall/Facts-and-history/The-City-Hall-Organ/Brief-history/

AnOrganCornucopia

OK, H&H's website is working now.

Here's the original spec:
http://www.harrison-organs.co.uk/walckerspec.html

And the present one (denoting which stops are 1972 and which 2008):
http://www.harrison-organs.co.uk/stockholmspec.html

I shall see if I can get round to scanning that article I mentioned!