Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
ilk & ®pdi
With which is incorporated THE MUSIC TRADE JOURNAL.
VOL. V.
THE ORGAN AND ORGAN MUSIC.
II.
[A series of lectures delivered at Birmingham,
land, by E. H. Turpin.]
r
No. 4
NEW YOKE, SEPTEMBEE 20TH, 1881.
Eng-
T^HE result of such development in the construc-
J_ tion of an instrument of such extensive require-
ments, has been not only the conglomeration of a
vast number of pipes arranged in tiers according
to their several powers and qualities of tone, but
further, the accumulation of several distinct organs
or departments under the one generic name of or-
gan. The eminent historian of the instrument and
very distinguished performer, Mr. E. J. Hopkins,
whom it was originally expected would be able to
undertake the explanations I cannot hope so worth-
ily to offer to you, enters into these questions of
description and comparison with characteristic pen-
etration and clearness. He, in one work, informs
us that—"the history of the organ shows how, that
abroad (in its earlier development) the different
tiers of pipes from nearly the largest to the small-
est, were accumulated on one keyboard before they
were assorted and appropriated to different depart-
ments ; and that in England, on the contrary, little
instruments with comparatively few pipes, were
dignified by the name of ' a pair of organs ;' that
an example having two manuals or key-boards, was
distinguished by the name of a ' double organ. ' "
Abundant confirmation of the general divisions of
the English organs into departments are to be found
in the pages of our old writers ; and such a saga-
cious, one may almost say prophetic arrangement
of the instrument into distinct divisions, not only
reflects high credit upon our earlier organ builders,
•but shows also, that their inventive skill, then as
now, places them at least level with their fellow
constructors abroad.
"Turning (continues Mr. Hopkins) from the
rules of the past to the custom of the present, it is
found that an organ of to-day, when built upon an
ample and complete scale sometimes consists really
of as many as rive distinct organs —great, swell,
choir, solo and pedal ; but all enclosed in one case,
or at anyrate brought under the control of one per-
former, and spoken of collectively as constituting
one single instrument."—Before advancing I will
venture to explain, that each of these divisional or-
gans has its own special province musically, as well
as its own separate key-board and mechanism. The
great organ, with its key-board in the middle of the
manuals, or in England and Germany the second
from the bottom, and in some modern French or-
gans the bottom, or that set of keys nearest to the
player, has its place and mission set forth in its
name. It has assigned to it, the registers, stops,
or tiers of pipes, giving forth the strongest, broad-
est, and grandest utterances. Its historical place
is undisturbed, as being the fittest medium to ac-
company the people's song and to roll forth the
stateliest symphonies of the church. Its descent is
direct form the oldest form of the instrument.
The swell organ, the invention of Jordan, an
English builder, whose first specimen of the kind
appeared in the organ built for St. Magnus, Lon-
don .Bridge, in 1712, is the natural advance upon
the still older echo organ, which was enclosed in a
box in order to secuiv remoteness of sound ; the
swell being first made by causing the front of the
echo-organ box to slide in a sash-like window, or
to open out, under the control of a pedal, brought
by leverage to the front of the instrument, in order
that it might be manipulated, as it generally is
even now, by the right foot of the player, the
natural effect of such opening, being the produc-
tion of a gradually increasing sound, to be corre-
spondingly decreased by permitting the box to be
re-closed. A succeeding English builder, Green,
introduced the more effective Venetian shutters, as
the means of letting out or shutting in the sounds,
which by these expressive alterations of tone, gave
the name of swell to this department of the
instrument. To the swell organ, such passages as
denote tone growth, vivid emotion, or mysterious
remoteness are properly assigned.
The choir organ ranks next to the great organ in
antiquity ; although this precedence is apparently are employed, find in the organ their most con-
questioned by the German authority, Seidel, who genial exponent. Music adapted or arranged for
says that while the first organs were portable and the organ, includes almost every external type,
called portatives, these were soon succeeded by whether vocal or instrumental, from the players'
larger instruments called positives (a word remote- own ready adaptation of favorite oratorio solos and
ly derived from the Latin " ponere," to set down) choruses, as voluntaries during divine service, to
and were necessarily from their large size, fixtures. the elaborate arrangements from the complex
The word "positive," in different forms, still orchestral scores of the great masters, made, with
clings to the choir organ abroad. The name choir, more or less success, by our leading and most
was doubtless derived from the small organ, to skilful organ players.
which, as is still seen on the continent, was assign-
(To be continued.)
ed the work of accompanying the priests and chor-
isters, and which was, in keeping with its duties,
GERMAN COMPOSERS.
placed in the choir or chancel of the church.
" Gerni'ini/, Present
The registers of the choir ox-gan are supplied [From Her. S. Baring-Gould's
and Past,"]
with soft, thin toned tiers of pipes, and the function
BACH.
of this department is the expression of the softer
F the oratorio received its most perfect develop-
and more reposeful harmonies, specially adapted
ment from Handel, the chorale was not less
for the purpose of accompanying a limited number
fortunate with Bach. His sacred compositions
of voices.
Although several of the large continental organs were »acred compositions in the best sense. He
had four manual departments prior to the erection wrote " Jesu, juva," at the head of each work, and
of the noble instrument in the Birmingham Town at the end " Soli Deo Gloria," and he truly wrote
Hall, about which I shall have something to say in and labored to the glory of God only. He laid
my next lecture, it is the first in which the solo hold of Christianity in its positive form; but
organ appears in its modern character, as the as he found in his religion the answer to the yearn-
special emporium of the individual tone-qualities, ings of his own nature, all his church compositions
including also for the first time the great Ophe- express strong individuality. This explains the
cleide or Tuba stop, which gains its enormous double nature of Bach's works, the existence of
vigorous individuality side by aide with stiff for-
power from a heavy wind pressure.
richest subjectivity along with rigorous
To the solo organ is assigned the performance of malism,
There are musical creations which
passages, chiefly played, as the name solo implies, objectivity.
heard are epochs in a life, as there are scenes,
upon stops of exceptionally prominent tones or once
which vignette chapters in the inner
strictly imitative capacities; this department being once seen, I shall
never forget the hearing of Bach's
in brief, a modern approach on the part of the history.
"Himmlische Liebe" at a performance by a Ger-
organ building art, to some of the more individual man
" Liedertafel." It was followed by Mendel-
and exceptional effects of the orchestral band.
ssohn's "St. Paul." But that great work fell
The pedals, which as the name denotes, are unheeded on the ear, the soaring, lark-like song of
played upon by the performer's feet, undertake Bach had taken entire possession of the soul, and
the general bass part of the music, and conse- left no room even for Mendelssohn.
quently monopolize most of the larger, deep-toned
HAYDN.
pipes. The pedal keys, have beon in use for cen-
turies abroad, though, strange to relate, they are There was a great charm about Haydn's charac-
but of comparatively recent introduction in this ter ; he was so wholly unselfish and humble. Ha
country. They have, in all properly written oi*gan looked on his musical power* as a gift of God, and
music, a sepai*ate stave, upon which their notes when, as an old man of seventy-six, he heard the
are placed on paper. Handel's music for the in- production of his "Creation," when that wondrous
strument and indeed all English organ music writ- burst of harmony rang through the house, "Let
ten previous to the last half century, had no sepa- there be light—and light was !" and awoke
rately written pedal part; though the eminent applause, he put out his trembling hands, brush-
organist, Mr. W. T. Best, points out the fact that ing away the clamor of the people, murmuring,
Handel did, in at least one movement, give dis- " It is not mine, not mine, it came from above !"
tinct notes for performance on the pedals. The This was no empty phrase, but the expression of a
special functions of the different departments may real conviction. He relates that he never was so
be briefly summarized thus—the great organ is the devout as whilst composing the " Creation," and
medium for broad, massive effects and for achieved that daily at that time " I fell on my knees and
climaxes; the swell furnishes the natural expres- prayed God to give me power to accomplish the
sion for music in a varying state of emotion and work." And again, "When I could not get on
for passages either growing towards or falling with my composition, I walked up and down the
away from climax points ; the choir organ is room with my rosary, and prayed some Aves, and
specially adapted for the utterance of passages then ideas came." His art was divine, and every
having little or no emotional force, and for sedate, happy thought was a gift of grace. This explains
reposeful harmony generally; the solo organ em- his modesty and absence of jealousy in the recog-
braces those individual specialties, as would in the nition of others. He had no scruple in setting the
orchestra be taken by single instruments of marked young Mozart above himself. " I know very well,"
peculiarities or prominence of tone; and the pedals he said, "that Mozart is the greatest composer the
by taking the appropriate bass notes underlying world has seen." Haydn's artistic significance lies
these different effects, not only supply a solid sub- in what he has effected for instrumental music.
stratum of sound, but in releasing the player's He loosed the tongue of the orchestra, he individ-
hands to a large extent from the dut^ of sustain- ualized every instrument. The stringed quartet
ing the complete harmonies, enable him the better became the conversation of four real individuals :
to control the other external mechanisms of the each instrument was characteristically handled,
instrument, and also to perform masses of harmony and its theme adapted to its capacities and position
spreading over a larger tone surface, than could be in the conversation. The orchestra with Gluck
possibly gripped by the two hands unaided by the was an accompaniment to the singer, monotonous
feet. With such comprehensive appliances, the in color. Haydn poured life into it. Every in-
organ maintains to advantage, its two-fold posi- strument began to speak in its own tongue, te}l its
tion, as an instrument with a distinct classification, own tale, find out that it had a language and
and as the greatest and most extensive adapter of character of its own. It was the Pentecost of the
music written for other mediums, which the in- orchestra. The instruments spoke together in their
genuity of man has ever invented.
various tongues, but all were harmonized into one
hymn. The orchestra under Haydn became the
Classical organ music: or that written expressly echo of many-voiced nature ; there was warbling
for the instrument, for the most part inclines to and twittering, quavering and trilling, singing,
the expression of its own specially passive and re- thrumming, and laughing—all the notes, and
flective character; thus the contrapuntal and fugal tones, and emotions, were blended by one golden
forms, in which interwoven and imitative harmonies
J