[Theme] The Organ Thread

[Airy]

Indeed, tuning and temperament vary considerably. Whether A is a good reference is disputable, by the way. For reference, historically encountered "A" may lie typically one tone lower (around 390Hz, French baroque...) to about half a tone higher (around 460Hz, Northern German baroque) at ambient temperature level. Nowadays most organs are tuned around 440 Hz at 15°C to 20°C. Organ tone is very sensitive to pitch. Big blunders have been made in the past with Cavaillé-Coll organs by moving them from 435 to 440... this was done in Orléans cathedral (hoping to facilitate the play with other instruments) and had to be reversed. Reason is (much simplified) that tone height has something to do with pipe length, but changing the pipe length while leaving, necessarily, other dimensions unaffected subtly but definitely changes the tone. This is even more the case with reed pipes (trumpets etc.).

[Eric Borgström]

Another organ perhaps?
This is from the main cathedral in Stockholm but not the main in Sweden. Storkyrkan. /Eric

[Akira]

Frank and Airy, thanks for the link and explanation.

Yes, I know that the A=440 is so-called modern pitch, and the standard pitch varies from country to country, area to area.

Of course, the tuning should not necessarily the well-tempered one either.

The "tone" should be strongly related to the size and natural acoustic of the cathedral, and changing the pitch may not be a good idea.

[Airy]

Well, changing the pitch necessarily leads to alterations of the pipework. Organ metal, unlike strings, is not elastic. So pitch changes are major interventions; like surgery, they leaves scars. Consequently, organists had better get used to hearing a G# when they play an A (those gifted with absolute hearing may endure a torture).

Even tuning, if not carried out properly, can damage pipes.

[Akira]

Also, altering the pipework means that you have to work on thousands of pipes, if the organ is large, right?  That's a fainting job!

And yes, that's one reson that perfect pitch is not always a good thing for a musician.

[Airy]

I did a full tuning once (it takes two guys by the way, one at the keyboards and one at the pipes) on a relatively small organ, about 1000 pipes. You get ears ringing and greasy dirt from candle soot under your fingernails. And it is even more fun when done at night.

[Airy]

Kortrijk (Belgium). Oly OM-D + 12mm if I remember correctly

[Akira]

Love this antique organ.  Nice to see the bellows as well.

[Frank Fremerey]

Airy. Where are the pipes?

[Akira]

Airy. Where are the pipes?

Right behind the double door above the keyboards?

[Airy]

The pipes are inside, as usual. The front pipes, as seen from the chapel :

[Akira]

Oh, this is majestic!

[Airy]

Small and very nice to play and listen to. Perfect for chamber music. This one is usually played by a certain Mr. Kuijken, who lives nearby.

[Akira]

Small and very nice to play and listen to. Perfect for chamber music. This one is usually played by a certain Mr. Kuijken, who lives nearby.

Great!  But I only know the violinist, the gambist and the fluitist Kuijkens.  Is he a son of any?

[Frank Fremerey]

I love the woodwork. I know many cases with organ pipes open
on the side of the table even with small incarnations.

today in the Franz Hals Museum: