Music Trade Review

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September 5 th, 1881.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
29
being controlled by one mind only, and a maxi- Mrs. Arnold and Miss Ida Grass very kindly
THE ORGAN AND ORGAN MUSIC.
mum of machinery impelled by the artificial prin- sunk in a measure their identity as soloists, and
I.
ciples of its speech, and the comprehensive nature either played duets together, or with Miss Grass'
[-4 series of lectures delivered at Birmingham, Eng-
pupils, or, as in the case of Mrs. Arnold, played
of its musical duties.
land, by E. H. Turpin.]
In pursuance of these thoughts, much might be duets with her husband. The pupils of Miss Ida
N order to appreciate fully any complex growth, said with regard to the comparison of the two Grass displayed by the ease and grace of their
such as th it of organ construction, and to duly great powers of instrumental music, the orchestra, playing evidence of the careful training which
assess the value of the music written for it, we and the organ. Both, said a French writer, are they have experienced. The Mendelssohn '' Cap-
must, I take it, duly consider its primary condi- monarchs; the one an Emperor, the other a King. riccio " played by Miss Morse, the "Tannhauser "
tions and difficulties, and so more clearly see what Perhaps, still more aptly, might the orchestra be March played by Miss Woolever, the duo for two
the combined efforts of organ-builder, composer, called, the sun of the musical system, the source pianos, " Kalif of Bagdad," played by Miss Grass
and player, sprang from, what they proposed to of its life and warmth; while the organ, shining to and Miss Warcuj), and the Finale from the 7th
accomplish, and what they have actually achieved. some extent with a borrowed pale, reflective light, Symphonie of Beethoven, arranged for two pianos
It is also important to remember, that the difficul- is the moon, so to speak, of the musical universe. and four hands, being particularly remarkable.
ties in connection with the application of mechani- In order to thoroughly realize the true position of
Miss Anna Dolge (soprano), varied delightfully
cal appliances to the wants of our lives, are in pro- the " Organ and Organ Music," this comparison what
was otherwise a strictly instrumental pro-
portion to the extent of their requirements, intel- must be analyzed to some extent. In the orchestra, gramme,
by rendering two songs by Tito Mattei
lectually and artistically. Wonderful in their way we find many minds producing and directing a cer- and
and Abt's " Verlrgenheit."
are those superb mechanisms which are the untir- tain amount of tone-force, every note quivering She is Mendelssohn,
singer whose voice has been well
ing servants of man, such as the steam engine, and with the life-giving power of a distinct player. trained a in sweet
a good school.
the various inventions in which even electricity is But with the organ the case is very different, one
made to serve as the motive power; it is to be re- mind only is engaged in the task of directing a vast
membered though that these, while they work at and varied store of tone-color, through the inter-
THE INTENSITY OP SOUND.
the will and in accordance with the directing mind vention of artificial power. Still, there are two
T would appear from recent experiments by
of man, are not called upon, as musical instru- remarkable features in the poetry of organ tone,
Herr Oberbeck, described in the Annalen der
ments are, to express his varying thoughts and the direct result of the isolation of the performer;
ever-changing emotions. Mr. Gladstone expressed in the first place we note a certain forcible unity Physik, that the microphone is a very delicate
something of this distinction between machines of purpose, the crystallization of an objective and means of measuring the intensity of sound. This
of labor production, and machines of thought and trained mind; secondly the absence of the large use of it is based on the fact that the elective re-
emotional expressions, when he said that the vio- number of individualities and the substitution of sistance of the small carbon-contacts increases dur-
lin in its perfection, was evolved from perhaps as one calm, concentrated will, dealing with measured ing the sound excitation, and this increase (in a
much thought as had been required to produce equal tone-quantities, producing broad, reflective suitably adjusted microphone) is a measure of the
intensity of the sound. The microphone Herr
the locomotive engine.
thought-impulses, which has secured to organ-tone Oberbeck uses is of the hammer and anvil type,
One special difficulty has to be encountered in a grandly passive character, all its own. The placed in one branch of what is well known as a
the inventive progress of so comprehensive a orchestra, as the very highest and fullest musical Wheatstone's bridge, which receives the current
thought-expressing machine as the organ, that is, embodiment of living force and individual charac- of a thermopile. An equal resistance being insert-
the partial, or more or less complete subjugation of teristics, acting through simple and direct machi- ed in the other branch, the mirror galvanometer of
a primary condition, almost inevitable to its exist- nery, is the complete expression of all those musi- the bridge is at rest. When a sound occurs, how-
ence, upon a large or comprehensive scale. In the cal sentiments and emotions which are active, ever, the balance is disturbed through increase of
organ, this primary difficulty is the fixed wind passionate, or dramatic in their nature. On microphonic resistance, and the galvanometer is
pressure; a consequence of the erection of a wind the other hand, the organ, as the most exalted deflected accordingly. The instrument does not
instrument too vast to be put in action by the expression of music conveyed through one act with all sounds—thus, the sound produced by
player's lips, and so dependent upon cold, heart- will, itself to a large extent subjected under the fall of a lead ball on a piece of slate did not
less mechanism, for an adequate supply of the the subduing influence of an artificial and indi- affect it; but the same ball falling on wood gave a
breath or wind, which is its very source of exist- rect machinery, is rightly the accepted expres- sound which did. The tones of a piano brought a
ence. The organ therefore, has, by a multiplicity sion of those feelings which are essentially passive, great variety of effects, according to the note and
of intricate movements, to supply the power, of calm, dignified, and reflective in character. The the way it was struck. With less force, the deflec-
increasing or diminishing its tone-intensity; a even depth of organ-tone, to say nothing of certain tion was less. The pizzicato tones of a violin and
power, natural to all orchestral wind instruments, advantages and conveniences in its manipulation the tones of a closed wooden pipe produced simi-
but necessarily an artificial process on the organ, by a* single player, has largely strengthened its lar effects. The human voice at a moderate dis-
as an instrument, capable of expressing complete association with the worship of the church. It tance gave considerable action, and very different
harmony, as distinguished from the enunciation of might truly be pointed out, that the complete mu- deflections were got with the vowels spoken strong-
sical expression of religious emotions, would only ly in the same tone. Herr Oberbeck used the
single, or melodic sounds.
be secured by the combination of the active life of apparatus to investigate the relation between in-
The comprehensive power of the organ, not the
orchestra with the reflective power of the organ. tensity of a sound and the energy expended in
only involves the artificial subjugation of its
it. Dropping various balls on a wooden
primary defect, (a cold expressionless fixed wind
history of the organ shows throughout that producing
plate from different heights, he proved that the
supply), but also requires the almost equally im- the The
basis
of
a
fixed
tone
production,
the
conse-
portant provision, in the case of so comprehensive quence of the large presence of mechanical action, intensity varies much more slowly than the height
a musical power, a store of varied tone-qualities. intervening between the minds of the performer (proportionally to about the square root); it is,
To gain these ends, to fulfil these conditions, and his listen ei*s, could not be accepted as the however, within certain limits proportional to the
Some curious effects were obtained with
essential to the very existence of a musical mon-
groundwork and constitution of a mu- weight.
sounding pipes, the pitch of which was altered by
arch, a vast array of pipes of different shapes and complete
sical
monarchy.
So,
it
has
come
about,
that
the
sizes became necessary. To place these various invention of the organ builder, and the skill of means of a piston, and their intensity by varying
shades of tone-intensity and quality, under the the performer, have alike been directed to the ar- the blast. In the case of certain tones an increase
blast (to nearly double) caused a very consid-
control of the real thought-agent, the organist, the tificial
and complete control of varied de- of
erable increase of deflection in the galvanometer,
large and intricate accumulation of mechanical grees of creation
tone-intensity
and
distinct
tone-qualities.
movements also became necessary: those which Such action has by no means degraded the noble while, with other tones the same increase caused
such effect, but some times even a diminution.
form the means of communication between the instrument,
all things considered, but sometimes no
This result is explained, in part, by the fact that
performer and the tone-producing pipes them- it is carried to
such
an
excess
by
both
organ
build-
selves; as the keys, which bring into action the er and organ player, as would show a somewhat the microphone reacts only with a determinate
particular sound essential to the production of dangerous tendency to submerge the primary im- series of tones, in which series the effect varies
given progressions of melody or harmony, and the mobility and dignity of organ-tone into a compara- considerably; so that we have alternating maxima
stop-knobs and other mechanism, which bring on tively lifeless instrument of imitation. It is impor- and minima. Putting this together with the slight
of pitch from increase of blast, the phenomena
or take off the different sets of pipes as they may
though to note, that the organ character has, rise
may be understood.
be required to express any given intensity or quali- tant
without
any
compromising
loss
of
independence,
ty of tone.
two sides ; it is at once a great instrument in its
The mechanism of the organ, may be briefly own right and power, and an instrument also of
The Kansas City Sunday Times of August 21
ranged under three heads: 'the means by which an great value from its large faculty of adaptability
A musical soiree was given at Conover Bros',
artificial wind supply is created and conveyed to and imitation.
music rooms on Main street, last evening, in which
the tone producing pipes; the pipes themselves, of
[To be continued.)
Mr. Emil Liebling and Mr. Charles Knorr partici-
varied sizes, in order to express notes high or low
pated. A number of our musical people were pre-
in pitch, acute or grave in sound, of varied shapes
CONCERT AT BROCXETT'S BRIDGE, N. Y.
sent, and the evening was thoroughly enjoyed.
and speaking mechanism, in view of the produc-
tion of distinct qualities of tone ; and lastly, the
CONCERT was given at Brockett's Bridge, The following programme was observed:
Handel
mechanism, which enables the performer to em-
N. Y., on the evening of August 27th, for a. Variations, E. Major
Bach
ploy at will, singly or in combination, the various the benefit of the Brockett's Bridge Volunteer Fire b. Gavotte, B. Minor
c.
Sonata,
op.
27,
N.
2
Beethoven
tone-qualities, high or low in pitch, soft or loud in Co., by Mr. and Mrs. Richard Arnold, of New
Mr.
Liebling.
intensity, in short all the different families of pipes, York, and Miss Ida Grass, of the Leipsic Conserva-
Rastrelli
as ranged in tiers ready to his hand.
toi*y of Music, assisted by Miss Anna Dolge Vocal, "Laura Mine." Mr. Knorr.
(soprano),
and
the
following
Little
Falls'
pupils
It is wonderful indeed, that the will of one per-
Fantaisie, op. 28
Mendelssohn
son engaged in the expression of musical thoughts, of Miss Ida Grass, viz., Misses Lilly Warcup, May
Mr. Liebling.
Woolever,
and
Mattie
Morse.
should thus, by the ingenuity of the organ builder,
Vocal, " I'll Sing Three Songs of Araby."
Clay
cope successfully, and after sufficient practice The concert took place at the club house, erected
Mr. Knorr.
Mills
even easily, with so complicated a medium of by Mr. Alfred Dolge, the felt and sounding-board [ a. Valse Caprice, op. 29
)
thought-expression, as the organ is, and ever must manufacturer of that place, principally for the j b. Albutnblatt,
V Emil Liebling
be. Still, it must be borne in mind, by all who use of his employees. The attendance was large c. Feu Follet. Scherzo,
would approach this subject with candor, that and a delightful programme was rendered. Mr. d. Florence, Valse de Concert )
Mr.
Liebling.
what is really wanted in art, is a maximum of mind, Richard Arnold, formerly the leading violinist of
Heart Is."
Carissimi
to be revealed through minimum of machinery: the Theodore Thomas Orchestra, and now solo Vocal, " Victorious My
Mi - . Knorr.
the organ, as the revelation of one mind only, even violinist of the Philharmonic Club of this city, dis- a. Mazurka, B. Minor,
,,. .
though engaged in a multiplicity of purposes tend- played in the Vieuxtemps Fantaisie and in the b. Nocturne, op. 27, N. 2, \ \
Chopin
ing to one end, represents somewhat of the con- Spanish Dance, by Sarasate, his well known power- c Octave. Etude
Kullak
verse position, a minimum of mental power as ful tone and admirable technique.
Mr. Liebling.
I
X
A