MUSICAL TOPICS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 227, 24 August 1929, Page 7

MUSICAL TOPICS.

(By “Semibreve.”)

MELBOURNE’S NEW CITY ORGAN.

When on February Ist, 1925, Melbourne Town Hall was destroyed by lire, the organ’ also perished. The hall being rebuilt, tenders were called for a new organ, and Messrs Norman and Beard were successful with an estimate of £33,502, the casing, which is constructed of Queensland maple, with bronze grills, costing £4,592, making a total of £38,094 for the organ and case. On July 3rd the now organ was opened by Dr. W. G. Price, Melbourne city organist, who played . the following programme: “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor,” and choral prelude, “Sleepers Awake” (Bach); “Ave Maria” (Arcadelt); “Rondo” and “Serenade” (Schubert); "Prelude in G Minor” (Rachmaninoff); overture to “William Tell” (Rossini); “Coronach” (Barratt); “Toccata from sth Organ Symphony (Widor); “Introduction and Fugue” (Reubke); “Variations on an original Theme” (Faulknor); “Berceuse” (W, Bacho); “Consolation” (Liszt); “Pastorale” (Wely); “March Triomphale” (Reis). The organ, which was specially designed to give every effect needed in concert work, has four manuals operating great, swell, choir and solo organs. In addition, there is an echo organ and an orchestral organ. The echo organ is an independent organ, placed at the opposite end of the hall from the main organ and connected electrically with tho keyboard. This organ has two divisions, containing pipes of 16, 8 and 4 feet pitch, of which there are 998. Organists will be interested in some of the stops placed in tho echo organ of which there are 18. “Unda Maris,” “Zauberfiote,”

••liarmonia Actlieria” of four ranks, a group of flutes, muted strings, a smooth horn and a “musette,” all of delicate tone, fitted to give echo effects. The connection with the main organ is by two lead covered cables, each containing 100 wires and 300 feet long. v ORCHESTRAL ORGAN.

A special featuro of the organ is the orchestral organ. This has no manual of its own, being what is termed a floating organ, i.e., attachable to any row of keys and played either separately or in conjunction with that manual. It consists of nine ranks of string toned pipes, ranging from 16 feet to 2 feet in pitch, and a full ioned flute rank. The general effect is imitative of tho orchestral viols, tho flute being incorporated to give the ground tono of the orchestral strings. Tubular chimes, Glockenspiel (steel bars), harp, bass drum and side-drum are also available, it being considered that these liavo a legitimate place in a concert organ of this calibre. PIPES AND ACCESSORIES. There are 7,022 pipes in the organ, tho largest of which is iri tho “Tibia Profunda,” a large pedal flute, 32 feet long, with a girth of 9 feet 8 inches, made of red pine. The largest metal pipe has a girth of 7 feet 1 inch and is also 32 feet in length, being the longest pipe of the pedal diaphone. It is probable that this is the most powerful stop ever made, and its deep, full-throated notes can be heard through the full organ, to which it gives a very powerful bass. Thero are six diapasons on the great organ speaking on a wind pressure of 10 inches. t In all there are 146 6tops, which can also be operated by touch keys placed above each manual. There is also a 6et of too pistons placed abovo tho pedal keys. There are 44 touch keys and 16 pedal pistons. In addition to the swell pedals, there is a balanced crescendo pedal which brings into use each stop, one by one, until the full organ is reached. Finally, there are 50 couplers, making a most satisfactory instrument which should be a delight to listen to. THE FIRST ENGLISH ORGAN.

In comparison with the magnificent instrument specified above, it is -interesting, to note tho first specification of an English organ that is known to exist. Under the date 1519 it is found embodied _in an “endenture” or “bargayn” entered into by Antony Duddyngton, “cibezen of London,” to make a “payer of organs” for the “Pisshe of Alhalowe, Barking, next ye Tower of London.” It was to have three stops, namely, a “diapason containing length of ten feet or more,” and “dowbie principalis throwcout, to contain the length of fivo feet.” Tho compass was to be dowbie cc-fa-ut and comprise 'twentyseven playne keyes” which would doubtless be the old four octave range (tho modern organ has 61 keys to each keyboard). It was further specified that the “pyppes inforth shall be as fyne nietall and stuff as the upper parts, that is of pure tyn, with as few staps as be convenient,” and the cost was to bo "fifty poundes sterlinge.” It wa6 also a condition that “tho aforesaid Antony shall convey the bolowes in tho loft abowf with a pype to the sond board.” It is interesting to note that, although made so few years after the invention of “stops,” and the “sound-board” abroad, the English builder had made himself acquainted with these improvements and here inserted them. “PAYRE OF ORGANS.” The reference to a “payre of organs” so often mot with in old documents proves a puzzling conundrum to all commentators. Some consider it to mean tho two organs associated with the great and choir organs, but this can hardly be the truth, for many churches had more than one payre of organs, and if they were tho bulk supposed, these churches would not have had much accommodation left for the congregation. Another commentator considers that the term refers to a pair of bellows, while a third suggests that it means an organ with two pipes to oaeh note. It is possible that the word “pair” was used in a sonso equivalent to the German “paar” i.e., of several things, not exclusively two. Traces of this use in England remain in the vulgar phrase, “a pair of stairs.” If this bo so, tho expression might refer to an instrument with a number of pipes. COVENT GARDEN OPERA ON TOUR. A new departure in tho operatic world is the decision of the Covent Garden Opera Syndicate to undertake the tour of British opera, usually carried under by the British National Opera Company. This new departure means that the powerful syndicate can and will fester British opera throughout the British Isles and possibly the whole Empire. FLORIZEL VON REUTER. Mr Florizel von Reuter, who not so many years ago delighted London audiences as a prodigy violinist, appeared again recently as a matured artist of much charm, his ploying of Brahms’s piano and violin sonata being the sensation of nis opening concert. STRAY NOTES. After his engagemeent with the Australian National Broadcasting Sorvice in Sydney, Alexander Brailowsky, the eminent pianist, left Melbourne a short tuno • ago by the Ormonde for Europe. Brailowsky has had a very successful season in Australia, playing to packed houses each night. Brailowsky is to commence a recital tour of Europe on October 15th, and next January will pay his sixth visit to the United States of America. . The death occurred recently in London of John E. West, for more than forty years associated with Novello9, tho noted musio printers. John E. West, a nephew of E. Pront, was best known for Ins many fine organ works and church Lillian Woods, Madge Clague, Arthur Ripley and Len. Barnes are to be tho principal singers m the forthcoming production of Handel s “Judas Maccabcous by the Auckland Choral Union conducted by Colin Muston.