Organ matters - Organs matter!

No, I had nothing like that.  I'm sure I would have remembered.

Actually, I think it is probably a very good idea in order to deter, or prevent the access of, trolls.  The questions you quoted are the sort of thing that most organists (or non-organist afficionados, such as myself) would be likely to know.

Not being completely serious, but it occurs to me that they could put much more severe questions to people applying to join a hypothetical advanced forum, such as "What is the difference between a Spitz Flute and an Erzähler?"

Not a question I should be able to answer, I must admit!

Quote from: AllenJ on March 16, 2017, 07:15:30 PMI must say, your forum verification process with the questions about organ knowledge are a bit scary and daunting for a novice, and were it not for Google, I'd have never even been able to join here - Is that the intent?

Eh?

I don't remember any of that when I joined.

I welcome any news of English organs, or even organs in the English style, being 'adopted' by other European countries.

Yet more fascinating information.  Thank you, Ian.

 :)

Yes, very informative.

But wasn't there a mention of Stumm?  Amorbach?  I can't say I've ever heard that instrument other than recordings.

Many thanks.

I'd just like to thank those involved for enlightening me with regard to oboes!

I have to say that I visit this forum (and one other organ site) every day in the hope of encountering threads on the subject of organ structure, history and tonality.  Sadly, more than often discussions tend to be concerning the music of the organ and its composers and players, although I can perfectly well appreciate that.  This last couple of days, however, has been like a trip to heaven!  Thanks again.

Perhaps we might see more discussion of my favoured subjects.  Ian's suggestions about Stumm and Schnitger would be very welcome as far as I'm concerned, and why not more about other European instruments and builders?  :)

Yay!  It's come back to life!

Quote from: David Wyld on February 22, 2017, 02:50:08 PM
Looking back,  this thread seems initially to be John asking about the differences between a Swell Oboe and an Orchestral Oboe:   The main differences (at least in our own 'Willis' terms) is construction - the standard Swell Oboe or 'Hautboy' construction is usually a very small-scaled, reverse-conical tube (resonator) topped by a larger, faster gradient, reverse-conical 'Bell'.   The bell is either fully open, fully capped (soldered) or with a full cap left un-soldered to act as a regulating flap.

The invention of the Orchestral Oboe is credited to our own George Willis (brother of FHW) and given the higher pressure usually needed to make these I suspect that that credit is correct - George began the Willis voicing system for reeds which we still follow and without which no reeds can accurately be said (though it doesn't prevent them being said) to be 'Willis-style'!   The construction is a slightly faster gradient - though still relatively small-scaled tube,  without any 'bell';  A Willis Orch Oboe would be fully capped (soldered),  with a 1/3-diameter width slot cut  1/3-diameter down from the cap,  the resulting flap would be scrolled to prevent its being moved inadvertently after voicing and regulating,  and there would be a hole pierced opposite the slot.   

The shallots are also different:  the Swell Oboe would have a Willis 'C' set shallot, either 'filled in' or 'unfilled' dependent on the pressure to be used and the eventual tone required whereas the Orch Oboe would have a special form of shallot - very narrow with an extremely slow taper, open face and with a reverse-beaked end.   This gives a particularly thin - almost string-like - sound and a thick tongue is used in the voicing to bring back, as required, some of the roundness of the true Oboe tone.

Regards,

DW

Thank you very much for that, David.

Re. the difference in sound, then, I assume that in simple terms the Solo Orchestral Oboe would have a 'thinner' sound than that of the Swell.  So would the Solo Oboe be any louder than the Swell Oboe (both boxes open, of course)?

Quote from: Richard Warren on February 19, 2017, 12:58:40 PM
My current project in the barn is a 3 manual instrument under construction and progressing nicely.
Over the last few years as I have been acquiring bits and pieces for this instrument I have met some truly dedicated people to the instrument and its repertoire. A good 50% of these are under the 45 year old mark. I have been freely given much useful advice and some of these contacts have turned into good friends.

regards and best wishes
Richard

That's very encouraging.

Do you have a projected specification of your barn instrument?

Ah yes.  Those links are to pages of the Stauff 'Encyclopaedia of Organ Stops' aren't they?

Thank you.

I was hoping to encourage some English organists or, better still, organ builders to reply from their perspective and, in that way, encourage some more posts on this excellent web site which seems to be dying!

I sincerely hope not.

Yes, I think you're right.  It's dead.  It has ceased to be.  It has gone to join the choir invisible!  ;D

Yes, I'm afraid it has been quiet for a few days now.

I could ask all sorts of questions, but I'm not sure there'd be much interest.  We'll see!

How would you describe the difference, tonally, between a Swell oboe and a Solo orchestral oboe?

(Please understand that I am not an organist and any knowledge I have about the instrument is entirely theoretical!)

Still a glimmer of life here!

Thank you.  And the same from me, a happy Christmas and a merry new year.

"For me the electronic provides a degree of sound laboratory facility that can be helpful to design and understanding of the tonality of pipe instruments and their registration."

Yes, I think what I'd find particularly interesting about an electronic organ (of the right type) is the facility for setting different temperaments which, of course, one cannot do with a pipe organ.

Unfortunately, I can't afford one!  :'(

I'm afraid I have no idea, but does an electronic Hammond sound the same as an old tone-wheel Hammond?

One of the reasons - perhaps the main reason - why I am such a fan of organs is the variety of sounds that are available and, of course, these can very enormously from instrument to instrument and country to country.  By the same token, I should be very pleased to hear more organs tuned to unequal temperaments.  Exactly which one, I don't know but perhaps one which permits as many different keys to sound acceptable yet at the same time produces a variety of interesting and colourful sounds in different keys.

I'm sure some would make the argument that other instruments with which the organist might be asked to perform are almost certainly going to be tuned in equal temperament and so the organ must comply.  I would counter that with the question, how often are organs required to play with orchestral instruments anyway?

Mmm?

A portion of underfloor heating or a perfectly good mechanical action organ?  I know which I'd choose, but I have a nice thick coat for the winter months.

I suppose we all have our priorities.

Stop list?