^**. JKA/kf/r^^^^f**- .if/AV^/Z/^V' THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES MEREDITH WILLSON LIBRARY STANLEY RING COLLECTION MUSTQ LIBRARY __.-. 6 _^ , . ^'u - \ ' . } f , . - - ^- _- c .... ./ / / ^ o << ( ^J O O AN EXPLANATION OF THE OEGAN STOPS AN EXPLANATION OF THE ORGAN STOPS WITH HINTS FO:i EFFEC TlYE COMBINATIONS CAPL LOCHER CllIKl- ORGANIST AT THE CATHOLIC CHLIICH AT liKKNK TnAs.<LATi:i> WITH Tin: Af'T/fo/rs i-j:!;mi.<>i<>x AG NE S SCIIAUEXBURG WITH ILLUSTRATIONS T. OX DON KKCAN i'.\ri., 'liiKNCii A (!>.. I, I".\'ii;i;N()>tki; siti \i;i: V [The rights of translation and of reproduction arc reserved.) Music Library Ml irSeb DEDICATED BY THE AlJTllUll PROFESSOR l)K. H. VON HKl.MllOLTZ, 1 ;;ivv-corNiii.LOK at i;i;iii.iN. 1496823 PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION. My paper on Organ Stops, originally \yritten for a course of lectures to organists, was published by the desire of a committee of teachers. In altering and enlarging the original work for the press, I was struck by the number and excellence of literary works on the organ, its construc- tion, preservation, and pitch. It is evident, however, that in these only a limited space could be devoted to the Di'gan stops. During a i)ractice of twenty-five } ears, intcr- sper.sed with numerous concert-tours, and occasional calls upon me as an expert, I have made organ stops, their ])eculiarity and acoustic effects, my special study. In woiking up this material, extending as it does over divers provinces of musical science, I secured the welcome co-operation of several highly experienced colleagues. Befoi-e all others, I offer to Prof ])r. A. Forster, of Berne, my warmest thanks for his kindness in stimulating and facilitating my studies by the loan (^f books on physical acoustics, and by highly intci'esting exi)erimfnts. I also wish to oiler my best thanks to the oi'gan-buildcrs who have thoroughly revised that poition of my work ticating <>n the technicalities (jf organ-bnilding. The kind acc<[>tance (;f the dedication of the ibllowing technical \\(>rk by the Lrreat author of IIkj " Sen>ations viii Preface. of Tone," Prof. Dr. von Helmholtz, was specially encouraging to nie. I venture to hope that this modest work may tind favour with all friends of the organ, even in its new English shape, and that it may serve to increase their number, ami their interest in this the grandest of all instruments. (J. L. BkRNE, S\V1TZKRI..\XL), April, 188S. CONTENTS PAGE TAGE Acoustic Tones 1 Cor Anglais . . 10 Acuta 1 Cormorne . 10 Molina .... 1 Cornet .... . 10 Amoroso 2 Corno 11 Arrangement . 2 Corno di Ba.ssctto . . 11 Cornopean . 11 Baritone 1 Couplers . 11 Bassethorn 2 Coupling 12 Bass Flute . 2 Crescendo . 12 Basson .... 2 Cj'mbal . . . . 13 Bassoon H Bells .... :! Diapason . . . . 14 Bifara 3 Differential Tones . 14 Blower's Signal 8 Dolce . . . . 14 Bombard . .s Double Bass . . 1.5 Bordun .... 1 Double Flute 15 Bourdon 4 Double-stopped Ba.-^s . IG Bourdonecbo . 4 Doublettc . . . . 10 Dulcet .... . 10 Carillon .5 Dulcian . . . . 10 Celestina f) Clialuiiicau r. Eclio .... 10 Clairon .... f) Kclio Organ 17 Claribclla . .) Fleet ro-pii' 11 ni.'i tic Aetiou 17 Clarionet ;) Fn^di.-li Horn 1!) Clavfeolitia . *; iMpial TeniperiniK lit 10 Conihiriatidns of Stops (5 Fupiioniuni 10 Combination Str>|i.s !) Fvaeuant . 10 Composition Coupler !' 1 ComiiosifidU Stops 10 Fi>tula . . . . 10 ConiiioBition Swell Pedal . . 10 Fhiehn;,ic . -20 Concert Flute 10 Fbig.olet . . . . 20 Contra-l'as.s . 10 ' l''l;iutiiio . 'JO Coiitra-I>ourdf)u . 10 1 Flauto ..\in;ibile . 'JO Contra-'rioiiilione 10 Fl.nito Dnice . . 'JO Coutra-Violdii 10 Fia.ilo Miij'.r Jl Contents. Fliiuto riocolo Flautn Traverse . Flue Stops Flute Flute !i clicniinei' Fluto Bass . Flute d'Amour Flute Douce Flute Harnioni(|ne F-lute Octaviante. Flute Principal Freiu Harmon i que Fug:ara . Furniture . Gamba . Oetlackt . Geijjenprincipal Genishorn . Gemsliornquint Grand Bounlon . Great Organ . Harmonia ^Etlieria Harmonica Harmonica Bass . Harmnuiea Flute Harmonic Flute . Harmonic Trumpet Harmonics . Harmonium . Hautbois Ho!,m;;te Horn . Intonation .Teux do Fond.s . .Tubal Flute . Kcraulophon Kruminhorn I-arifrot Lieblicli-Ge(]a''l\t Material for Pi]>es Mfa.-ureinf-nt . Melndia 21 Metal Ar,K 38 21 Mixture .... 38 '21 Montre ..... 40 '25 Musette .... 40 2(5 2G Nassat ..... 41 20 Ni<,'ht Horn 41 2(; 2G Oboe 41 26 Octave .... 42 2G Octave Bass .... 45 2G Octave Couplers . 45 2G 27 Ophicleido .... 45 27 2!) :ii 31 31 31 Pasteboard .... 46 Pedal Swell .... 4G Physliarmonica . 46 Piccolo ..... 46 Piflfaro .... 46 Pneumatic Action . 46 Pneumatic Combination Pistons 47 Portunal Flute 47 32 Principal . 47 Probe Tin .... 49 32 32 33 33 Progressio .... 49 Progressio Harmonica 4!) Prolongoment 49 31 34 Quint ..... 50 34 Quintaten .... 51 34 :!4 Eauschquint .... 52 35 Reed Stops .I 2 Regals ..... Gl 35 Ilohrflote .... G! 36 Salicet G2 3G Salicional . ... Sauftflote .... g:'i 37 Scbalniei .... <;;', 37 Septime ..... Serpent .... g;! 37 Sesqulaltcra .... (;3 37 Sharp .... Gl Shnt-otr Valve Gt 37 Sifflote .... Gl ;<7 Spitzfli;te . . , . Gl 3S Stentoipjifin (;5 Contents. XI Stop Manuals Stopped Diapason Suabile . Suavial Sub-Bass Swell Swiss Flute . Temperameut Terpodiou Tierce Tone Colour . Tremulant . Tromba . Trombone . Trumpet Tuba . Tuba Mirabilis AGK 65 Uuda Claris . 65 65 Vibrations . 65 Viola . 65 Violin Diapasoi 66 Violino . m Violon Violone . 67 Violon Bass 67 Violoncello 67 Voix Celeste 67 Vox Angelica . 69 Vox Humana 70 70 WaldflGte 70 Wicuerliote 72 72 Zartlloto 7:^ . 7:S 7;^ . 73 7.) . 74 74 . 74 74 75 75 76 76 77 A. Acoustic Tones. See Quint. Acuta. See Sharp. .ffiolina derives its name from the /Eolian harp. (A charming description * of this ancient instrument is to be found in Radaus' " Lehre vom SchalL") It is of soft string- toned character, occurring in Germany and Switzerland on ahnost all large and small new organs as an 8-ft. solo stop. It is considered to be the most delicate of all stringed stoi)S. The yEolina was originally a metal stop, but as the art of intonation in modern organ-building is capable of making the transition from wood to metal (piite imperceptible, it is permissible to construct the lower notes of wood in this and some other stops. This stop is sometimes met with as an <S-ft. or IG-ft. reed (see To[)fei', " Oigclbaukunst," vol. i. 180), either like the Pliysharm<jnica, or with a small Ix'll. Walcker, for instance, lias j)laced on his mnv cathedral organ at Riga a IG-ft. yElodicon (nearly i-elated to the * To (ibtain musical (fTccts from tho strinj^s of an .Koliaii harp, yoii cxpo.-o tliom to purrcnt.s of air. 'I'liis iirimitisc iiittrmiifiit, is made liy f^Iiicin^' a (liin sr)iiii(liii;^-l)oanl to an ohloiii^' \voo<icii fraiuc. From ssix to tni cat^^iit .jtriiiLrs, luiicil in nnison, arc tlicn .stri'trJKd ovir two liriii'^is (ixcil on thr slhiil mils of tlif; frame. I'lacnl in an o|)' n wimlow or in an ajicrture of a tower, olilii|Uily to tlie current ol' air, tliO W'in'I- or ..Iv'lian liarj) will irive out the most 1" autiful harmonion.s sounds. B 2 ^In Explanation of the Organ Stops. Molina), as a reed on the second manual, and the above described 8-ft. -Molina as a flue on the fourth manual. T. F. Witte, of Utrecht, has also arranged a very successful IG-ft. /Eolina as reed stop on the third manual of the new organ at the Hague, Holland. yEolina combines well with Yoix Celeste (q.v.), which is tuned slightly sharper, as well as with Wienerflote and Lieblich-Gedackt. This latter combination may be improved by introducing the brighter character of the Flauto Traverso or Flute d'Amour. (See Combinations of Stops.) For the physical generation of tone in flues, see Flue Stops. Amoroso. See Flute d'Amour. Arrangement, or Disposition, from the Latin dlsponere, to dispose, implying arrangement (also proper subdivision), is briefly the plan and arrangement of the whole plant of an organ, according to its size, power, disposition of stops, and material. The whole success of this work of art depends upon the carefully considered "arrangement," which should be in accordance with all the rules of acoustics, and adapted to the proportions of the building destined to receive the organ. B. Baritone. See Tuba Mirabilis. Bassethorn. See Serpent. Pass Flute, or Flute Bass. See Flute. Basson is more particularly a French striking reed, with so-called anches a larmes, similar in intonation to a soft trumpet. It occurs as a 16-ft. stop on the first manual of Walcker's organ at Glarus. According to Faisst, Basson An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 3 coincides with the French name for the Bassoon, both as orchestral instrument and as organ stop. Bassoon is a small scale stop, usually constructed as a free reed, which occurs, if of 16-ft. tone, on the manuals as well as on the pedals (frequently labelled Double Bassoon). If of S-ft. tone, this stop occurs only in the two lower octaves, Clarionet and Oboe succeeding it in the higher octaves. (See also Dulcian.) Bells. See Carillon. Bifara, Tibia bifaris. See Double Flute. Blower's Signal. A draw stop applied to many organs, serving? to call the blower's attention to the bellows. I mav liere mention that I have now and then seen people engaged as blowers, who, l)eing the reverse of intelligent, had for that reason l^een chosen for this apparently inferior post. Through their violent pulling, sudden releasing, and generally incompetent treatment of the blowing apparatus, great expense has been incurred, which would have ])aid a thoroughly trained, conscientious blower foi- yeai's. At the present date water and gas engines an; fretjuently used for this purpose with large oi-gans, an arrangement which offers many advantages to the organist, ))articulaily for })racti.sing purposes at odd moments, as it makes him inde[)enilent of the b](j\ver ( ( 'aleant). Bombard aj)iiears as a lo-tt. and .'^^-ft. sti-iking reed on the pedals. With regard to power it stands ]et\veen Trombone and Bassoon. (Sr,- Tmmbone.) It is seldom f)un<l on the mamials. There are, however, oi-gans in France,", on which tlie thii'd and foui'tli inaniials I'orni (ng.ther a so-called iJoinbai'd-manual liase(l on tlu' Hi-lt. tone ; fur instance', St. Sulpice, St. iMistache, tlie .Maddriue, and S(. Denis (see Tc^pfer, vol. i. liitj-')). Like th<' Triimb'tm'. tlie 4 An Explanation of the Organ Stops. Bombard requires correspondingly powerful reeds as a covering. {See Reed Stops for the physical generation of tone in reed pipes.) Bordun. See Bourdon. Bourdon. A covered wood stop, never wanting even on the oldest organs, and which, by its massive full sound, is able to lend to the manual extreme dignity and an eccle- siastical solemnity of tone. The usefulness of this stop (also as a solo of 8-ft. tone, particularly in the upper registers), if well intonated, has latterly been more and more fully recognized. (See also Rohrflote.) A IG-ft. Bourdon on the manuals, if neither size nor material have been spared, gives depth and fullness even to the smallest organ. (See Double-stopped Bass for the application of a 32-ft. Contra-Bourdon to manuals and pedals (by William Hill, of London).) The Bourdon stops arc subdivided into Bourdon, Gedackt, and Lieblich-Gedackt, and are sized in this order. In England the IG-ft. Bourdon often stands for IG-ft. Sub-Bass. (See Gedackt.) Bourdon is a stop available for any combination. I found it had a peculiarly beautiful effect in conjunction with a soft, wcll-tuned Trumpet, or if coupled to a well-tuned solo reed on one of the upper manuals. Bourdon, in fact, has the special quality which enables it to be combined most conveniently with any other stop ; hence the old name of Coupling-Flute, or, more shortly. Coupler. (See also Combinations of Stops.) Bourdonecho. Sec Echo. An Explanation of the Oryan Stops. c. Carillon (Bells) is an arrangement now and then met with in large organs. I found it surprisingly effective for secular music, as for instance in the new concert organ of the Trocadero Palace, Paris. In the organ of Merseburg Cathedral (C. F. Becker), there is a Carillon from C to C", composed of thirty-seven polished steel rods. For church Carillons, principally found in Dutch churches, I refer the reader to Radaus' " Lehre vom Schall," p. 272. One example of these is found in Amsterdam, comprising forty- two bells, with a compass of three and a half octaves. On several occasions I found, on Italian organs, Carillon as a special stop, beginning with c'. In the large organ being built l)y Hill and Son for Sydney, there is a Carillon of four ranks on the Echo Organ; and in Witte's organ at the Hague there is one on the third manual. Celestina. aSVc Voix Celeste. Chalumeau. >SV'e Schalmei. Clairon (small trumpet), sometimes labelled Clarino or Clarion, is a reed of rather narrower scale than the Truinj)et, and with a brighter somul ; it chiefly occurs as a 4-ft. (more rarely 2-ft.) jjcdal stop. For particulars, sfe Truiiipet. Claribella (Clarabella), from the Latin dd m-^, bi-ight, and the English hvll , meaning therefoi'e " the bright sounding (voice)," is an >S-f't. and 4-ft. line I'ipe, similai" t(^ oui- ()j)rn S-ft. Flute, pleasantly refVeshing in cliaractci'; oecuning iVe(|Uciitly in laru<' new English and Aninican oigiiiis (Livt.T|i()ol, ( 'anti'iliiiiy, liiiiiiingliuni, ( iai ih-n ( "ity , r.S..\ , and otliris). 6 Ah Explanation of the Organ Sfojys. Clarionet. An 8-ft. tone, intended to imitate the orchestral instrument of the same name. It is of small scale, cylinder shape, and has conical bells (resonant tubes). With regard to power it stands between, say, a softly intonated Trumpet and an Oboe. It is a solo stoji of brilliant effect. Clarionet is one of the few reed stops whicli in Gern)any and Switzer- land are constructed almost exclusively as free reeds. (See Physharmonica.) In England and France this stop occurs as a striking reed. In Switzerland very nice Clarionets are found even on small organs. As a rarity Clarionet occurs as a pedal stop of -i-ft. tone in Silbermann's Court organ at Dresden. It combines well with 8-ft. Bourdon, and, if necessary, by the aid of couplers, with Concert- or Wiener-flote and 4-ft. Flauto Traverso, or 4-ft. Flute d'Aniour. Clavseolina. See /Eolina. Combinations of Stops. It is clear that the limited space of this modest and concise work docs not permit of our enlarging upon the theory of .stops ; nor is it possible to give a reprint of tlie many and varied arrangements. Wheie occasion offered I have endeavoured, however, to give a few useful hints for good combinations at the end of articles on certain stops. They naturally make no claim to com- pleteness, and must be modified in each case in accordance with the intonation of the organ in question. As the results of a varied experience, they will, I trust, be of Her \ ice now and again to brother organists, by giving an outline of the relative proportions of stops in condjination. From my various })ropositions a tolerably skilful organist will easily recognize my endeavour to point to the relations and afiinities of .stops, which must be strictly observed, as they are entirely distinct, according to their foundation An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 7 tone. In Flautino and Flageolet, for example, the necessity for an appropriate covering, and the quality thereof, is pointed out; in Bombard and Trombone the proportionate power of the flue stops is to be considered; in I^Iixture, Sharp, Cymbal, etc., their exclusive employment on the Great Organ is expressly demanded. In the paragraphs on Flues, Mixtures, Reeds, and others, some rules are laid down for correct combinations to suit the express occasion. For instance, solemnity, dignity, and volume are obtained by means of the round, noble tone of the Principal, together with the Gedackts, Flutes, and Gambas ; brilliancy and acuteness by means of mixtures, 2-ft. tiues and piercing reeds. The organist must first make himself acquainted with the 8-ft. tone on his organ, which is the basis of all stops; the Tremulant is often abused even to vulgarity, and the predilection for sudden transition from the Great Organ to a solo without due preparation, easily becomes mere craving for effect. A well-considered, appropriate clioice of stops, suitable to the character of the voluntary and hymn, and a noble simplicity, free from all exaggera- tion, are the chief qualifications for the performance of a dignified church service. An inq)ortant requisite for fine organ-playing is a careful choice of t!ie number and com- bination of stops prop(jrtionate to the size and acoustic properties of the Ijuilding, and in keeping with the sacrcd- ncss of tlie place. To this end tlie advice of a real master in organ-builiJing, and of an exj^erienced and clever organist, is absolutely in(lis})ensable. The Composi(i<jn Stops (now found on nearly all new organs), ])y means of which the organist can di-aw three, fnir, or nioj-e conibinat inns witlinut further refli;ction, make niiiftos nnicli ;isiri- jni- tlu' beginner, and even jm rliai)> tcii'i 1" niaki liim indoKiit. 8 An Explanation of the Organ Stops. Hints for combinations can naturally only be given and received on a broad basis, as every church, eveiy organ, and every work of art whatsoever has peculiarities of its own, resultinof from different causes. Music Director R. Low, organist at Bale, writes me the following excellent letter on this subject: "In the church of St. Elizabeth I can combine much that is beautifully effective, while in the Munster the same combinations give a totally different result, and vice versa. Every organ requires studying, and although certain rules for the use of stops must always remain law, still the minor' details cannot be specified ; and let a number of stops appear ever so heterogeneous at the first glance, they will under certain acoustic] conditions combine well." Furthermore the celebrated Berlin organist, Otto Dienel, gives me the following concise practical rules on the use of stops, for ^insertion in this book, and on which alone one might write a good-sized paper. " According to the tone-character of the organ stops, the following com- binations can be formed: 1. Principal character; 2. Flute and Gedackt character ; 8. Gamba or Salicional character (strings); 4. Reed character; 5. F or FF character as pro- duced by the Mixtures. Compound combinations of the above groups of stops are not only possible but exceedingly effective. In choosing stops one must remember that the 4-ft., 2-ft., 2|-ft., and mixture stops only strengthen the small number of harmonics of the 8-ft. foundation tone, and that the KJ-ft. manual stops only assist the combi- national tone, which is composed of two sound-waves of the 8-ft. tone. It tliL-rufore follows that tlic foundation tone must be representi'd before all others, and tliat the re- maining voices must only be em])loyed to give a colouring." An Explanation of the Organ Sioj^s. 9 Indispensable hints for obtaining tasteful combinations are also found in the article on Tone Colour, Here must be also mentioned the gradations of the strings, flutes, gedackts, reeds, mixtures, etc., according to power, the study of which the comparing and impressing of them upon the mind I cannot recommend too highly to young organists. In conclusion, I cannot help giving a few passages on ecclesiastical organ-playing from Anthe's " Music in Relation to the Protestant Rite." He expresses himself with charming litness : " It is the sublime object of religious music, and therefore particularly that of the organ, to lift the soul towards the Almighty by the marvels of sound. Greatness and sublimity are its inviolable laws. All parts of church organ-music must form an harmonious whole, only intended to serve the purpose of Christian edification. Secular airs and variations here appear as a profanation of the sanc- tuary. ' Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou staudest is holy ground,' would be a suit- able inscription on every organ ; " and no matter, I would aild, whether it stands in a Protestant or a Catholic church. Combination Stops (constructed either as pedals, draw sto[)s, or cumbinatioii pistons) call into action certain grou[>s of st()[)s, previously connected for tliis })ur[)ose. They ati'ect either separate manuals or the whole organ. The organ of the Royal Albert Ifall, London, has no less than thirty-two coiiibiuatiou buttons \'nv four manuals, and a number oi"i)e<lals acting upon combinations affecting the whole organ, 'i'ln^ giant organ (120 stops) being built ly Hill and Son ( >- v 'i'r'iiniloMi') Co)' Sydm y, prfS(,'nts a nio>t a^t<llln'^ing \;Liiri\ of coiipli'is, C'HM|Mi-,ili.iii, ;uid cuniliinat iiiii s(m|i->. 10 An Explanation of the Organ Stops. Composition Coupler. A pedal, or stop, which pushes out all the couplers at once. Composition Stops (from the Latin coniponere, to place together) are contrivances (pedals, draw stops, or pistons) which bring into action the whole of the stops on a manual, or a certain prearranged set of stops. In the church of St. Eustache, Paris, there is, for instance, one draw stop labelled Fonds, and one Anches, which embrace respectively all the corresponding groups of foundation stops and reed stops. Composition Swell Pedal. See Crescendo. Concert-Flute. Similar to the rather brighter sounding Wienerflote, q. r. Contra-Bass. See Double Bass. Contra-Bourdon. See Double-stopped Bass. Contra-Trombone. See Trombone. Contra- Violon. See Double Bass. Cor Anglais. See English Horn. Cormorne (also called Cromorne, Cremorne, Krummhorn) has a soft-sounding horn tone, and is met with in many old organs as an 8-ft. reed stop. Cornet belongs to the mixture stops. It is based upon the natural scale, and, if 5-ranked, is composed of C, c, g, c', e', having pipes of 8-ft., 4-ft., 2-t., 2-ft., and If -ft. tone. The 4-rank and 3-rank stops are smaller accordingly. Occa- sionally one meets with a Cornet based on a IG-ft. rank, as in the church of St. Jolm, Schatfhausen, and in the Music Hall, Boston. The Cornet is only a good one if all the notes or the tones of a chorus blend in such a manner as to leave no single tone percci)tible (see Topfer, " Orgel- baukunst," part i. p. 97). The scale of the Comet is com- ]iaratively the widest employed in the organ, and, on account An Explanation of the Organ Stojjs. 11 of its numerous chorus of pipes, is the only mixture stop which does not repeat; whilst the mixture proper often repeats the notes of the higher octaves at the pitch of the previous octave (see Mixture). The effect of a well-arranged Cornet is that of great volume ; its intonation is loud, and its tone resembles the horn, from which it derives its name (from the Latin curnu, the horn). Cornet is one of the few mixture stops which can be employed as a brilliant solo, naturally only in combination with foundation flue stops of equal length of tone. Corno. See Cornopean. Corno di Bassetto. See Ophicleide. Cornopean (from the Latin cornu, horn, and the English 'pean, j)jean, hymn of praise) is an 8-ft. flue stop of horn- like tone. In new English and American organs it is fieipiently jtlaced in the Swell Box, by the side of Cornet and ()l)ue. In the new Votiv organ at Vienna, Walcker has also a 4-ft. Corno, a striking reed ; and Hill and Son have placed an 8-ft. Cornopean in Westminster Abbey and in the large organ for Sydney. Couplers. The well-known contrivance for combining the various manuals with each other, and the manuals with the pedals. I may here say that I consider it advantageous in small organs i\)V coupling not only the first manual, but als(j the second manual to the pedals, as the latter an'ange- nient permits a clevei' oigan-[)layer to accompany (liscreetl3\ yet UKjst accurately, a soft sohj on the first manual ly the Sub-Bass, which in turn is delicately su]ported by a sto[) on the socoiul inanual. 1 should here mention the Swell llass, obtained b\- coupling w!th the lowest octave of a hi-l't. Licl)|ic]i-( iiMJackt \\\ iiiraiis of cdiidiinat i'liin, po.> sihlr tliiwULjh coujiliiig manuals \.n pclab, an a-t' mi^hing 12 An Explanation of the Organ Stops. vai'iety of the most beautiful effects is obtainable, and I agree with Domcapellmeister Greulich, of Breslau, in most warmly recommending beginners to study all the variations and shades of tone that can possibly be produced on their organ. (See Combinations of Stops.) Coupler is (2) the antiquated name for an actual stop, and an abbreviation of the word Coupling-Flute, so named on account of its fitness for blending with every other voice. It is usually stopped, and occurs as 16-ft., 8-ft., and 4-ft. tone. The name Coupler for an actual stop is now obsolete, having been very rightly superseded by Bourdon, or Gedackt. {See Bourdon.) Coupling. See Couplers. Crescendo is the well-known pedal (usually placed low on the right-hand side) by means of which the shutters of the >S\vell are opened and closed. As a rule, the pipes of one manual only are placed in the Swell. This is a disadvantage in German and Swiss Swell Organs, as compared with the English and French ones, that they often have only a com- paratively weak, even feeble, manual on which there is practically nothing to increase or diminish inside their Swell Box. I therefore mention the fact so strongly dwelt upon by Otto Dienel in his lectures to the Society of Organ- ists in Berlin that the English, in j)articular, generally have more and louder pipes on the Swell than on the Great Organ, by which means they produce correspondingly brilliant effects in light and shade. But to return to German instruments. The organ of the Vienna Musikverein (by Ladcgast) has a pneumatic (.sec Pneumatic Action and Pneumatic Combination Pistons) Crescendo and Decrescendo, adjustable to any degree of power for the whole system of couplers, as well as for each An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 13 individual manual and pedal, with an Indicator and an Echo. (Compare the arrangement of the St. Peter's organ at St. Petersburg.) Another kind of Crescendo, called Com])osition- or Pedal-Swell (also Roller Swell), rarely met with owing to its complicated mechanism, is found, amongst other places, in the cathedral of Ulm and the convent church at Engel- berg. By means of a roller worked by the foot, all the stops, one by one, from J^olina up to Great Organ, can be brought into play, and thrust in again for the Decrescendo by a backward rotation of the roller. If the stops follow and join in happily chosen succession, if the transition to the tone of the mixtures is cleverly graduated, and if, lastly, the mechanical part of the arrangement is perfect, this kind of roller swell is of exceptional advantage to every larger organ. The most perfect system for a Cre- scendo on the whole organ is that of the pneumatic action, by means of two power-bellows, one of wliich works the Crescendo, the other the Decrescendo. The organist need oidy couple the roller to the pneumatic action by a move- ment of the foot, and the apparatus is at once set in motion. The backward action is started by a special draw sto]). l>y means of a lever, both Crescendo and Decrescendo can lie at once disengaged. The contri\ance suggested by Dr. Faisst, and already employed in sevcsral laiger oigans (for example, in the church of St. John am Feuersee, Stuttgart), is a very welcome one. An Indicator is connected with tlic ( Vescendo in sucli a manner tliat, accoi'ding to the pressure on the peilal key, the mo\-fih!(; disc indicates the nunilier u[' stoj)s bi-onglit into action ; so tliat in excry |osition oi" the })edal key tlie organist may know at oikm; wliat [o\vrr of lone he C'oiuiiiands at tlie iiioniiiil. 14 All E.rplamttion of the Organ S(oj)s. Cymbal is a mixture stop of narrow scale, which, on account of its small i)ipes, is tlic acutcst of all the mixtures ; it is consequently tlic last stop to be drawn for the Great Organ. It occurs as a 4-rank Cymbal on the new Sydney organ (126 stops). D. (Dia Diapason, Tliis name denotes not only a tuning-fork, but in organ-building applies also to the stops, Principal, Octave, and Gedackt ; but chieily in English organs, where (for example, Westminster Abbey and Town Hall, Sydney, etc.) it frequently occurs on all four manuals as principal bass, under the name of IG-ft. Diapason, 8-ft. Open Diapason, 8-ft. Stopped Diapason, and on the pedals as 82-ft. Open Diapason (the 4-ft. Octave so important for the tempera- ment [q.v.^ is labelled -i-ft. Principal). (See also Princi- pal and Octave.) Seidel, in his work, adopts the term Disdiapason for the Super-Octave. Violin-Diapason is a name for the <S-ft. Geigenprincipal on nearly every English and American organ. Differential Tones. See Quint. Dolce, an 8-ft. string-toned metal stop, similar to Sali- cional, is an extremely mellow solo stop, wider in scale than Salicional, and constructed Ijy some builders as a cone (a little Avider at the top). In Westminster Al)bey it appears as 4-ft. Dulcet. In large organs it ought to bo placed more frequently on tlic Great manual, to which, as a soft string-toned stop, it would lend more power of ex- pression than the naturally powerfully intonated Gamba can give. By some builders (Weiglc, for instance) it is An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 15 voiced soft and flute-like, viz. in no wise string-toned, like Flauto Dolce. {See Molina for the use of wood in the con- struction of the lowest notes.) It combines well with 8-ft. Bourdon, 8-ft. Hohlflote, 4-ft. Flute d'Amour, and, if coupled, with Zartflote or Wienerflote 8-ft. {See Intonation.) Double Bass (Contra-Bass). As 32-ft. stop it is acous- tically combined with 16-ft. Violin and lOg Gedackt (that is to say, 5^-ft. long, but producing 10|-ft. tone, vide Gedackt). As an open 32-ft. and 16-ft. pipe, it is always intonated as far as string character and power are con- cerned between the Violin Bass and Principal Bass (Open Diapason Bass), which latter stop, especially on French organs, it is often called upon to replace. A very success- ful 16-ft. Double Bass is equivalent to the orchestral instru- ment of the same name ; and Bergner, oi'ganist at the cathedral, Riga, writes me word that his Contra- Violin, for instance, is of enchanting beauty. {See also Sub-Bass and Double-stopped Bass.) Steinmeyer, organ-builder at Oettin- gen, has, probably on the basis of the above-mentioned intonation, placed a 32-ft. Contra- Violon in Rothcnburg an der Tauber, and in the Frauenkirche, Munich ; and a dilfer- encc, even for a musically trained ear, can only be found in the greater power of certain harmonics. Double Flute. An open wood {)ipe, u.siiall}- of 8-ft. tune, furnished with double, that is to say, two diametrically opposed lips, and also with doullo slits. It tlierefore has a brighter sound than the single-li[ped Flute. English organ- builders usually place it on the Solo Organ, as has lieeii done on the Tow i Hall organ, Sydney. It also ocoui-s un<ler the name of Duilliite and Jultal J'"lute ('/.'.). It is of eidivening effect in combination with an 8-tt. (ianiha. A double-lipped 16-ft. Flute Bass is placed on the second 16 An Explanation of the Organ Stops. pedal (see Hohlflote) of the Marienkirche, Liibeck, and a double-lipped Rolirflote (q.v.) on the cathedral organ of Breslau. Under the name of Bifara, Walcker has arranged (for St. Petersburg) a 2-rank Double Flute ; the first rank has stopped 8-ft. pipes, the second rank, Dolce, open 4-ft. pipes. Double-stopped Bass (TTntersatz, Majorbass) frequently occurs as a 32-ft. stopped pipe on the pedals. If space and means are limited, this stop often has to take the place of an open 82-ft. pipe. (^S'^e Sub-Bass and Double Bass.) In the large organs of Russian Libau, Riga, Paris, London, Leipsic, Ulm, Sydney, and a few others, it is often labelled S2-ft. Contra- or Grand- Bourdon. Doublette is usually called by the French builders the 2-ft. Super-Octave ; and under this French name it is still found on old German and Swiss organs. Dulcet. See Dolce. Dulcian. A soft-toned basson-like reed of 8-ft. and IG-ft. tone, as a rule open, but sometimes stopped. Neither to be mistaken for Dolciano, which in the Frauenkirche at Gorlitz was constructed by the builder, Buckow, as an open wood flue, nor for Dulciana, which both as 4-ft. and 8-ft. stop occurs frequently in English (Westminster Abbey) and French organs with Dolce intonation and wide scale. In the new cathedral organ at Riga it is placed on the first manual amongst the fine stops. E. Echo. When this word alone appears on the button, it indicates an exceedingly soft, flute-like stop, which is often An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 17 placed in a swell box, separate from the main body of the organ. (>See Vox Humana.) It is sometimes labelled Bourdonecho. Echo Organ. See Crescendo. Electro-pneumatic Action. As it is not uncommon at the present date to meet with organs which are dis- tributed in different parts of the church as for example in the new electro-pneumatic organ at Forst, near Bruchsal, which I mention later on I will say a few words on electro-pneumatics in organ-building, as being the only contrivance making such division possible. I saw tliis exhibited on trial at the organ-building works of F. Goll, and am convinced that electro-pneumatics have a great future in organ-building, for the following reasons : 1. Elec- tricity makes distance of no consequence ; the differences which arise between Iniilder and churchwardens, the dis- putes about a foot or two of s})ace, no longer occur, as the consol may bo, separated ad lihitiun from the main body of the organ, regardless of distance, and placed in tlio most convenient spot (the demands of acoustics must of course rank pre-eminent). The connection between key- boards and pallets is formed by means of an almost imperceptible cable. On striking the keys the divided parts sound Avith tlie same precision us if close together. 2. By means of el<;ctricity a whole host of levers, stickers, rollers, trackers, etc., become unnecessaiy, and the possibility of accidents to the meclianisin, and the unfavourable influence of temperature on the works, ai'e considei-ably reduced. J]. TIk; cost of niaintenanct; is i-e(ltiee(l to the trilling niininium ftr eleetiic batteries. The comiecting an<l discoTHK^'cting of the eleetiic cun-eiit is obtained liy tin; sinijilest ininginal>le ])i'ocess. As soon as the wind process 18 An Explanation of the Organ Stops. begins to act on the bellows, which are still required, the electric circuit is completed by means of suitable accessory bellows ; it may, on the other hand, be quite as easily interrupted. It is important that the electric communica- tion between consol and pallets should be materially assisted by small bellows, which act as pneumatic levers ; hence the name Electro-pneumatic Action. The doubts reflected on this contrivance, as retarding the prompt articulation of the pipes, have no foundation. A specimen of an organ by Weigle, worked by an electro-magnet, unassisted by pneu- matics, was exhibited at the Vienna Exhibition. Many an electro-pneumatic organ is already in action, for instance, in the new Catholic church at Forst, near Bruchsal, in Miin- ster, canton of Lucerne, and one of forty-three stops in the figlise St. Nyzier, at Lyons, where the organist sits at a distance of seventy-five metres from the body of the organ. Lastly, a new electro-pneumatic organ is in contemplation for the Philharmonic at Berlin, and for other places. For the present, however. Electro-pneumatic Action cannot be generally introduced, as the patenting of this invention (Organ-Building Department, Schmole and Mols, amongst others) and the sudden and entire revolution of the existing workshops offer for the present, for conspicuous reasons, insurmountable difficulties, and as the invention, moreover, still lacks stability and guarantee. More particulars of the way in which the laws of acoustics are violated for the con- venience of electric division will be found in the illustrated " Acoustics " by Chladni, whom Tyndall, in his book, " On Sound" (page 160), calls the father of all modern acoustics. Compare Tisco's papei-, "The New Acoustical Apparatus" (Vienna, 18S5), which contains, in addition to other matter, a complete list of books of reference on this subject. This An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 19 is the place in which to mention the very interesting hints by Pietro Blaserna, of Rome, on page 50 of his work on " Acoustic Agents in an Enclosed Space." English Horn. A very beautiful horn-like solo stop, which occurs only on large organs as a striking reed, similar to Oboe. I found this stop particularly lovely in the Miinster at Bale, and on the Court organ at Lucerne. As an 8-ft. Cor Anglais it appears in the St. Eustache and Madeleine organs, Paris. Equal Temperament. See Octave, Euphonium. (From the Greek ^ixpiovia, euphony.) An 8-ft. free reed, rather softer than Clarionet. A beautiful specimen of it is found in the Grossmlinster at Zurich, and in the church of St. John, Schaffhausen. As 8-ft. Euphon it appears at Riga, and as IG-ft. pedal stop in the St. Eustache and St. Sulpice churches, Paris. (See Reed Stops.) Evacuant (from the Latin evacuare, to empty) is a stop by means of which the organist, on ceasing to play, can relieve the bellows of all wind pressure. F. Fistula. (Lat.) An obsolete name for a reed pipe. It is of interest to know tliat the name of this stoj), as applied to copper pi[)es in organ-buililing, was found in a manu- script of Bongars of the eleventh century, discovered by Prof. Dr. Hermann Hagen : "J)e fistulis oi'ganicis (juo modo iiant. ('uprum ( I^ate Lat. for ci/pri ihui, copper) [)uris,siiiium tun<lendo ad summaiii tenuitatem extt'uditur relicjiias (listulas) ipsiiis (jr(biiis sic facies ut sujjerioi-es gi'avioris ordinis fecisti " (Catalogue of MaunscripLs \>y Prof. l)i\ 20 An Explanation of the Organ Stopfi. ITagcn, page 83, B. 06. Town Librarian at Berne). {See also Gamba.) Also Dr. H. Riemann's " Organ-building in the Early Middle Ages," Leipsic allgemeine Musikzeitung, 1870. Michael Practorius, in his "Syntagma," Anselm Schubiger, in his " Spicilegien," and J. Seidel {" The Organ and its Construction," page 119) mention the Fistula Minima among the less used stops ; J. Weippert as the name of a narrow scale Flageolet of thin intonation. {See Measure- ment.) For the derivation of Salicis Fistula, sec Salicional. Flachflbte (flat flute). A sharply intonated, broad-lipped 8-ft. and 4-ft. metal flute, arranged as a 2-ft. stop in the Benedictine Convent, Weingarten, and as a 1-ft. stop on the Catholic Court organ, Dresden. Flageolet. A 1-ft. and 2-ft. flute-like open metal stop, often of wide scale, and fuller in intonation than the 2-ft. Octave. In large organs, and in the Swell box, it often occurs with mellow intonation under the name of Flageolet Echo. Flautino. A small metal flue stop, often placed as a 2-ft. stop on the upper manuals for the brighter colouring of the whole of the manuals. In conjunction with the 4-ft, Gemshorn in the Echo box, it contributes largely to the more intense efl'ect of the latter. It is evident that the existence of this, as well as of the former, and similar stops of smaller and the smallest possible kind, requires the presence of proportionately numerous 4-ft., 8-ft., and up to ] 6-ft. stops. {See Combinations of Stops.) Flauto Amabile. See Flute dAmour. Flauto Dolce, an 8-ft. and 4-ft. wood stop (sometimes of metal, viz. 1 part lead, 8 parts tin), is particularly mentioned here amongst the flues, because it is used with preference as a delicate stop on the flrst manual in new An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 21 German and Swiss organs. In combination with soft stops of every kind it renders most valuable service. In this treatise the Great manual is ahvays understood to be the lowest one, although in some organs the second manual is so termed (Vienna, Geneva, Freiburg, Paris, and others). {See Combinations of Stops.) Flauto Major. See Flute. Flauto Piccolo, or l-ft. Piccolo, the smallest and acutest of all metal stops. {See Flautino.) Flauto Traverso (German, Traversflbte, ftuerflote) is a flue pipe over-blowing into its octave, intended to imitate the real orchestral flute. When constructed as a wood pipe, the body is hollowed out, and in place of the ordinary .slit, a round opening is made, such as is found in the real flute for blowinji: into, and into which the wind enters throuGfli an orifice somewhat below the mouth-hole. Flauto Tra- verso is generally a 4-ft. and 8-ft. stop on the upper manuals, and, if built by a master hand, is a solo stop of delicious effect. In the large Englisli organ, built for Sydney, the Flauto Traverso is represented three times on the manual of the Solo Organ, that is, as 8-ft., 4-ft., and 2-ft. tone. From c' the Flauto Traverso is made double the ]en<''tli, and it has a littl<j IkjIc at the node of viltration, in oi'der that the over-blowing note may never rchipse into tlie foundation tone. Flauto Traverso makes a iuie com- bination witli .lEolina and Lieblieli-Gedackt, or with Oljoe and Wienerflote. As a solo stop, acconii)aiiied l>y Dolce, the Flauto Traverso is licard to givat advantage. For its combination with l'h\shaniionica, ([.o. {See also Intonation.) Flue Stops, Flute Work, Flue Pipes. As tliis name is fi-eqiieiitly Used tor a whulr family nf >tops in contra- 22 An Exjilanation of the Organ Stops. distinction from Reed stops, I will endeavour to give a concise definition, according to the latest results of study, on the generation of sound in flue pipes. The peculiarity of flue pipes is that, when they are sounding, air is the generating and vibrating body. The pipe only serves to cut off" the vibrating column of air from the outer atmo- sphere, and to regulate the vibrations. The tone is origi- nated at the sharp edge of the mouth {lahimn, lip); a flat current of air is driven against this lip, and in splitting- produces a curious noise, which may be considered as a mixture of many tones in close proximity. (Compare Melde's "Acoustics," 1883, p. 250 and the following.) The bore of the pipe then stimulates some of those sounds which correspond to the tones peculiar to the pipe, thereby raising them to the rank of a musical note. (Even the tone of a tuning-fork, if brought into close proximity with the mouth of a tube, or an organ pipe, is strengthened if the pitch of the said fork corresponds to one of the notes peculiar to the pipe.) Fig. 1 shows the longitudinal section of a wooden flue pipe. The vibrating column of air is cut ofl" from the outer atmosphere and regulated by the sides ii r. The air coming from the wind-chest passes through the foot of the pipe into the throat or air-chamber K, from which it can now escape through the narrow slit c d, and in beino- forced against tlie sharp edge, a h, of the mouth, produces tlie musical tone as above described. Fig. 2, on the other hand, is a metal flue pipe, soldered at the top, therefore gedackt, or covered. It has purposely been placed by the side of the open flue pipe, to show the phy- sical definition given under Gedackt (q.v.), according to which it gives a tone an octave deeper than does an open An Explanation of the Organ 6Vop.s\ Fig. 1. Fig. 23 pipe of the same length (Fig. 1). The letters R R, as above, indicate the tube which encloses the sonorous body of adr ; a b is the above-described site for the origin of the tone, and F f, the foot of the pipe stand- ing in the sounding board, and extending to the slit. (See above.) A definition of the pro- duction of tone in the Hues is to be found in Richter's " Catechism of the Ornfan," p. 24, and in Sonreck's "Theory of the Sonorous Column of Air." One word more on the difficult tuning of this species of pipe. Although I am quite of opinion that the tuning of flue pipes should really remain the l)usiness of the (ji'gan- builder, still I would here draw attention to the new- contrivance for tuning with slots and rolled-uj) strips of tin (for metal pi[)es), oi- tuning sliders (for wood pipes). The main body of" 24 An Explanation of the Organ Sto2)s. the pipe is made longer by half a tone than the intended pitch requires ; an oblong opening, proportionate to the measurement of the pipe, is then cut in the tube just below the upper end, in such a way that its lower half begins below the actual pitch of the pipe, while the upper half extends beyond it. The strip of metal, which is cut out to form the oblong opening, remains attached at the lower end, and is rolled up in a spiral. (Compare Prof. Kothes' excellent book on organ-building, to which I am indebted for several capital illustrations.) By rolling up the strip, and thereby shortening the working portion of the pipe, the tone becomes sharper; by unrolling the strip, that is, lengthening the pipe, the tone is made flatter. In wood pipes the same operation is performed by means of a movable slider, retained in position by two screws. The tuning slot gives the pipes, apart from a precise articulation, a more steady, decided tone, and adds power of expression to its qualities. This mode of tuning must, however, not be confounded with tuning shades of older date, which served ex- clusively to facilitate the opera- tion of tuning. Fig. 3 shows the upper end of a metal pipe, on which is visible the tuning slot, (t, and the strip of metal, h, rolled up in a spiral. Fig. 4 shows that side of tlie upper end of a wood i)ipe at which the tuning slider, ((, is pushed up as far over the opening, h, as the dotted line goes. In now organ conti'acts, tliis tuning-slot arrangement is Fig. 3. Fig. 4. Ail Explanation of the Organ Stops. 25 often stipulated for, particularly for the Principal and Gamba stops. The open wood pipes are tuned by means of a tuning shade of zinc or tin plate, bending up or down ; and the metal pipes for instance, the small mixture pipes which have no tuning slot are tuned by means of a tuning horn. By narrowing tlie upper rim of the pipe the tone is flattened ; by opening it out, it is sharpened. For tuning stopped pipes, see Gedackt. Flute. When this name alone is placed on the button of a stoj), it means an open, particularly wide 8-ft. and 4-ft. flue pipe, louder than Flauto Dolce (Flauto Major, as IG-ft. stop on the Great manual at Riga). Flute is the founda- tion of a large species of stops, several of which, such as Fernflote, Blockflote, Spillflote, Nasonflote, Suabeflote, BauerfloLe, etc., are becoming extinct in new organs. It is evident tliat in organs of one hundred or more stops (Ulni, Paris, Liverpool, London, Sydney, Russian Libau, Riga, Garden City, U.S.A., and a few others), some nnines for the same or a similar stop may occur with slightl}' altered etymology, solely ftr purposes of distinction. In the same manner as has just been done with Flauto Dolee, other members of the Flute family are discussed in this work. Three-cornei'ed Flutes have also been employed, l)artly on account of limited space, partly because the desired intonation necessitated a wiilei- lip. ('ombiiK-d with otlu.'i's, it is rather more eirectiv(; than Flauto Dolce. The 8-ft. Flute as ])edal stop occurs under the name oi' Bass Flute tm nearly every jx'dal clavier. As we ninit ioncij at tlic cud of the article Suli-jjass, the Flute Dass ami the similar-toned Octav(- Buss gi\(! th: jiedals in the jnwer ivgisters not only great jirecision a (juality jiart ieularly 26 All Explanation of the Organ Stojjs. belonging to the Violoncello but also more body, and in the upper registers the fullness and roundness so often wanting in Sub-Bass. Flute a Cheminee. See Rohrflote. Flute Bass. See Flute. 'O'lute d' Amour (Flauto Amabile) is a charming wood flue stop of slender scale, aiTanged as 8-ft. and 4-ft. tone ; in Switzerland more frequently as 4-ft. tone. According as the rest of the pipes are arranged, it occurs on the first manual in many organs, where it is very useful as a solo ; for example, in the new organ of St. Martin's Church, Vevey, and in the German Church at Montreux. The sombre Gedackts and the strings (see Molina) are effec- tively enlivened by it. It is often found as 8-ft. Amorosa on Steinmeyer's organs. Flute Douce (Sanftflote). See Wienerflote. Flute Harmonique. See Harmonic FJute. Flute Octaviante. See Harmonic Flute. Flute Principal. An 8-ft. stop of a pleasant, bright, fluty tone. Occurs in many organs to great advantage on the second manual, and combines very prettily with Salicional or Viola, and an enlivening Flauto Traverso. Frein Harmonique is an arrangement, invented by Gavioli of Paris, applied to naiTOW scale stops (Gamba, Violoncello, Viola, etc.), by means of which the ready, incisive, string character of the tone is considerably strengthened and beautified. This contrivance consists (Dienel) of a narrow metal plate, of the length of the mouth, fixed obliquely to the latter on an adjustable spring. I have referred (see Gamba) to the effectiveness of this Frein, which answers even in the case of the smallest scale string stops. Fugara lias much in common with Gamba, while in An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 27 quality of tone it stands between this and the Geigen- prineipal. It occurs as 8-ft. and 4-ft. tone. Fig. 5. Furniture is the French name for our Mixture. iGa G. 'Gamba, or Viola di Gamba (German, Kniegeige), is an eminently characteristic organ stop, found at the present date as 8-ft. stop on every Great manual, besides occurring in very large organs as a 16-ft. stop. On the cathedral organ at Riga (124 speak- ing stops), it occurs on the Great manual as 16-ft., 8-ft., and 4-ft. tone simultaneously. Its intonation is stringy, and shriller than that of Salicional. A Gamba of ready speech, and possessing these quali- ties strongly developed, is one of the most satis- factory results of the modern art of organ-building. (See Intonation.) The pipes have a narrow aperture between the lips and narrow gauge (Fig. 5), and are therefore constructed longer than Principal or Sali- cional pipes. The proportions of the 8-ft. Gamba are taken from those of the 4-ft. Octave, and the length of C, for instance, is 8 ft. '] in.* It is made chiefly of best English tin. A conical Gamba is called Com.'- Gamba. In examining an organ the other day, in the ca})acity of an expert, I found the lower ranks of the Gamba, which weie made ol" wood, l\'ing hori- zontally for reasons of space, without in the least * Prof. ZcUiior, of Vienim, writcrt to mo: " liiogcrof Ja^'criulorr roii.struct.s iiictiil (liunl)iia wliicli an' cxoi'idiiiLrly iiuriow (I I luin. |,' in iliiilii. t'wl- ii'). 'I'liry liavc tin- l-'rciii II iriiiiinii|Uc ('/.r.). ainl, uii'lcr iniTCisitil pri-.-siirr, .^luiik willi L'lrnt iinci.-iou." 28 .in Expla nation of (he Organ Stoj)s. thereby losing colour or power. In Spain, horizontal ranks are not unfrequently met with. The wider, and therefore more, powerful, Gambas found in some places cannot be so highly recommended as the narrower and weaker ones, which possess the real incisive Gamba tones, unless Viola and Salicional supply this want. (See Geigen- principal.) Although a Gamba of the above-mentioned qualities requires no addition to be wonderfully beautiful in effect, I would still recommend should a flute-like character be desired for this string-toned stop a richly voiced Gedackt, Hohlflote, Rohrflote, and Flute d'Amour. (See Combinations of Stops.) In the construction of such metal stops as are not visible, a moderate alloy of tin and lead (see below) is not only permissible, but is indeed quite the rule. With regard to the historical development of pipes, and the materials which in turn have been employed {see also Fistula), I refer the reader to my collection of notes which came out in the Alpcarosen (Series 1878, C Locher's " History of the Organ "). In the terminology of the oro-an, the terms "pure EnoU.sh tin," "tin," and "metal" often occur, by which is simply meant the propor- tion (alloy) in which lead has been added to the pure English tin. We have [)ure English tin (instead of which an alloy, containing j\- of lead, is unfortunately still often employed) ; further, the common English tin (proportion 2:14); ])robe-tin (4 : 12); and metal, of which one- third, often even one-half, is lead. It is apparent that tliese pro- portions are subject to modifications according to the prac- tice of the organ-builder in question and the varying con- ditions of the contract. Only absolutely purest tin ought to be employed for the front pipes, even should the contract l)ecome more expensive in consequence ; instead of the sil- An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 29 very polish {see Principal), which is the chief ornament of the front, the alloy pipes show in course of time a blueish tint, or even worse, sugar of lead. (Compare Zamminer, "Musical Instruments in their Relation to Acoustics," p. 20 1 and the following, and Prof, von Schafhiiutl's "Experi- ments with Metal, Wood, and Pasteboard," for further par- ticulars on material for pipes, and its influence on sound.) Gedackt, or Gedeckt (covered, stopped), if a wood pipe, is plugged with a leather-covered stopper (Fig. G) ; if a metal pipe (Fig. 7), it is a 4-ft., 8-ft., 16-ft., and .32-ft. flue stop. Fig. 6. Fig. 7. coveied witli a metal lid. Gedackts form one of the most im- portajit families of stops, which is evident from the fact that Bourdon and Suh-ljass belong to them. The tei-ms Licblich-, Sanft-, Still-, Gross-, and (h'ob-Gedaekt depend upon the power of intonation and the dimensions of the pipes. The H-ft. Liel>lich-Ge<lackt is built ly some niastei's with double lips from g u[)war(ls. A iclined Lieblich-Gedackt, cleverly intonated by a master hand, forms one of the most fasci- nating organ stops on the Swell, and admits, as hardly any other does, of a tasteful us(! of the 'I'remulaiit f.'-'"' 'i'l'emu- lant). CSr,- Suli-Uass for the use of the (Ichickts as pe(lal 30 An Explanation of the Organ Stops. stops.) Every stopped pipe may be looked upon as an open pipe cut in half at the node of vibration (Topfer). It gives a tone an octave deeper than the open pipe of the same length, because the column of air set vibrating in the covered pipe has the same distance to travel to the lip, as if the pipe were open and as long again. Stopped pipes of very wide scale give, when softly blown, the foundation tone almost true, whereas narrow Gedackts allow the twelfth to be distinctly audible (Helmholtz). (See also Quintaten.) A double-lipped Gedackt (see Double Flute) sounds pro- portionately brighter and stronger than the single-lipped one. No large oriran should be without the IG-ft. Lieblich- Gedackt on its upper manual, for the same reason that a responsive 16-ft. Bourdon is recommended for the first manual. A beautifully effective specimen is that in the Catholic church at Berne. Gedackts form a good founda- tion, and can be combined with anything that lacks fullness and sombre colouring. (See Bourdon and Combinations of Stops.) If, however, one wanted to play a polyphonic com- position with its dissonances only on the Gedackts, it would all sound equally colourless, and, for that reason, without character or enei'gy (Helmholtz). (See also Tone Colour.) In tuning the stopped pipes, which should be the organ- builder's affair (see Flue Stops), the pipe is lengthened by raising the stopper or the lid ; by pushing the latter down, the bore is made shorter, and the tone consequently sharpened. Geigenprincipal. A metal stop of very narrow scale, occur- ring as IG-ft. (Riga for instance), 8-ft., or 4-ft. stop on the upper manuals, where, on a smaller scale, it is often required to take the place of the Piincipal. It has a rather incisive, violin-like tone. In the narrow flue pipes, which naturally An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 31 require a strong wind-pressure (Geigenprineipal, Violon- cello, Violon Bass, Viola di Gamba, etc.), the foundation tone is accompanied loudly and distinctly by a number of harmonics, which, according to Helmholtz (" Sensations of Tone," p. 151), lend to the tone its stringy quahty.* Geigenprineipal gives the round organ-like tone to the Swell Manual, so often supplied only with far-fetched would-be characteristic stops ; and as 8-ft. tone it combines favourably with 4-ft. Gemshorns in rapid passages. Bergner, organist at the Riga Cathedral, considers 16- ft. Geigenprin- eipal most effective with 8-ft. Spitzflote. {See Combinations of Stops and Tone Colour. See Diapason for the term Violin Diapason, as applied to the Geigenprineipal in American organs.) Gemsliorii is a metal stop resembling the Principal, with a precise, rather horn-like tone ; the pipes taper upwards to a point. It occurs as 8-ft. and 4-ft. tone, and in power about equals Geigenprineipal. A bright, singing Gemshorn, along with 8-ft. Geigenprineipal, produces intensity of tone in the Swell. There is a 2-ft. Gemshorn in the new or^an at the Hague, Holland ; and in Westminster Abbey (W. Hill) there is a 2-ft. Harmonic Gemshorn. {Sec Harmonic Flute.) Gemsliornquint. S'-e Quint. Grand Bourdon. St'e Double-stopped Bass. Great Organ. Prof. R. Palme, of Magtleburg, is right in drawing my attention to a fact which I have often observed myself, viz. tliat when organists meet with the imlication " Great Organ," they blindly draw all the stops they can well lay hold of I dare say that it will only * 'J'lie rt-.'tl I'rinci|iiil.s of wide ncklc wliicli allow of stroiifrcr wiiid-iirotiHun! without over-blowing, givo tlio fmindution tone full iiiid loud with tlio more ilflicat'' accoiiipaiiimcut of tho uiijirji- pedal.s, and fonu, tiiLrtfi>rc, iIk; hulk of fuuudatiou sound:! iif the or''an. 32 An Explanation of the Organ Stoj^s. require this critical hint from the master to remind beginners that under the term " Great Organ " is still often allowed a suitable omission of certain reeds and " screamers," and that a but partial use of groups of stops in accordance with the character of the piece to be played is not excluded. (See also Combinations of Stops.) H. Harmonia ^theria. See Harmonica. Harmonica, a very tender 8-ft. string-tone stop of narrow scale, intonated between Molina and Salicional, is a delicate solo voice usually placed on the third manual in large organs (Frankfort-on-the-Main, Ulm, Leipsic, Lucerne). In Frankfort-on-the-Oder it occurs under the name Flote-Harmonica, 8 ft., and in Canterbury under that of Harmonica Flute, 4 ft. It combines splendidly with Bourdonecho. It must not be confounded with Physhar- monica {q.v.), nor with the mixtures Progrcssio Harmo- nica (Lubeck, Grafenrheinfeld, Merseburg) and Harmonia yEtheria (ex. Echo Organ of the cathedral organ, Riga, and Nicolaikirche, Leipsic), both of which are arranged as particularly delicate mixtures on the upper manuals. [See Reed Stops for the so-called chemical Harmonica, so impor- tant for acoustical experiments on the generation of tone in organ pipes.) Harmonica Bass. An exceedingly delicate, softly string- toned, IG-ft. wooden pedal stop, corresponding in strength to the softly voiced Salicet-Bass, or 16-ft. Salicional (q.v.), on tlie pedals. As solo or in combination with IG-ft. An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 33 Sub-Bass {q.v.) it is specially suitable for the accompaniment of soft passages. A fine specimen is that, for instance, in the Catholic Church at Berne, Harmonica Flute. See Harmonica. Harmonin Flute, Flute Harmonique, is, briefly, an over- blowinof Flute of the nature of our Flauto Traverso, very frequently arranged as 4-ft. stop {q.v.), in which case it is called Flute Traversiere Harmonique. On account of its over-blowing, it is also frequently called Flute Octa- viaute, Trompette Harmonique, Flageolet Harmonique, etc. It will be seen from the arrangement of French organs of what value the French consider these Jeux Harmoniques, based upon the utilization of harmonic tones. The Jeux Harmoniques frequently represent one-sixth of all the stops. Further scientitic notes on the subject, in which special attention is given to French organ-building, are to be found on p. 7-5 and the following of Adrien de la Fago's "Report to the .Societe des Beaux-Arts, Paris." In that most magnificent organ for Sydney, now in course of building at W. Hill and Son's works, London, the larox-st ever built for any English colony, the Harmonic Flutes and Trum]ets are ingeniuusly incorporated in the tremendous army of 12G speaking stops. This English organ will cer- tainly be one of the most remarkable, both as regards tone and mechanical requirements, (.s'^ ^' iiL<(> Ti-onibrin,..) Friedrich Ladegast, builder of tlie Xicnlai oigan, l^in'ji-ic, writes on the subject of the harmonic tones oC })ijies (T<jpfer, vol. ii. (ill*; : " It is known that these tones have a power and fullness which can nevt-r ])e ollained by ordinary pipes speaking in the foundaticjn tone only. 'I'he air C'ilumn of such jiipes as give hai'inonic tiinc> i> dividfd into two, three, four, or more \ilir;iting sections. The t<ine 34 All Kxplanutioii of the Oiyan Sfo2X<?!. improves in quality, and may be strengthened without becoming shrill, and the whole stop receives uniformity." This reminds me also of the apparatus which Dienel found in the workshops of Cavaille-Coll, and which he described in the Urania for 1878, No. 12. This apparatus demon- strates the effect of harmonics on the foundation tone, and gives a clear list of the names of harmonic tones, the number of sound-waves per second, and the metrical length of the waves. Compare Konig's apparatus, described by Pietro Blaserna of Rome on p. 211, Fig. 86, which is based on the principle of Helmholtz's resonators. By means of his eio^ht resonators, each of which acts throuo-h an elastic membrane on easily affected gas-flames, it may be proved (1) that all musical insti'uments have harmonic tones, and (2) which these harmonic tones are. (See also Tone Colour.) Harmonic Trumpet. See Harmonic Flute. Harmonics. See Harmonic Flute, Geigenprincipal, Tone Colour, Mixture, Octave, and Quint. Harmonium. See Physharmonica. Hautbois. See Oboe. Hohliibte (hollow-tone flute). An open, wide-scale wood stop of a round, rather colourless fluty tone, generally as 2-ft., 4-ft., and 8-ft. tone on the manuals, and arranged as Quint stop, labelled Quintflute, Hohlquint (hollow quint), of .5J-ft., 2|-ft., and IJ-ft. tone. It occurs also as 1-ft. Sifflote and as IG-ft. Grosshohlflote. As a particularly rare specimen I found this stop in Ulm Miinster as a 2-ft. pedal stop, where, combined with other stops on the uj^per pedal, it gives, without need of any coupler, a power of expression belonging almost exclusively to the manuals. To explain the term " upper pedal," I must say tliat at Ulm, as well as in the church of St. Paul, Frankfort-on-tlie-Main, An Explanation of the Organ Sfojis. 35 in the Marienkirche, Liibeck, and in the Stiftskirche, Stuttgart, there are two pedals placed one above the other (like the manuals) instead of the customary single pedal. This arrangement has been superseded by the present convenient composition and combination pedals. Hohlfiote with Gamba give a felicitous, somewhat horn-like combina- tion. Horn. An 8-ft. reed, intonated between Bassoon and Trumpet (Sydney), frequently resemblijig the English Horn I. Intonation. (From the Latin infovarr, to resound, or, in a transitive sense, to cause to sound.) Intonation (the real art in organ-building, unfortunately so often treated as a minor consideraHon, and also })aid as such) is a tev\a which occurs frequently in this work in the articles both on Flues and on Reeds, and which I will therefore endea- vour to define by a very few words. The intonation of an organ is one of the most important operations, because the tone (in the pi'oper sense of the -svonljof the instru- ment de])end^ U]>r)n it. The wholt; instiMimeiit may bo ver\' Mell built, the' jiijic^ may be ot" vriy god.j material and verv accui-ately executeil, and \('t one may not Ite abh; to call the oigan \'ery excellent, if the ed'ect of each single' tone, as well as of the gi-neral tone, does not corre- spoiul with the fanltlessness of the rest of the work. The result of a masterly intonation is: fl^ the correct cliaracter ibi- each sjiecifs (it" ]iil>c; ( li an easy anJ i'ea<ly -|iiceli. Tojifer '\n|. i. 1 HiO) (\pres~,.s liini<rlf ]ia|i|iily : "It is 36 An Explanation of the Organ Stops. generally much more difficult to combine good speech with good tone, than to separate them; it is, therefore, easier to obtain a good tone if one is satisfied with slower articulation." Gamba and Salicional, for instance, offer an eloquent proof of the progress made in articulation and intonation generally. (See Frein Harmonique.) (3) The possibility of giving the pipe a colouring of tone suitable to its character and denomination {see, for instance, Trumpet, Flauto Traverso, Oboe) ; (4) the careful equalizing, in all registers, of the degree of sound to suit the building ; and (5) the proper temperament (see Octave), and thoroughly complete tuning of the organ, which should more cor- rectly come under the head of tuning. (See also Tone Colour and Keed Stops.) J. Jeux de Fonds. See Shut-ofF Valve. Jubal Flute. (Called after Jubal, the father of music in the Old Testament, Genesis iv.) A doublc-lij^ped powerful Flute, sounding open and bright, similar to the Double Flute, w^hich is also double-lipped. I found this stop on the first manual in St. Paul's Church, Frankfort-on-the- Main ; and, labelled Double Flute (q.v.), as 8-ft. stop seldom as 4-ft. or 2-ft. stop on some of Weigle's instru- ments. As already i-omarlced with regard to the Double Flute, the Jubal Flute has an enlivening effect, if combined with a fine string-tone stop. An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 37 K. Keraulophon (from the Greek KtpauXrjc the horn-blower)^ is a flue, belongmg to the family of Geigenprincipals. It has an exquisite horn-like intonation, and is much used in large new organs, as, for instance, by Roosevelt (New York), 1879, in the Garden City organ (118 stops); by Steinmeyer of Oettingen, 1880, in the Frauenkirche, Munich; and by Hill in Westminster Abbey, 1881; and almost simultaneously by Merklin (Lyon), in the church of St. Eustache, Paris. Krummliorn. See Cormorne. L. Larigot. An antiquated denomination for a very shrill, piercing Quint of l.V^t. tone, with a very wide mouth. Lieblich-Gedackt. >S'ec Gedackt. M. Material for Pipes. Bej'. (Jamba. Measurement. (From the Latin rnclior, mensvra, mea- sure.) Thu manuscript of tlie elevciitli century, moutioued under Fistula, gives prop(n'tions for measuremcuts : "Ilcli- <{uas fistulas ipsius or<liiiis sic iacies ut su[)('i'ior('S gravioris orilinis fccisii.' The expression ".Measurement,' as lie- quently used in this woi'k, jiieans all (liMiensi(iis ot" orgnu Jtipes, length, Avidtll, as well as cutting up. All these; (!iuieii>i'ins matei'ially intlui-nce the ]iitch. p^wci-. t"ne 38 Ah Explanation of the Organ Stoats. colour, and speech of the pipes. The object of inakuig a pipe wide is to obtain a strong, round, thick tone, not easily over-blowing even in the shortest kind of pipe ; beside which, w^de measurements are in proportion to large buildings. A narrow scale gives a more stringy, incisive, and Gamba-like colouring of tone (see also Geigen- principal), and a more readily over-blowing tone, and also that particular brilliancy and acuteness peculiar to certain stops ; it is suitable, under certain conditions, for a small building, and for such u})per manuals as make no pretence to fullness of tone. Melodia is an 8-ft. wood flue, labelled Double Melodia when of 16-ft. tone. It is intonated simihirly to Flauto Dolce, and much used in new English and American organs. It occurs as 8-ft. Melodia in the cathedral ortran at Riga. Metal. See Gamba. Mixture. (From the Latin mixtum, miscere, to mix.) The theorist is inclined to reject the idea of a contrivance by which the higher harmonic fifths and thirds, sounding with each foundation tone, must bring hideous dissonances into every harmonious weft. Practical reasons, however, compel organist and organ-builder to retain these Mix- tuix's. Their purpose is to produce harmonics which exist in a lesser degree iu the foundation sto])s of the organ than, for instance, in the instru}nents of an orchestra, whicli latter, therefore, require artificial harmonics much less than does the organ. Even the orchestra, according to Dienel, cannot quite do without aj'tilicial harmojiics ; considering that the strengtliening by unisons and octaves is nothing more nor less than the skilful utilization of harmonics, or jiartials, such as the 4-it. and Il-ft. stops of the organ })ro- 'luce, \\'ell-coui})oscd Mixtures, supported by a practical An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 39 arrangement of stops, and correctly employed, are a most effective addition to musical resources. To prevent the Mixture stop from being intolerably harsh, it is necessary proportionately to strengthen the lower tones of each note by other stops (Hclmholtz, p. 98). It is on this account that, in small oro;ans with insufficient coverin<T, the Mix- tures jar by the excess of harmonics. (See Octave.) The Mixture often repeats (^ee Cornet) in the tenor and middle octave. The 5-rank Mixture, for instance, based on C, is composed of c (4-ft.), g(23-ft.), c (2-ft.), gCl^^-ft.), c (1-ft.), or of g (2i-ft.), c (2-ft.), g (l^ft.), c (1-ft.), g (i); the four- fold and threefold Mixtures are reduced accoitlingly by one or two I'anks. In order to lend greater volume and power to the Mixture, particularly in the absence of a Cornet, and if the foundation tones are not sufficiently represented, the Tierce is added ; but not as highest tone, as in the Cornet, but rather in the middle register, as is the case in Sharp (fjr example, in the Catliolic Church, Berne, where it has six ranks in the ujtper (octaves). Walcker writes me word that he always em[)]in-s the Tierce in Mixture, and in so d(jing obtains a more uniform effect. Tlie ^lixture sto[) occurs Soften labelled Pi-ogressio), ])articularly on ( lei-iiiaii organs ^juite in half the- cases), as thi'ougli, tliat is to say, non-repeating voice, and as snch is generally of from two to five ranks, coiiii)os-(l rcs]icctively of 2:;-ft. and 2-1't. ; of 4-ft., 2r:-ft., and 2-ft.: and, linally, (.f S-ft., .Vl-ft., l-ft., 2H-ft., ami 2-i't. (rxanijiles in Swit/ciland : l*]ngellKrg ('onvfiit, and eliureh <;f St. .lohn, Scliall'Iiau>i'n;. Tlie .Mixture is nij go m1 without --uHieirut foiunlat ii-n ton<'^, iircaii^e it contains tie' louW soiiielin^' liarnioiiic^ ; it l)elongs, tlierelbi-e, to tin- Creat ( )rgan only.anil lia^ n i il^lit 40 An Explanation of the Organ Stojw. to be ever used separately. On the other hand, the great value of a well-arranged and properly covered Mixture has, as already mentioned, been long recognized. It lends to the whole organ energy and decision, to the lower tones distinctness, and to the Great Organ a silver-like brilliancy. Among the old organ-builders, Gottfried Silbermann (died 1753, at Dresden) was principally successful in employing this stop, and obtaining for it due recognition. His organs in the Catholic Chapel Royal and the Frauenkirche, Dresden, are still much admired. Zamminer writes, "There seems to be a disinclination to dispense with the sharp incisiveness wliich the clear shrill Mixture pipes add to the bulk of the sounding organ, and to which they stand in the same relation as spice does to food." I have to thank this same scholar for the correct estimation of theory and practice, with regard to the stop, with which I headed this paragraph. The material for Mixture stops is chiefly spotted metal (an alloy of tin and lead ; see Gamba), or metal, as this compound is called in German organ-building. (See also Combinations of Stops.) Montre (from the Latin monstvare, to show) is the name given by the French to the visible, or front, Principals. I met with the names Montre and Montre Echo on the Great Organ at Freiburg (Moser); and on the i\Iiinstcr organ at Geneva I found the names IG-ft. Principal, 8-ft. ^Montre, and 4-ft. Prestant on the same manual. (Sec Octave.) Musette. S'''' Schalmei. A71 Explanation of the Organ Stops. 41 N. Nassat (Nazard). A stopped flue pipe, usually occurring as a Quint stop of 5J-ft., 2|-ft., and IJ-ft. tone. Gross- nassat, 10|-ft., produces a 82-ft. tone if combined with 16-ft. Principal (see Quint). It is found on some of Haas's large organs. Night Horn. As a rule a large scale liorn-like pedal stop (as 4-ft. stop, for example, in the Breslau Cathedral and the Berlin Garrison Church). It is found on the manuals as 8-ft. and 4-ft. tone ; and as a rarity of 2-ft. tone, it occurs in the Benedictine convent at Weingartcn. 0. Oboe, Hautbois, is a very frequent 8-ft. rccd stop, strik- ino^ as well as free, and occurring; onlv^ on the manuals. It represents, although unfoiiunatcly not always, the wind instrument of tlic same name (and is tlicrcfore calleil, as in We.stmhister Ahbey, Orchestral Oboe), particularly in tlio upper octaves, where it often forms tlu' cwutinuatiou of th(,' Bi\ssoon ('/.''.). In the St. Franeois organ at l^au- sjiiuie, and at Ghu'us, the Oboe is arrangeMl as a iVee reeil Avith a swell of its own. A rai\r kiml of < >l)oe, of l-ft. tone, is placed in the cathedral at lliua, ami as Oc(av(! Olnie in tli<' 'I'owu ir;ill oi'gan foi- Sy(ln<'\-, now in eourse ol" buiM iiig by W. Hill iiii'l Sons, houiloii. ll' built by ii iniisl'T. the two stops, Obor and ( 'lai-ionet '''/,'', make siilnwliil ^ol.i-, anil ari' an ornaiiMMit \n ;\]\y <>v^a]] \\'!iiii llnri' 42 An Explanat'ioi of the Organ Stops. is a possibility of keeping them in tune I do not like to find any organ without Oboe and Clarionet, even if it have only eighteen or twenty stops, {tiee Reed Stops.) The combination of Oboe with 8-ft. Wienerflote and 4-ft. Flauto Travcrso produces a charming effect, coupled with Flauto Dolce or Bourdon on the first manual, with Sub-Bass and Harmonica Bass, or the latter only, as a foundation, {^ee Combinations of Sto])s.) Octave, Prestant, Diapason. This stop is on every organ without exception, and adapts itself to the Diapasons in character, intonation, and size. The first Octave must be half as large as the largest Diapason, the second Octave mu.st be half as large as the first Octave, and so forth.* A 16-ft. Principal, therefore, requires for the completeness of aiTangement the 8-ft., 4-ft., 2-ft., but seldom 1-ft. Octave. As 2-ft. and l-ft. tone it is often called Super-Octave. An 8-ft. Octave Bass (and, if possible, a 4-ft. Octave Bass for the performance, for example, of Bach's trios, with a cantus firmus on the pedal) is therefore necessary to the 10-ft. Principal Bass (as pedal stop). The Octave stops are some- times called Prestants (from the Latin, 'p)x<3st<(rc), when })laced in the front (like the corresponding Principals). The Octave stops serve to strengthen the first harmonic, and therefore give more energy and clearness to the larger and deeper Piincipals. In very small organs, where Mixtures cannot be afforded, bright Octaves are absolutely necessary for the clearness of the stop. Where funds will allow, the 2-i't. Octave should never be missing in any Init the smallest organs, it ]eing asup[)ort to the Mixture stops, * 'J'lie calcdlations as to infaMircniont aiT, it is true, luatlicinatically not al>.-olut(.'ly corn-el (conijiaic ^Iiildc's " Acoiist ics." ISs:!, p. 277), but inny be accepted a sueh in the teeln)i(jne ol'ur.L'au bail ling. An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 43 although ah-eady contained in the latter. {Bee Mixture and Flautino.) The 4-ft. Octave on the Great manual is one of the most important of all organ stops, and is rightly termed in England the -i-ft. Principal {see Diapason), which it in reality is. This stop is generally used as the starting-point for tempering the organ. An alteration in the cycle of fifths must be made in such a manner that the twelfth fifth becomes identical with the foundation tone, or with one of its octaves ; which result is obtained by tuning each fifth a tritie fiat. By these slight deviations from perfect attuneinent, beats (or pulsations of sound) arc created, and hence the term described in German as "Temj^erament witli equal beats," commonly known as " Equal tempera- iJient." The fifth is fii-st correctly attuned, and then flat- tened till it gives a slow pulsation. (See Tiipfer, vol. i. ]). 827 and the following, on Temjicrament, and on Heinrich Schei bier's mathematical tuning, according to differences of viljration.) By presupj)osing the Paris pitch, adapti'd by the Con- ference for deciding pitch at Yieinia, tlie a', whicli is iiicu- tioiiL'd in e\ery oigan contract, makes eight liundred and seventy vibrations p(;i' se'cond at I 2 Itcauniur ( 1 ."> Celsius = ."iir Falii'enlieitj. Conqiai'e Hla^ei'iias 'Sound," ]. .S7. J)y taking as basis itln,' so-called jiliysicists" (\ sngL,'este(l l)y Sauveur, adopti-d later on by ('liladni), of .')12 simple or ( }'"rencli) liall'-vibrat ions (explanation follows), to wliieh a Inning-i'ork, a', of ^'''v'; \ ilaat ions would eonc- spind, the folldwing nunie'i'ic pi'o|ioi-tioiis. (l(ii\i(l fnun the nniltii-l.-s of 1', ai-e obtained : :>2-ft. (' witli '.Vl : hifl. (' witlifi}-: s-ft.<'wltli lliS: n't.C witli 2.'.t; ; -J I'l . ( ' with "ill'; and la-llv ,' -ft. (' tie' liiuli'-t (' >>\\ lie' orjan !ia\ in'_r 44 An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 16,000 half-vibrations per second (ex. Riga). Compare Du Hamel's " Organ-Builder," vol. iii. p. 137. This is the proper place to mention the very interesting way in which one has succeeded, by means of the Double Siren (invented by Seebeck, improved upon by Cagniard de la Tour and Dove, and in its present form constructed by the great physiologist and physicist, Hclmholtz), in determining with mathematical exactness the number of vibrations per second of a chord, an organ pipe, or a human voice. Long before there was anything known of vibrations and their calculations, Pythagoras (580-500 B.C.) had discovered that if you divide a string by a bridge in such a way that the two parts produce consonants, they must be divided as 1 to 6. 5f the string be divided so that two-thirds of the string remain on the right, and one-third on the left, this proportion of length 1 to 2 gives the interval of an octave ; just as the proportion 2 to 3 gives the fifth, 3 to 4 the fourth, 4 to 5 the major third, and 5 to 6 the minor third. (The proportions of the inversions are obtained by doublino' the smaller fio-ure of the original interval.) It was not until much later that it was discovered (Mersenne), from the laws regulating the movements of strings, that the simple proportions of length in strings apply in an equal manner to the number of vibrations of tones ; therefore to the intervals of tone on all musical instruments, and also to that immediately under our notice, the organ. I have mentioned by way of example the simple relative vibrational numbers of the various octaves founded on C. Excellent illustrations, furnished with correspondingly clear explanatory text, of Helmholtz's Duuble Siren, to which we owe such exceedingly important results in pliysical acoustics, arc found in Helmholtz's An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 45 " Sensations of Tone," part ii., chap, viii., p. 242 ; and in Tjndall's " Lectures on Sound," vol. ii. p. 91. I recommend the latter to my English readers, as the best work on this subject in the English language. Compare the chapter on Reed Stops and Sirens in Melde's " Acoustics," sect. 9 i, and in Blaserna's "Theory of Sound," p. 120. In illustration of the above-mentioned vibrational numbers, that for instance of 870 for a', I must add that, according to Tyndall, English and German physicists call a vibration a complete oscillation of the vibrating body, the wave of which bends the drum of the ear first inwards and then outwards. A French physicist, on the other hand, calls a vibration a backward or a forward motion of the vibrating body in one direction only. We have therefore to distinguish between whole vibrations and half-vibrations ; and as the Paris pitch (adopted by the International Con- ference at Vienna) goes by the latter, I have given the numbers accordingly. The a', for instance, mentioned as having 870 (French) vibrations, would have 435 com]>lete German vibrations; the 82-ft. C would have 32 (Frencli) vibrations, but only IG complete German ones. Octave Bass. See Flute Bass. Octave Coupler engages the higher octave of the stop drawn on tlu^ manual (specimen: Peti'ikirclie, llamliurg). Ophicleide. An 8-lt. stop. This name, wliicli at tlie lirst glance aj^pears ratlier far i'etched, is simply derived from the orchestral instrument Sei'})ent ((Jreek or/xa, the snaivc ; lience tlie name), wliieli stnp is still called Ophicleide in France. It is a reed st^p, iVe'[Uently i"ound ou the (lifut manual, as well as on the Swell, in larL:'' new or'j;aiis (lliga, i'ji/'^tori). Its intonation is like that of i1h' Claiiniict , ami its dcgi-ee of strength is ].imji iitionate tu the manual on 46 An Explanation of the Organ Stops. ' which it stands. An Ophicleide occurs as pedal stop of IG-ft. tone in Canterbury Cathedral, and in the organ at Garden City, U.S.A. P. Pasteboard as material for pipes. See Reed Stops. Pedal Swell. See Crescendo. Physharmonica is a very soft 8-ft. free reed stop, in which the metal tongue, instead of striking on the edge of the groove, vibrates freely within the groove. It is placed in a box, and has no real tube. If the Physharmonica has an appropriate swell, the most wonderful effects can be produced with it. It is arranged as 8-ft. and IG-ft. stop, with bells, in the Miinster at Freiburg, Switzerland. (See Reed Stops.) In the cathedral organ at Magdeburg, there is an 8-ft. Harmonium, identical with the Physharmonica here described (Palme). A well-known effect is ol)tained by combining a good 4-ft. Flauto Traverso with an 8-ft. Flauto Dolce, accompanied by a Physharmonica with a tasteful Crescendo and Decrescendo. (See Combinations of Stops.) Piccolo. See Flauto Piccolo. Piffaro. A bright 2-rank flute of 4-ft. and 2-ft. tone. Pneumatic Action. The pneumatic lever that is, a lever set in motion hy air is a mechanical mediator between the pressure on the keys and the resistance of the trackers and pallets. In a box filled with air and hermetically closed, tliere are as many little l)ellows connected with the trackers as there are keys on the manual, and the finger has only An ExphAiwtion of the Orgon Stops. 47 to apply sufficient pressure to raise a little valve. Particulars of this invention of the Englishman Barker, which considerably facili- tates playing, even with couplers, will be found in Topfer, vol. i. p. 542 and following, and in Richter, chap. xi\\ Latterly Pneumatic Action has been successfully applied to (Com- bination Pistons ('2''.)- Pneumatic Combination Pistons (buttons) have, particularly in England, and lately also in Germany and Switzerland, been placed above or below the corresponding manual. When pressed by the finger they push out a group of stops attached to them, without interfei'ing with the organist's previous ar- rangement of stops. In this place should l)e mentioned the so-called stop key-l)(>ai-d, which in some organs takes the place of the buttons. Portunal Flute. An exceedingly rai-c open- wood Hue pipe of 8-ft. and 4-ft. tone ; which, meaning Bordunal Flute, is undouljtedly de- rived from Bordun. Principal (Fig. s), called ^b)ntrc in French, is the chief flue sto]), foun<l without excep- tion on e\eiy organ. It is always made of tlie Ijest niateiial (>"' (Jamba), an<! fn-ms, tastefully ai'ranged in front f>"' I'^jectro- jineumatie Action;, the cbiid" outei' ornament, as Well as the foundation for the wliuie tuning. 'I'lie most ap])ru\-e(| wav <if biiiM- in:; a I'liiieipal Jiijie is to make it nf jiiir.' Fig. 8. 48 An Explanation of the Organ Stops. English tin, giving it a high silvery polish. {See Fistula.) If an organ has two or more manuals the Principals are made of different dimensions. On an organ of two manuals, for instance, the Principal of the Great manual is of wide scale, and that of the upper manual of smaller scale (Geigenprincipal, q.v.). On medium or small organs, the Diapason of the Great manual is always of 8-ft. tone ; that is to say, the lowest note of this row of pipes getting smaller as they ascend is about 8 ft. (An exception is made in the case of front pipes, which are lengthened in order to obtain symmetry of outline, and are cut open behind at the point where the pipe proper ends.) I met with an 8-ft. Principal in my travels, which, owing to limited space, was arranged acoustically for the lowest manual tones with the 8-ft. Gedackt, and with a mellow wooden 4-t. octave stop, and I did not discover great disadvantage arising from this combination. Very large organs often have both a 16-ft. and an 8-ft. Principal on the first manual. In the organ of St. Denis, by Cavaillo-Coll, is found a rare specimen, viz. a o2-ft. Principal on the second manual, which latter is sometimes called the Great manual (Paris, Geneva, and others). On the pedals the Principal is found, even in medium-sized organs, as a 16-ft. stop. As an exception I found, on a very good organ in Jersey, an open 16-ft. pedal stop, labelled Grand Open Pedal, which alone counterbalanced the three manuals. This stop resembles in size and power the corresponding pedal stop in the church of St. Laurence at St. Gallen (the latter organ pre- sents the peculiarity of extraordinarily large keys). This peculiar proportion of the pedal stops is also found in large American organs. An arrangement by Roosevelt (New York), for example, only shows one Principal Bass of 16 ft., All Explanation of the Organ Stops. 49 one Sub-Bass of 16 ft., and one Violoncello of 8 ft., amongst 33 speaking stops. In the largest organs the 32-ft. Princi- pal Bass is made of wood, seldom of metal. The widest scale Principal pipe of 32 ft., when made of metal, weighs 4^ cwt. (specimen : Hof kirche, Lucerne), and has a diameter of about 18 inches, and a circumference of about 5 ft. Accord- ing to Topfer (vol. ii. p. 200), an open 32-ft. Principal pipe requires 1536 cubic inches of wind per second for the C' ; the c' requires 99'4, and the c'"" 6'4 cubic inches per second. Open 32-ft. Principal Bass stops of wood (in some churches erroneously labelled Sub-Bass) are of more frequent occurrence. In most cases, the weight of C, in such a giant pipe, is about 8 cwt., with sides of 2.i, inches thickness, so as to be able to oppose sufficient resistance to the vibrations of the column of air. Tlie sides of organ pipes arc not absolutely motionless ; the vibration of tlic sides can be- distinctly felt as soon as the lipe is blown. As tlio physicist Zamminer, however, says, it is necessary to en- clo.se the air in resisting walls, so that powerful vibrations may be obtained ; if they are slack and yieMing the motion communicates itself through the sides of the ])ipe to the surrounding atmosphere, and tlic vitality of the undulation is annihilated before it reaches the othei" ('ud of the tulje. (.SV/' ( 'oial)inatioJis of Sto])s and Flue Stops.) Probe Tin. Sec (Jamba. Progressio is a iion-icpcutiiiic stop, morr nearly dcscrilied under the lu-ad oi' .MixtiiiT. Progressio Harmonica. Srr Ilaimonica. Prolongement. I. < 'nniliination I'ldlimi^iiiimi. Uy means of {\\\> |i(,Mlal, aiian^efl \\>y in^taiic' "ii Walckei - giant or^^'in at IJiga, tlie uiganist is cnable.l t" l<ic|i nii ilir combination of stups alreu'ly chi>>en. \\liil>t In- jini'air^ any y. 50 An Explanation of the Organ Stops. other set, which can then, at any given moment, be drawn in place of the former set. (2.) Prolongement Harmonique is a contrivance worked by a pedal or stop, which prolongs the sound of the notes struck on the manuals, even after the fingers have left the keys (for instance, during a pause) and are occupied in combining another set of stops (arranged in Cavaille^-Coll's Exhibition organ, 1878). The effect of this prolongement lasts until the pedal or stop releases the keys of the manual. a. ftuint is a well-known mutation stop, which has for object the strengthening of the second upper partial. It ap- pears as an open stop with the dimensions of a Principal, and its tubes are cylindrical; but it may also occur cone-shaped, and is then called Gemshorn, Spitzquint, or Nassatquint. The length of the Quint stop is 10 ft. (^.f), 5 J ft., ^ ft., and 1\ ft., and depends upon the corresponding Principal. The Quint of the IG-ft. Principal is 10| ft., that of the 8-ft. Principal 5 J ft. ; the Quint of the 4-ft. Octave is 2^ ft., and of the 2-ft. Octave IJ-ft. I .should here mention the invention of Court Kapellmeister Abt Vogler (died 1814, at Darmstadt), who found, by using the tones discovered by Sorge and named after Tartini (differential tones, the origin of which Helm- hoi tz has explained), that in sounding simultaneously a 1()| Quint and a 16-ft. Principal a 32-ft. tone is produced, and that in sounding simultaneously a SJ-ft. Quint and an 8-ft. Principal a IG-ft. tone is obtained. It is evident that by avoiding an actual construction of the lowest open Basses, 32-ft. and IG-ft., a considerable amount of material is saved (see end of article on Principal). This so-called simplification An Explanation of the Organ Stoj^s. 51 system of Abt Vogler's is sometimes employed (for instance, for the acoustical 32-ft. tone in Glarus), and I have often recommended it as a vakiable aid (particularly in cases where the height of the church did not permit of any other arrangement). This is the place in which to mention Walcker's interesting combination of the acoustical 32-ft. Grand Bourdon on the Votiv organ at Vienna ; this stop is composed of 16-ft. Principal Bass, 8-ft. Octave Bass, and 4-ft. Octave Bass, combined with l()-ft. Quint Bass and 6'-= Great Tierce. Gottschalg says of these five pedal Basses in reality a 5-rank giant pedal mixture that, thanks to their con- struction, they combine to a single tone, which, in point of roundness, distinctness, and power, leaves nothing to bo desired. They are mounted on a separate sounding-board, which is very responsive. A covered Quint stop fitted with a chimney is called Rohripiint. {See llolirfiote.) Like the mixtures. Quint belongs only to the Great Organ. (Seo Octave for the numeric proportions of the simple intervals to their foundation tone.) ftuintaten allows the fifth, that is, the twelfth above the octave, to be very softly heard at the same time as the prime; hence the name of Quintam tenons (see IFehuholtz, p. 152), tliat is, lujlding tlie tilth. Quiiitateii may ]Jossil)Iy lia\'e been derived from the medijuval i.,atin <j'i i ulinh nii.re, French qui ntad > m r (\\\\]\n). Tlie Quiiitaten, bflungiug t) the I'amily of the ( ledackts, owes this (juality to its matrrially nairow seal*.'. On tin' U|i]ur manuals tlie Qiiiiitalrii is of ricli, vohniiinous tone, and when built by a master tbiins an oniaiiH'nt to aiiv o^'an. AuimH"- oi'ijaiis of modciii datr, I mention the great S3ihiey oigan, by Hill anii S'm, in whidi tlie I'l-tt. Quintaten, i)laced un the S(lo Organ, will he of \aluahle -ii \ ice. The Madeleine, I'ari^, jMiv^rs^c. a \ ei-\ laie 52 An Explanation of the Organ Stojys. 32-ft. Quintaten on the pedals. Zamminer, p. 2G5, gives the following technical explanation of this valuable stop : " An open pipe the size of a Quintaten would be considered a very wide one ; as a Cornet stop it is sufficiently slender to allow of the fifth of the octave being distinctly heard if over- blown, which is still more facilitated by a low cutting up and stronger wind pressure." {See Measurement.) R. Rauschquint, Rauschflbte. Composed generally of 2-ft. Quint and 2-f t. Octave ; that is, of the fifth and its octave, so that both tones together form a fourth, and have, therefore, a " rustling " sound. I have never found this stop except on large organs. It belongs naturally to the Great Organ, Reed Stops. Fig. 9. (Reed pipes, Reed work.) As this term comprises a whole species of stops, in contradistinction from Flue work, and as it occurs frequently in this book, I think it advisable to give a thorough definition of it, in accordance with technical books on the subject. The cur- rent of air, arriving from the sound-board, sets in vibration an elastic tongue (a thin oblong metal plate, Fig. 10, /), which periodically intercepts the stream of air (alternately opening and closing). These vibrations of the tongue, or rather the intermittent impulses of the wind,* which at each vibration break through the aperture closed by the tongue, produce * We therefore Itave to deal witli a current of air passing throngli tlie pipe, for which reason JMelde (" Acoustics," p. .308) compares these constant condeusntions and rarefications of the tongue to the periodical changes in density occasioned by the combustion of gas in connection witli the air column, tending to vibrations in the so-called chemical harmonica. An exhaustive description of this instrument, so important for exi)erimeiits on tiie generation of tone in organ pipes, is found in paragraph 80 of the last- mentioned work. An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 53 the tone, which, in height or depth, depends upon the length and vohime of tlie vibrating portion of the tongue. How very different the build of flue pipes is from that oi' reed pipes is evident from the fact that in the latter the visible part of the pipe (resonant tube, as in Fig. !)) con- tributes in no way to the production of the tone, but only serves musically to refine the sound which originates at the Fig. 9. tongue (and to give it the requisite tone colour), and to strengthen it after the mode of a speaking trumpet. The heiglit of these resonant tubes is, however, strictly limited {see Trumpet): and Haas, for instance, made a rule pj,, j^^ that in blowing across the upper edges of the tube (see Tyndall, "Eight Lectures on Sound," p. 212) this cavity should produce a tone half a note higher than the note of the reed for which the tube is intended. \( one wishes to in- vestigate, for instance, whether a tul)e has the right length for c, the hollow of the cu]), if blown in the maimer above described, must <'-ive cj. As I have said, tlie piteh of the tone dej)i'nds upon the length of the- excursions of the tongue, wlueli tc sJ ^ o 54 All Explanation of the Organ Stops. arc regulated by the tuning-wire. The scale of the tubes depends upon the pitch produced by the greater or lesser vibrations of the tongue. The lower tones naturally receive larger and longer tubes, the higher tones smaller and shorter ones. The tongue is fastened over a groove or reed, which, when at rest, it closes, with the exception of a very fine chink all round its margin. The tongue is either allowed to vibrate freely in the groove {see Physharmonica), in which case it is said to be a free vibrator (anche libre, frei-schiviiigend) (see also Vox Humana), or with each vibra- tion it strikes against the edge of the groove, and is then called a striking reed {aufsclilagend). To soften the fre- quently harsh tone produced by metal beating against metal, modern art of organ-building has very cleverly resorted to fine leather covering for the edges of the grooves to mellower reed stops. In Fig. 10, p p represents the air chamber, where the groove and tongue are fixed between the wedge and the block ss. Figs. 9 and 10 represent longitudinal sections, to allow of an inspection of the cleverly arranged interior parts of this species of pipe. In consequence of the intense influence which heat and cold exercise upon flue stops, and the difterence in pitch from that of the reeds resulting therefrom, these latter frequently require retuning. I will give one example only of the influence of temperature upon sound : the velocity of sound in air at zero, 32^ Fahrenheit, is 1090 ft. per second ; it in- creases about two feet per every degree of Celsius Qo" of Falir. as the temperature rises. A cold column of air gives a deeper tone than the same column if warmed and therefore rarefied. For, in spite of the same length of the Avaves, the tone in warm air is higher than in cold air An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 55 because of the quicker succession of these waves. By heat the pitch of flue pipes is, therefore, raised considerably- higher than that of reed stops, which is flattened by the extension, and consequent slackening, of the tongue in the same temperature.* This is a proof that, contrary to general opinion, reed stops with sounding tubes are less subject to the changes of temperature, and their effect upon true pitch, than are flue stops, and that, if there is a difference of pitch between these two species of pipes, it is generally brought about by a change in the flue pipes. The trials made in various organ factories fully bear out this argument. These trials were made with a Trumpet and an Octave, which were first justly tuned to the pitch of the tuning-fork, and were then subjected to artificially produced changes of temperature. For technical reasons {sue Flue Pipes) the tunhig of the flues should remain the affair of tlie organ-builder ; the organist, therefore, in his attempts to bring his instrument back to the proper pitch, is limited to the retuning of tlie reeds only. But it is easily understood that even tliis operation, whicli is based upon a delicate handling of tlie tongue liy the tuning-wire, slunild only be perftjrmed by conscientimis and ex})crienced hands. And though one may always expect conscientiousness in country organists, yet it would not be fair to look for ex})ciience. One, therefoi'e, refrains from the use of reeil stoj)s in very small ])rovincial organs, and tiies to i-e})lace them in a measiu'e liy the sub- stitution of incisive an<l stiing-tonf'd stoi)S ((lanil)a, \'iola, * 'Di'^ tliiTiiiiil influ.-iicc r,:i 111,; iininlpcr "f \ iKi;i( ioin ..f ;i livctcc] toiii^'iio ( I'hy^lmriiioiiir-'a inul I[:iriii"nimn ) nny. n-* cxjicririicr ]ii-uvc-. (Zfllinr ), Im rdllHi'liTci illfillitCNitlKlllv Slllilll. 56 An Explanation of the Organ Stops. Geigenprincipal). Where the tuning of the ree<ls can be regularly undertaken by an organist possessing the above- mentioned qualities, one should not, solely on account of expense, omit to provide an Oboe, a Clarionet, a Trumpet, and so forth, according to the size of the organ ; but even then only if its construction has been entrusted to a skilled master. With regard to this tuning, I will venture the remark that I do not care to see it done by either simply forcing down the tuning-wire, or pulling it out by a pair of pincers, in which operation the tuning- wire is so often bent, or even broken ; rather should this, if at all possible, be done with the aid of a properly constructed reed-knife, which can only move the wire up or down vertically. It is always best at once to replace damaged wires, or such on which the knife has no proper hold for want of a notch,* because the knife might slip off and damage the sides of the pipes. How important must be a moderate and aesthetically dis- cerning choice of reeds for the flue work, is evident from the fact that no manner of construction is yet known by which it is possible to give to the reeds in the upper registers the strong, piercing tone which, in certain registers, is peculiar to the flues, and by which the latter, in a way, lose their great strength in the lower notes, where in turn the reeds begin to be more decidedly effective. Topfer (" Orgelbaukunst," p. 104) places this distinctly perceptible relative effect of these two species of pipes upon each other in the tenor octave. The difference in the develop- ment of power is most clearly evident ; and it is for this reason that the pedals play such an important part in * See Topfer's " Orgelbaukunst," Diagram C V., Fig. 937, whieli represents a reed pipe with the upper end of the tuning-wire (not visible in our Fig. 10). and in which thi.- sharp notch may be clearly seen. An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 57 compositions for the organ (see Marx, "Theory of Com- position," Part I., Bk. ii. p. 830). While, for instance, a 32-ft. Principal develops a majestic depth and fullness, the Trombone and Tuba Mirabilis will always have a power and distinctness which, in a way, grates on the ear. The same relation exists between the smaller pipes of each kind. It is nationally characteristic of the Germans and the French, that whereas the Germans prefer to hear the peaceful tone of a flue pipe in their church, the French incline towards the more lively character of the Trumpet, and it is for this reason that the German organ is dis- tinguished for its glorious flue stops, while the French organ excels in brilliant reeds. I will give two examples of this ; for instance, the Miinster organ in Ulm (Walcker), as compared to the organ of the Trocadero Palace, Paris (Cavaille-Coll), and the organ of St. Johanniskirche, Stutt- gart (Weigle), as compared to the Miinster organ, Geneva (Merklin), without denying that on both sides I heard faultless examples of both species of i)ipes. Equally admirable and tasteful arrangements are frequently found in England ( W. Hill and Son, London), Holland (T. F. Witto, Utrecht) and in the United States, America (Hamilton Roosevelt, New York, and Hook and Hastings, Boston). The Swiss organ-builders aho turn out excellent instruments. I am not sure whether a reason f >r the more frefpieiit occurrence of the very expensive reeds in English, French, Dutch, and American organs, may not be found in the fact that the organ-builder demands and obtains a propoi'tion- atuly higher price for the .sacrifice of time and laljuur which this kinil of pii)e entails. J cannot refrain I'roni siqqxirting most warmly the wish of my csteeiiK'd friend (Idttscliali;- (I^i'd.ni'i, Series for I'ST'S, p. 17'>, and Series for J'ShT, 58 All Explanation of the Organ Stops. pp. 37 and 63), and of the Dutch master S. de Lange (Leipsic Musik. Wochenhlqtt, 13th Scries, No. 22), that the conscientious builder, let him belong to whatever nation lie may, ought to be recompensed according to his exertions. In this way the careful scrupulousness in executing all the details of new organs would be cultivated and increased. This is frequently the secret of an organ-builder Ijeing able to turn out a perfect work of art. The organ exhibited at Milan with leather-pulp pipes, prepared by a chemical process, leads me to say a word on Italian organ-building, as in nearly every other case the finest organs in Italy (Rome for example) are of foreign origin. In the course of time very diffei'ent materials have been employed (compare the capital work by Wangemann, 1887, 3rd edition), which has been found to be not without influence on the tone colour of the stops (Prof, von Schafhautl and Zamminer). The percentage of the influence of material on sound, however, would not be thought of much account at the present time, and when considering the success of modern organ-building. This latter is, for instance, able, by the art of intonation, to make the transition from metal to wood (see Molina) quite imper- ceptible. This is still more evident if one considers tlie scientifically proved fact (see Flue Stops) that the body of the flue pipe only serves to regulate the vibrating body of air, and to separate it from the outer atmosphere (that is, to limit the quantity of vibrating air). Melde (in his "Acoustics," 1883, p. 242) proposes divers materials for acoustical trials, such as metal, zinc, tin-plate, lead, brass, copper, glass, wood, and pasteboard, and (on p. 24) gives exact tables of the results as to vibrations obtained by small cylindrical pasteboard tubes. Pastor Allihn, wlio has An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 59 revised the new edition of Topfer's work, writes me word that, if it is intended to form the continuation of the 4-ft. and 8-ft. Octave of wood, he considers the pasteboard material perfectly practicable. I therefore accepted with much pleasure the kind invitation of Signor Crespi Reghizzo, professor of physics, and inventor of that material, which threatened the organ with a "paper age," to examine personally the organ a canne di cartone at Milan. On entering the Oratorio di Santa Cristina the front visible in the background reminded me of the similarly painted English show pipes already mentioned {see Principal), only that, in the case of the Italian ortjan, the groundinf^ was leather- coloured. With the help of a clever Italian organist and of the inventor himself, I was enabled to make myself acquainted with the effects of this innovation, so loudly discussed in the papers. As the instrument was erected by a physicist and an intelligent modellist, named Columbo, without the practical aid of an organ-builder, and as its sole object was to prove the usefulness of a new material fur organ-pipes, I will limit myself to making the following mention of the trial. An 8-ft. stop compared with my tuning-fork (S70 French vibrations f(^r a') gave the exact I'aris pitch. The general effect of tlie pasteboard pipes is surprisingly loud and bright, the mixture sound {rlpleiu)) is ])OWerf"ul, and tlie volume of tone on the whole satis- factory. To my ear, somewliat spoilt perhaps, there was wanting the brilliant metallic, and yet rounded, cliaracter of thi; Trumpet, and the decided tone of the jioworful iMigli^h Tuba Mirabilis; and the incisive hai-nionic string- tone of a slende-r-scaled, ])o\verfully l)lown (!amba, supplied with a Frein Ilarmoniqut' : as well as the enchanting delicacy GO An Explanation of the Organ Stoj^s. of our Lieblich-Gedackts and iEolinas. Without intending to, or being able to, supplant the English tin, or the wood of the fir, oak, pear, and inai)le, the peculiarity and sound- producing qualities of which Reghizzo by no means under- values, this new material could still, on account of its un- rivalled cheapness, sooner or later assume a certain rank among existing materials, if supported by modern organ- builders. A modest beginning towards a similar com- bination has already been made in these pasteboard pipes. In reed pipes, for example, the air-chamber, block, and cup are of pasteboard ; the groove and wedge, on the other hand, are of wood, and the tongue is a thin strip of brass, thickest where it is screwed on, and tapering into a thin blade towards the lower end. The brass tuning-wire in no way differs from ours. In the Gedackts and Flues all parts are of leather pulp, with the exception of the block (anima), which is of hard wood, and the stopper, similar to our Fig. 6. It might be in store for a financial company, with the assistance of scientific and musical professionals, to overcome the imperfections of a first attempt, by pro- curing the requisite machinery and consulting competent organ-builders, and critically investigating the new in- vention. It is evident that the most renowned organ- builders of all countries, who are frequently cited as real artists in their profession, will not leave unnoticed such a cheap and easily transportable material ; especially if in the long run it should show sufficient resistance to the in- fluence of temperature, and stability with regard to pitch. Experienced friends, whose advice has been valuable to me from the beginning, agree that it was part of the task of this work to mention this new invention of the clever and gifted Signor Crespi Reghizzo. An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 61 Still I consider it my duty to remark that, at present, there can be no guarantee for the practicability of employ- ing this material in thoroughly sound new instruments. My opinion is that, for the present, the best material for an instrument laying claim to a lasting faultlessness is, from beginning to end, English tin (see Gamba), combined with the above-mentioned kinds of wood, which by Fig. 11. the use of centuries have been tried and proved to be good. Regals is the ancient family name for a number of reed stops, amongst which Geigenregal and Jung- fernregal are sometimes used. Eohrflbte, Flute a Cheminee (as it is called in France), is a covered flue stop, eitlier of 8-ft. or 4-ft. tone, the lid of which is provided with a chimney (ivhir, Fig. 11), which lends to the tone a peculiar, rather brighter character. The width of this little tube depends upon its length, both dimensions in- creasing or decreasing together. Tlie widest must therefore be almost as long as the flue itself (see Topfer, vol. i. p. 70). The power and brightness of tlie tone grow^ as the tube widens, "whilo if tlie tube be too narrow tlie tone can scarcely be dis- tinguish(,'d from that of a Gedackt. In Silcsian oi'gans for examj)lo, on tlic second manual of the cathedral oigau at Ijrcsluu there is a <loublc-li])])rd llohrilote. In small organs the RohrlloLc sonictiuK's takes the place of the Gedackt on an u[pcr manual, if otliei- wise the flute character l)e too fcebl}' rciu-escntcd. i!i>tli stojis may alM> apiicai- wvy well side by side. Aii\liow, a llolirtlote should ]>\ rights always he sccndarN- to tlie S-t'(. Ijourdon, and slioidd only Ik: ( lupjoycd when tin; latter 62 An Explanation of the Organ Stops. does not occur. (See Bourdon.) Rohrflote, together with a fine, cutting Gamba, Dolce (if arranged on the first manual), or coupled with Viola or Oboe, gives a peculiarly attractive colouring. It combines well with Salicional ; for instance, in the organ at Brienz (Berner Oberland). If necessary it may be refreshed by a bright Flute d' Amour. (See Combinations of Stops.) s. Salicet. See Salicional. ^^alicional, Salicet. A much affected stop among the strings, arranged as 8-ft. or 4-ft., rarely as 2-ft., and as 16 -ft. stop at Riga. It is, as a rule, of wider scale than the Gamba, and is consequently less cutting in character. The Court organist Gottschalg, of Weimar, writes that in North Germany these dimensions of Gamba and Salicional are often reversed. Seidel and Zamminer derive the word Sali- cional from the Latin salicis fistula {see Fistula), English willow-pipe. The articulation of this stop, as well as that of the Gamba, was formerly rather tardy, in accordance with the construction of the pipe. The modern art of organ- building has overcome this difficulty by improved intona- tion (see Gamba). (See yEolina for the use of wood in con- structing the lower tones.) If constructed as a pedal stop, it is called 16-ft. Salicet (Nicolaikirche, Leipsic), or simply 16-ft. Salicional (St. George's Hall, Liverpool). In the episcopal church at Lund, Sweden, the Salicional occurs double-li])ped (see Double Flute), according to Seidel, on the second manual. The 16-ft. Salicional closely resembles the Harmonica Bass constructed in other countries (q.v.). A Voix Celeste is often found of charmintf effect with An Explanation of the Organ Stojjs. 63 Salicional (also Molina) if tuned slightly sharper than the latter. Salicional is one of the most useful stops for fine combinations. I will only mention for instance Wiener- flote, Gedackt, Flauto Traverso, or Flute d'Amour, the two latter as refreshers of the 4 -ft. tone. (See Intonation.) Sanftflote. See Wienerflote. Schalmei. A soft reed stop, usually of 8-ft. tone (for example at the Hague, Holland, arranged by J. F. Witte), and generally labelled Musette in French organs (Madeleine, Paris). Zamrainer (p. 228) gives a delightful description of this ancient wind instrument (originally a flat tube of green willow bark blown with the lips). He traces back to this instrument, which was used by the shepherds of the Al})s, the origin of the modern Bassoon, Clarionet, Oboe, etc. It appears also as 8-ft. Chalumeau on the third manual of Silbermann's Court organ, Dresden, and as -i-ft. Schalmei on the First Pedal (see Hohlflote) of the Liibeck organ. Septime (seventh), as I understood from Profs. Fink and Palme, was intended for the Nicolaikirche (Ladegast) at Leipsic. The organ-builders Avhom I consulted are of different opinion concerning the value and effect of this stop. The organ of Notre Dame, Paris, has three Scptimes, one of 4| ft. on the pedals, and two of 2= ft. and II I't. respectively on the manuals. Serpent, IG ft., and the 8-ft. Bassethorn, measured on the same I'oundation, are sinootli, free r('c<l pedal stops, as a rule without a tube, like IMiyshaniioiiica. They repre- sent the smooth reed-chai'acter on the upjicr pedal of the I'lm Cathedral, and on the Swell pedal of the cathedral organ, Itiu;a. (Sre Ophielcide for its I'elations to this stoji.) Sesquialtera. A 2-rank mixture stoj) rfscnililiiiL;- Sli;w|), inasmuch as it also has a tliird. thou'di not in tlie hrsL 64 An Explanation of the Organ Stops. position like that stop, but as fifth and twelfth from the foundation tone ; that is to say, on striking the note c', the notes g' and e' are heard. It belongs to the Great Organ, Sharp is a mixture stop of from three to five ranks, which differs from the mixture proper in that it contains an obbligato third in its first position (for example, Frank- fort-on-the-Main, Berne) ; therefore, if of three ranks, it has c, e, g ; if of four ranks c, e, g, c, and if of five ranks g, c, e, g, c. It belongs to the Great Organ, and is found in English organs under the Latin name Acuta, or as Sharp Mixture, Shut-off Valve is a stop, found for instance on the Mlin- ster organ at Berne, which admits and intercepts the passage of wand by means of a valve which works in tlic Fig 12 wind-trunk. It is also used in conjunction wuth the slider for combining different groups of stops. It is used by Cavaille-Coll, Merklin, Ladegast, Stein- meyer, and others. In French organs the manuals as well as the pedals have their Jeux de Fonds (foundation stops) and Jeux do Combinaison (com- bination stops) on different portions of the wind- chest. Accordingly as the pallet of one or other of the divisions is opened or closed, the combinations of the different groups of stops can be sounded. Siffldte. See Hohlfiote. Spitzfldte (spire or tajocr flute) is a mucli-used open metal stop, with conical tops (Fig. 12). Its tone is somewhat brighter than that of Flute d'Amour, and it is often used as sharpening stop for several mellow 8-ft. stops on the upper manuals. It appears moi-c t'i-e(iuent]y as an <S-ft. than as a 4-ft. tone. (Sec Flute d'Amour for its occasional arrangement on the first manual.) An Explanation of the Organ Sto2^s. 65 In combination the 4-ft. Spitzflote ranges in point of power between 4-ft. Flute d' Amour and 4-ft. Gemshorn, which stops it sometimes replaces. Stentorphon. See Tuba Mirabilis. Stop Manuals. See Pneumatic Combination Pistons. Stopped Diapason. See Gedackt. Saabile. See Suavial. Suavial, Suabile. A soft-toned stop like Geigenprincipal, often found on old organs as 8 -ft. stop beginning at c', as for instance in the French Church at Berne. Sub-Bass (often labelled Bourdon, Grand Bourdon in England). The name of a stop with a 16-ft. or 82-ft. covered pipe. (See Gedackt.) In small organs, where the size of the church does not admit of the 16-ft. open pipe, Sub-Bass is ([uite indispensable (or even side by side with this). We advise the use of Harmonica Bass (q.v.) with Sub-Bass, if there is a liberal allowance of pedals, which stop, dis- creetly giving precision to the sombre fullness of the Sub- Bass, is, in such combination, of special value. In large and small organs Sub- Bass forms one of the most essential stops ; and even in the smallest instrument a coupler to the first manual should not be deemed a sufficient substitute. From an acoustic point of view it is worth mentioning that my experience of the chai'acter of this stop is that tlic same note, which may have a tremendous effect in one ])art of tlie church, may scarcely be audiljle a few j)aces from tliis spot. This acoustic peculiarity of Sub-Bass (and otlier tones of lower registers) has therefore caused great troul)le to many a builder, and has often made the sHtisracti<in of r\|)eit> 'jUcstionable. Prof Dr. Forster, of iiei'iie, wi-itcs to nit.' on this subject: "It wouM be doing tin' oigan IiuiMn- a U'vcat injustic if" onr att iiliut<'(l tliis jiliindnMiinii \<< :i y GG An Explanation of the Organ Stops. faulty construction of the instrument. In different parts of the church increase and decrease in the tone, especially if this be of great length of undulation and of great intensity, may arise from resonance as well as from interference * of dii'ect and reflected waves.t The appearance or non- appearance of these phenomena is dependent upon the shape and proportions of the interior of the church." Tlie pro- fessor had the kindness to prove to me a<l oculos by phy- sical experiments this explanation, which is as clear as it is concise. Those of my English readers who may take special interest in these remarkable phenomena in the province of physical acoustics are referred to the inimitably clear and unrivalled Lectures on Sound by Tyndall. (See Principal Bass for the name Sub-Bass instead of Principal Bass.) Sub-Bass lends itself well to the accompanying of any soft combination. It gains a delicate precision by the aid of Harmonica Bass and Violon Bass. It becomes, however, still more precise with Violoncello. Flute Bass and Octave Bass render Sub-Bass not only more precise, but also thicker and sounder. (See Flute.) An admirably delicate reinforcement of the Sub-Bass is obtained by coupling it to a suitable stop on the second or third manual. (See Couplers and Combinations of Stops.) Swell. See Crescendo. Swiss Flute (formerly more frequent in Germany than * If two or more stones are thrown into still water at different points, two or more systems of rings are formed, which in expanding meet. This meet- ing tliat is, the phenomenon occasioned by it is called interference. Beyond the point of meeting the waves proceed undisturbedly the same as before. t If in an enclosed space a sound is produced, the waves of sound progress in all directions, beating against the walls, from which tliey are then rellected. The angle of reflection is that which is formed by a vertical line erected at the point struck by tlie lay of sound, and by the rellected ray itself. An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 67 in Switzerland) is an 8-ft. stop, which, in spite of its name, belongs rather to the string family, as for example on the Great Organ of the instrument in Magdeburg Cathedral, where it means a loud Gamba. The name Swiss Flute, in the same way as Wienerflote {q.v.), has therefore no foun<la- tion whatever. T. Temperament (from the Latin tempcrnre, to regulate, to jtroportion) is the manner, described under the head of Octave, of deciding the intervals (laying the bearings), which, in short, enables us to play relatively in tune in all keys (Equal Temperament). Terpodion (from the Greek repino, to delight), according to C. F. Richter, was originally a keyed instrument struck with wooden sticks ; according to Schuberth, however, a keyed instrument similar to the pianoforte. This sto|) is arranged as a pipe with flute-like intonation on the third manual of the great Marien organ at Liibcck, and on the fourth manual of the cathedral organ at Halberstadt. Tierce. A mutation stop, of Flute tone and Principal size (metal), which, as its name denotes, gives, chiefly in larger oi'gans, the major third e when intonated on c. It is often, like many Quints and Mixtures, mistakenly arrangcil on small provincial oigans ; that is to say, without suilicicnt covering by foundation sto])s. It occurs as b-j-ft, 'il,-it, and <i?|-l't. tone. An iniconiinon Tierce of l'2'i-i't. occurs oil the jK'dal of the Nicolai oi'gan, Ijcipsic. It belou^-s to tlif Great Organ. Tone Colour. This cxiircs^iim In)- the (jualify. oiv as tlic 68 An Explanation of the Organ Stojis. French say, the timbre of a stop, has, in the course of this book, been used on almost every page to designate the characteristic difference of the oral effects of the various stops; a further definition may therefore not seem ill- placed. Even if we only compare the Oboe with the Flute, or the Trumpet with the Violoncello, we shall see that, although tuned to the same pitch, they cannot be mistaken for one another, on account of the difference in their Tone Colour. The expression " Tone Colour " has been used by Helmholtz, the greatest authority on acoustics of any age, in his " Sensations of Tone," and has thereby, in the ter- minology of musical science, become classical. (Compare Melde's " Acoustics," p. 345.) Tyndall owns that the Eng- lish language has no equivalent, and he therefore envies the German language the suppleness with which it adapts itself to the requirements of nature. It is well known that colour also depends upon the velocity of vibrations, so that, for example, a blue light has the same relation to a red one as a high note has to a low one. Tyndall felici- tously compares any one single colour, which has a simple ratio of vibration, with a tone, the vibrations of which cannot be divided into simpler ones (every tone, the vibrations of which have a complicated form, such as a string, must be capable of being divided into a number of simple tones, all of which belong to the harmonic scale [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Compare Blaserna's " Theory of Sound," p. 200) ; while a mixed colour corresponds to a sound, for the production of which the foundation tone and the characteristic harmonics act together. Hence the expres- sion "Tone Colour." In ray article on Geigenprincipal, I have made practical use of this theory, by the aid of which Helmholtz explains the violin-like colour of tliis stop. A)i Explanation of the Organ Stops. 69 Some stops, which strengthen certain high upper partials more than the lower ones, serve to produce specially characteristic Tone Colours, and thereby distinguish them- selves from the others. A favourable centre for the foundation of the bulk of the harmony is formed by the sound tone-power of the Principal proper {q.v), which does not bear this name for nothing. The organ has this advantage over all other instruments (says Helmholtz), that the player can mix the Tone Colours in a far higher degree in accordance with his feelings and the character of the piece he is rendering. It is evident how grateful a field for the production of the most varied shades of tone, even with limited means, is open to the skilful organist. He must therefore shun no pains to make himself thoroughly acquainted with tlie Tone Colour of each stop on his organ; he will find himself plentifully rewarded by the skill in combination which he will soon acc^uire. (>S*cc also Com- binations of Stops.) Tremulant. The Tremolo, or trembling, is produced on new organs chiefly by a pallet in the wind-trunk, which, when not in action, presses firmly on the frame of the trunk. When raised by the draw-stop, it vibrates freely in the air-current and offers resistance by means of springs, which assist the vibration. Tremulant is a draw^ stop used often to vulgarity, to wliich being, as Prof Zt-llner exi)resses himself, a "barbarism" no importance can Ite attached (.sec Helmholtz, p. 251). The Treuiolo can only V)e ap])lied with eflect to the most dt'licate stops in the Swell (n'V', b.i- exaini)l(", Vox Humana), and even then only rarely, ami with tast<' ami moderation. In the Xvdeek oii^^an at Heme, the front side of tlie wind-ti-unk, in wliicli the 'i'lcuu'lo w(jiks, is of glass, so that its elieet may he la^ily rciiiaikrd 70 A a Explanation of the Organ Sto2)s. A new effective Tremolo is (Dienel) now constructed after the manner of blowers (ventilators), which are turned by the current of air like a fan with wdngs. {See also Unda Maris.) Tromba. Means also Trumpet. Trombone, Contra Trombone, is a beating reed, intended to imitate the sound of the orchestral trombone, and is seldom missing on large organs. Next to the Eng- lish Tuba Mirabilis {q.v.), it is the most powerful and sonorous of all organ stops, and therefore requires a cor- responding number of loud, voluminous stops to prevent it from drowning the others. In medium-sized organs it is often replaced by the softer Bombard. The Trombone occurs oftenest as a 16-ft. stop, and as Double Trombone (Contra Posaune) as 32-ft. stop. (In the magnificent organ now in course of building by W. Hill and Son, for the Town Hall, Sydney, I find the most remarkable feature in the specification to be the G4-ft. Double Trombone on the pedals. This tremendous and peerless reed will, it is confidently believed, have a fine tone and ready speech, but cannot be used except with the Great Organ to good efiect. I here mention with pleasure that in England the art of organ-building is of the highest order, and that the oldest and largest English firm, W. Hill and Son, founded 1755, employ at present 140 men in their workshops.) The tubes, usually of wood, are in the shape of inverted four- sided pyramids. By the use of tin for the resonant tubes the tone becomes, perhaps, more brilliant and expressive. The Sydney organ above mentioned has a 32-ft. Double 'i'rombone of metal. {Ser Heed Stops.) Trumpet, 8 ft, Tuba, 10 ft., Clarino, Tuba, Clarion, 4 ft., Clairon, 4 ft., have all tlio sliajX' of an inverted cone. Built An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 71 and intonated by a master, and supplied with a proper- sized tube, it is a brilliant stop of decided effect. In this stop is shown what the modern art of organ -building can accomplish by careful intonation. One now feels great satisfaction in finding on organs by good makers a Trumpet of a softly rounded and yet lively metallic sound, very different from the hard crashing sound, which in old organs made the Trumpet intolerable. The tone of the organ under its influence loses the dull monotonous character peculiar to combinations of nothing but flue stops. The Clarino (Clairon) is a small Trumpet of 4-ft. tone, found not only on the pedals (along with 8-ft. Trumpet), but also on the manuals. On the Munster organ, Geneva, at Glarus, and in Temple Neuf at Strass- burof, I found a i-ft. Clairon on the Great Manual as well as on the pedals. English organs often possess several Clarions with strikingly brilliant effect. On the pedals of the Stiffs organ, Stuttgart, and on the Munster organ, Ulm, there is a Clairon of 2-ft. tone. In the higliest octave on the manual this stop repeats (that is, starts again with the lai'gcr pipes), because its building would bo too difficult up to V". In organs wliich do not ])0ssess any of the modern improvements, it is advisable to exclude the Trumpet from the composition pcilals, unless there is a chance of regular tuning of the organ, particularly of the reed stops. If not, tlie Ti'umpet, when out of tunc (n'*' Reed Sto[s), makes the composition sto])s as good as useless. I)y means of these modern coutrivanet's, already iiientiomid, any one stop may be cliniinated IVom a coiiibinat ion loimcd li\' tie' coiiiposition jiedai. (Sic I'licuniat ic ( 'oniliinai ion I'islons. ) Jf intonated iy an cxpeiifiicfd hand, the Tniniiict ir(|uiirs 72 An Explanation of the Organ Stops. no combination to be effective ; but I can recommend the melodious, healthy tone of a good Principal as a reinforce- ment, and the 8-ft. Bourdon with 4-ft. Fliite d' Amour to give it a more tender colouring, or, if necessary, a larger group of flue stops. (See Tone Colour, Intonation, and Combinations of Stops.) Tuba, Contra Tuba, Tromba, Double Trumpet. A trumpet of ] 6-ft. tone. (See Trumpet.) Tuba Mirabilis. A stop much used in England for concert organs. It is a very powerful, perfectly round, precise, non-crashing 8-ft. Trumpet, or Trombone, generally placed on the Solo manual, which receives a considerably heavier often more than double pressure of wind, and is extremely effective. This stop may be opposed singly to the Great Organ. In Roosevelt's organ (115 stops) at Garden City, U.S.A., the wind-pressure of the Solo manual to that of the Great manual is as 10 to 3^. In this organ the Tuba Mirabilis is supported by the powerful and rare stops, 8-ft. Stentorphon and 8-ft. Baritone. In the splendidly restored organ at Westminster Abbey, Messrs. W. Hill and Son in London have mounted an 8-ft. Tuba Mirabilis with heavy wind on a special Tuba sound-board. Walcker has proved by the introduction of his Tuba Mirabilis on the Great manual of his cathedral organ at Riga (124 speaking stops) that German builders also employ this tremendous stop, the mighty power of which is often still more increased by the rarely found Cornettino, a 2-ft. reed-stop. u. Ilnda Maris (wave of the sea). A flute-like metal stop, tuned .^lightly lower than anotlier (equally soft) sto}), with An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 73 which, when played, it produces a peculiarly fluctuating (wave-like) tone. {See Tremulant on the temperate use of Tremolo stops.) According to Dr. Faisst's opinion on this stop, it would seem that earnest professionals do not approve of the Vox Humana, Yoix Celeste, and Tremulant. I agree with the milder opinion of Prof. Zellner, of Vienna, that, according to circumstances, a delicate, moderately vibrating stop may be very characteristic, and in this case has, even from an artistic point of view, a certain claim to recofjnition. V. Vibrations. See Octave. Viola (Viola d'Amore, Viola di Alto). A delicate, string tone metal stop, frequently of S-ft. and 4-ft. tone, which is often required to represent the Gamba-likc character on the upper manuals. It is meant to imitate the tone of tlie viola (tenor, hratscJie), and is one of the most lovely solo stops. Bergner, of Riga, has on the first manual of his organ a Viola di Alto of wood, possessing a Gamba-like string tone. In certain registers he prefers this wood stop to a metal one. It comlincs like Salicional (7.''., and Intonation). Violin Diapason. Src Viol i no. Violino (Violina, Violin Diapason) is a sliarp metal stop resembling Geigcni)i'ineii)al, and occurs asl-f't. an<l S-ft. tone, for instance, on the instruiuents of W. Hill ;uid Sou, llook and Hastings, and Roos(nelt. (It occurs also in the Cliurcli of the Holy (Ihost, Magdeburg, as an S-ft. stop, and as 2 -ft. stoj) on the fourtli iiiauual of tie' Nienlaikiicln', bri|i>i<-.) Violon. l)r. I''ais>f ad\ i>'> that in ca.^f tie' vi r\- ineisiv i- 74 An Explanation oj the Organ Stops. 8-ft. Violoncello should not suit the quality of the general tone, a wider-sized and rather more powerfully intonated Violoncello, of a clear, sound, and only moderately stringy tone, should be used. He then calls it 8-ft. Violon, in contra- distinction to the proper 8-ft. Violoncello. The name Violon often occurs in Northern Germany for a similar 8-ft. stop, and I have now and again proposed it for Swiss organs. Violone. See Violon Bass. Violon Bass is a 16-ft. wood pedal stop, after Sub-Bass the most commonly used stop. It is of small scale, and has a pleasantly stringy tone, similar to Double Bass (labelled Violone on the Sydney organ). It combines admirably with IG-ft. Sub-Bass and 8-ft. Flute Bass, and gains decision by the aid of Violoncello. {See Harmonica Bass.) Violoncello, of 8-ft. tone, answers to the 16-ft. Violon Bass, and is a prominently characteristic pedal stop, corre- sponding in construction, material, and tone colour to the Gamba on the manuals. I have found this stop most satis- factory on all newer organs by good builders, and a cliarac- teri.stic well-articulating Violoncello has been mentioned under " Intonation " as a specimen of the progress made in the art of modern organ-building. (For its combination wJili Sub-Bass and Violon Bass, q.v.) ^^^oix Celeste (Celestina) is an 8-ft. metal stop, slightly higher in pitch than iEolina and Salicional, and oftener employed in combination witli these stops than as a solo (arranged as 4-ft. Celestina on the Sydney organ). It has a fine effect (for example, in the Catholic Church, Berue) with the accompaniment of an open Flute (for instance, Flauto Dolce, Fliite d'Amour, etc.), or in combination with Lieblich-Gedackt or Wieneiflote. {See also .Molina and Salicional.) It is sometimes labelled, Latin, Vox Coelcstis An Explanation of the Organ Stops. 75 (celestial voice). It must not be mistaken for Vox Angelica (angelic voice), which occurs often as a reed, but has been placed by Walcker in the cathedral organ, Riga, as a 4-ft. llue stop. Vox Angelica. See Voix Celeste. Vox Humana is an 8-ft. metal stop, intended to imitate the human voice, and constructed differently by almost every organ-builder. In spite of the best construction, how- ever, something nasal is always perceptible in the metal tone. According to Helmholtz, the sound in reed pipes is produced by a series of intermittent pulses, which, at each vibration, break through the opening closed by the tongue. {See Reed Stops.) Hard, unresponsive material, like that of brass tongues, makes the individual pulses appear more broken than does soft, responsive metal. It is clear that this is tlie reason why the notes of the human voice, if well trained, excel in mt41owness of tone, and thus diff(ir from any of the reeds, even from the best- constructed Vox Humana (.see Holmholtz, p. IGl). The effect of the Vox Humana is improved by local })cculiarities, not materially connected with it ; for instance, placement ill a separate sounding-box, comljination with a Lieblich- ( Jedackt or Bourdcjiiechu in the Swell, tasteful use of the Tremulant. I desist, fu' evident reasons, from investi- gating liere to which of the last-named acoustical agents this (r that \'ox lluniana may owe its success with the public, and agree in this with Du llaniel (Tiipfer's " Oigcl- liaukuiist "j, that style (tf architecture, clever choice (^f the nnisieiii pieces, e'.\{)erienee of the organist, and the iiiomen- tary disposition of the auditor x\.\r. s(jiuetinics much iiiuic cssriitial to the suct'iss of this stop than tiie [lailiculaf (.<n>trueliijn (j1" thf l'ili'. 7Q An Explanation of the Organ Stojjs, w. Waldflbte is a 2-ft, stop of wide scale, with a strong fluty tone, to be found on large organs (for instance, Riga and Lucerne). In the lower registers it is made of wood, in the higher ones of metal. In the cathedral organ at Magdeburg it is arranged as 4-ft. stop. {See Flautino.) Wienerflote is one of the most charming wood flutes, intonated rather brighter than Flauto Dolce. As a rule, it occurs on one of the upper manuals as an 8 -ft. or 4-ft. solo stop, more particularly in Swiss organs, where it might with equal correctness be called Concert Flute. Under this name I have found it on the third manual of Walcker's organ at Miihlhausen. It may also be called Zartflote and Sanftflote ; labelled thus, it occurs as 4-ft. and 8-ft. tone in the Nicolaikirche, Leipsic. The denomi- nation " Wienerflote " lacks all etymological or historical foundation. In the new Votiv^ orojan, althouojh this stands in Vienna itself, there is not a single Wienerflote amongst sixty-one speaking voices. The competent builder of this organ has, however, placed a Wienerflote on the third manual of the cathedral organ at Riga, in order to satisfy the increasing demand for a stoj) of this name. Wiener- flote is one of the most useful stops on the upper manuals, not only as a solo, but also for combination with any other stop. I found it particularly beautiful in combina- tion with Oboe and Flauto Traverso. (See Combinations of Stops.) A71 Explanation of the Organ Stops. 77 z. Zartflbte. A very delicate and smooth wood flue stop, varying in construction according to the builder. It is generally of 8-ft. tone, appearing only on the upper manuals. Its combinations are the same as those of the Wienerflote {q.v.). rRp.iri. I',',' uii.i.iA\r i i."',M" , ,\vn m>ns, i.imitkh, L".M" UCLA - Wusic Library ML 595 L78eE HHI L 006 990 693 1 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY Los Angeles This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. JUN 1 5 m 'NterlierarV JUN 2 m TWO WEEKS FROM DUE Of .,:P, RRTOMtRffR 00 J/1?J b^^ m IAN 3 ' '880 HpTDMUS-tlB JPfN'^i 1980 97b '<- ii W/b fEB 1 1983 RtC'D MUSLIB MAR 1 ^ laaj^ Form Ly-14mfl.'(j7(n:il72sH).lo:i'J