At the Empress

[barniclecompton]

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[David Pinnegar]

Hi!

Thanks so much for posting these. On http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjF9C2AyQ_U at first I find the sound tiring but at 1:47 there is an extraordinary solo sound and then the instrument really takes off in its intended style as a "unit orchestra" in Big Band style. Does the lack of room reverberation lend to emphasising the similarities of registration and performance style that might have caused the link to be made in this forum between Cinema organs and Fair organs? Can they be linked simply as Entertainment Organs?

One wonders whether the 1940s Big Band sound was actually emulating the Wurlitzer rather than the reverse, or is this a mere twist of playing style, usage and combination of instruments now consolidated into agglomerations in single instruments larger than ever originally conceived?

The piano played through the Wurlitzer is certainly interestingly mechanical and dare I say monotonous or "unmusical"? Does one feel that on the trumpet fanfares and saxophone solos from 6:50. Fascinating for all of that, however. These comments are observation rather than criticism - the instrument is a great fun musical idiom and most enjoyable.

It's probably the close mic position that is drawing out the detail, or lack of it, to hear what is leading me to say the above and which is normally totally masked by the room reverberation. The recording somehow feels reminiscent of the early mechanical wax recordings before the 1930s where the sound was captured by horns collecting the vibration of the air as close as necessary to an instrument or performer in order to generate the necessary mechanical vibration of the needle on the wax.

Fascinating recording - thanks.

Best wishes

David P

[organforumadmin]

Forum Admin consulted Colin Pykett about the effect of the tremulant and he responded that the speed of the tremulant is multiplied by the multiple long lengths of reflection paths in the room resulting in significant delays of tremulant phase. He says that his web article referred to in the original post covers it.


We would much like to encourage Colin to rejoin the forum so that questions such as this can be answered directly.


Best wishes


Forum Admin