JULIAN RHODES' DREAM ORGANS
The quest for very large organs is not new. Marking points on the journey include Amiens Cathedral, with 2500 pipes by 1422; the Castle Church at Prague, with 4 manuals and 74 stops by 1588; Ulm Minster, with 100 stops in 1856; and the Royal Albert Hall, London, with 111 stops in 1871.Today the world's largest organs are in the USA. Each of the 'big three' is strongly individual: the clean, majestic lines of Atlantic City; the teeming, labyrinthine detail of West Point; the warm inclusiveness of the Wanamaker organ. Each has influenced my Liber Organum.
The desire for very large organs has a number of motives. Civic and ecclesiastical pride have played their part, as has the need to project sound in a large building. The desire for a complete tonal palette goes hand in hand with that peculiar richness of sound given by large numbers of pipes sounding together. Stephen Bicknell wrote, on hearing the organ at St. Sulpice: "This tutti is a sound of unbelievable complexity: the ear hears so many consituent components that the mind is dazzled." William H. Barnes, writing about the Wanamaker organ, said: "One of its most satisfying features is the richness and mellowness of tone that is produced by hundreds of stops voiced with a moderate degree of power. The wealth of tonal texture is indescribable."
During a period of enforced convalescence in 1989 I toyed with the idea of drawing up an organ stoplist which carried all tonal possibilities to a logical conclusion. The first draft totalled 2,295 stops in 73 divisions played from 7 manuals. A second draft doubled this size. It became apparant that I was constructing a stoplist which was utterly impractical from all normal points of view. It would in effect be impossible to build. It could not realistically be housed anywhere, nor could it be kept in tune. Its extremes of pitch and volume would be incompatible with human hearing. I therefore proceeded with my organ-dream quite without restraint, and a third draft doubled the size of the organ once more. Former subdivisions were expanded and divided, new ones created. The fourth draft, completed in 1995, is the current Liber Organum. It is a more coherent, more colourful remodelling of its predecessor, somewhat reduced in size. All possibilities are far from exhausted, but it seems an appropriate place at which to halt.This stoplist is that of an 'invisible organ'. Although it will not be made manifest, its structure and concepts are nonetheless real. They may be played upon by the mind of the reader. Moving beyond the bounds of physical possibility, it becomes its own musical cosmos.
1. That exploration and development should be pursued without respect for traditional bounds
and thus2. That there should be no limit on size.
3. That traditional concepts and role-models should be a starting point for the main structures
but equally4. That new tonal resources should be introduced
and5. That extra-musical and philosophical symbolism should be incorporated.
6. That duplication should be avoided as far as possible.
7. That it should not be merely eclectic, a compendium of diverse features past and present
and therefore8. That it must have unity of purpose
and also9. That despite its size it should maintain measure, balance and proportion in all its parts.
The registers of Liber Organum are distributed among twelve levels, which have a tenuous connection with normal manual divisions, and form a ladder from lowest to highest, thus:
Most levels contain several subdivisions. Some are derived from familiar types of manuals and divisions, while others are entirely original. For example, the 'Atrium' level includes subdivisions resembling traditional Positive and Choir models, but also 'Chamois' and 'Iridian' sections which are unlike anything extant.In most cases, traditional division-types are expanded far beyond normal limits. For example, the Positive subdivision of the Atrium level is itself divided into 12 sections. Two of these include metal and wood principal choruses from 32' to 1/32' as well as other voices; they each have some 170 stops. Pedal sections are located on all levels of the instrument.
While each level is complete within itself, the organ is conceived as a whole: its tonal families and colours are echoed and developed throughout the various levels.
There is no extention or duplexing within the stoplist, although many colours have family members in several pitches. This, together with the introduction of new voices, has resulted in an unusually wide vocabulary of stop-names, including many that are entirely new. Some of these are defined in the introductions to the stoplists; the rest are defined in the glossary of stop-names. Names taken from from non-European languages have usually been Anglicised. Locations are given, when known, of existing organs which use these stop-names; however, they have no connexion with my interpretation of these stop-names.
In the mixturework of the organ, certain stop-names have repeatedly been assigned to various registers. These names imply certain qualities of tone. Like its Italian namesake, the 'Ripieno' is a unison/quint chorus mixture of unforced tone, in the classical tradition. The 'Pleno' is more assertive, somewhat in the romantic fashion of climax-mixtures. The 'Armonia' includes thirds, sevenths and other partials which enrich the ensemble. The 'Farber' (which name means 'colour' in German) comprises odd partials. The 'Paletta' is similar to the 'Farber', but voiced softly to enhance the gentler registers.
Throughout the organ, mutations have been brought together in 'Farber' divisions. A wide variety of pitches is present, including quarter-tones. Voiced softly, they are designed to colour individual registers and ensembles. For this reason they are enclosed in swell-chambers for greater flexibility in mixing the colours of the musical palette. Harmonic-colouring divisions of this sort were first proposed by G.A. Audsley, and appeared at West Point (Moller) and Atlantic City High School (Midmer-Losh).
'Ac.' (acuta), 'mezzo' and 'gr.' (grave) refer to ranks voiced to emphasise bright, normal and foundational harmonic timbres respectively.'Angusta' indicates narrow scale. 'Fuerte' indicates brilliant timbre. 'Real' indicates full timbre.
Throughout the stoplist, f = flat; n = natural; sh = sharp; sl. = slightly; v. = very.
In mixture specifications, if 'f' or 'sh' precedes the pitch of a rank, a semitonal change is meant.
If 'f' or 'sh' follows the pitch of a rank, detuning to form a celeste beat is meant.
The name AVERNUS was given by the Romans to a lake in Campania, believed to be the
entrance to the underworld. This division is located in a well beneath the floor, and
is subterranean in spirit.
The lower level consists of two choruses:
This is the first of four 'introductory' levels to the organ. There is
much extra-musical symbolism here.
The middle level includes:
COR HADES: A 2-rank brass-reed comprising a louder horn rank
and a softer, thinner-toned rank of trumpets. The general effect is dark and rich.
CHOEUR HADES: A 3-rank Vox Humana (flat, natural & sharp).
Muted, throaty tone.
The upper level includes:
MRU-U-UU-UUU: A piffaro of wooden horn, diapason, clarinet and
vox ranks creating a groaning, wailing sound. The ranks are
available individually or in any combination. The onomatopaeic name
is of Babylonian derivation.
BILUSHAZIRI: A rich, purple-toned brass-reed. The name is Euphratean
for 'Lord of the Seed'.
MIRAK: A hard-toned brass-reed. The name is from the Arabic
'Al Marakk', meaning 'the coin'.
ALHAAITH: A fat horn-toned brass-reed. The name is from the
Arabic 'Alyat', meaning 'fat tail'.
CHOEUR LABIA: A flue piffaro.
The pedal registers include:
MOLTEN FLUTE: A flute piffaro. All pipes open harmonic brass.
TARTARUS: A growling horn. The name, in Greek mythology,
refers to that part of the underworld where punishment is meted out.
DOMDANIEL: A thin, hard-toned trumpet. The name, from the Latin
'Domus Danielis', is that of a mythological submarine
hall where a magician met with his acolytes -
the "infernal cave" of Carlyle.
LEVIATHAN: The lowermost and lowest-pitched stop in the organ, a
growling piffaro comrpising ranks of various kinds.
The name literally means 'that which twists round' and was, in the
Old Testament, applied to a sea-monster (Job 41:1-34; Psalm 74:13).
CHOEUR LINGUA: Like the manual CHOEUR HADES, but comprising only two ranks.
AVERNUS LEVEL - LOWER
Left Right
256 Cor Hades II 128 Choeur Hades III
128 Cor Hades II 64 Choeur Hades III
64 Cor Hades II 32 Choeur Hades III
32 Cor Hades II 16 Choeur Hades III
16 Cor Hades II 8 Choeur Hades III
8 Cor Hades II 4 Choeur Hades III
AVERNUS LEVEL - MIDDLE
XIV Mru-u-uu-uuu
(wooden horns: 32'.1.8.
diapasons: 1f.8f.15f.f21
clarinets: 5.10.12
voxes: 16'.16'.1sh.8sh)
64 Bilushaziri 4 4/7 - 32 Alhaaith (breaking)
32 Bilushaziri 16 + 16 Alhaaith
16 + 16 Bilushaziri 8 + 5 1/3 Alhaaith
8 + 8 Bilushaziri 4 Alhaaith
II Armonia 3.9
4 + 4 Bilushaziri
16 + 8 + 5 9/11 Mirak
128 Choeur Labia IV f+n+sh+64'
64 Choeur Labia IV f+n+sh+32'
42 2/3 Choeur Labia IV f+n+sh+v.sh
32 Choeur Labia IV f+n+sh+v.sh
32 Choeur Labia III v.f+n+16'
21 1/3 Choeur Labia IV f+n+sh+v.sh
16 Choeur Labia IV f+n+sh+v.sh
16 Choeur Labia III v.f+n+8'
10 2/3 Choeur Labia IV f+n+sh+v.sh
8 Choeur Labia IV f+n+sh+v.sh
8 Choeur Labia III v.f+n+4'
5 1/3 Choeur Labia IV f+n+sh+v.sh
4 Choeur Labia IV f+n+sh+v.sh
4 Choeur Labia III v.f+n+2'
2 2/3 Choeur Labia IV f+n+sh+v.s
2 Choeur Labia IV f+n+sh+v.sh
2 Choeur Labia III v.f+n+1'
II Armonia Labia 51 1/5' + 36 4/7'
II Armonia Labia 25 3/5' + 18 2/7'
II Armonia Labia 12 4/5' + 9 1/7'
II Armonia Labia 3.f7
II Armonia Labia 10.f14
AVERNUS LEVEL - UPPER
VI Molten Flute 16'.1f.1.1.1sh.8
32 Tartarus
16 Domdaniel
16 Tartarus
8 Domdaniel
8 Tartarus
4 Tartarus
II Armonia 12 4/5' + 9 11/13'
AVERNUS LEVEL - PEDAL: BOTTOM
XII Leviathan
(512' + brass horns: 512'.256'.128'
oboe horns: 64'.32'
voxes: 32'sh.16'sh
diaphones: 64'.32'.16'
strings: 21 1/3'.10 2/3')
AVERNUS LEVEL - PEDAL: LOWER
128 Choeur Lingua II
64 Choeur Lingua II
32 Choeur Lingua II
16 Choeur Lingua II
8 Choeur Lingua II
AVERNUS LEVEL - PEDAL: MIDDLE
32 + 16 + 11 7/11 Mirak
1024 Choeur Labia I
512 Choeur Labia II n+sh
256 Choeur Labia II n+sh
170 2/3 Choeur Labia II n+sh
128 Choeur Labia III f+n+sh
85 1/3 Choeur Labia II n+sh
64 Choeur Labia III f+n+sh
42 2/3 Choeur Labia II n+sh
32 Choeur Labia III f+n+sh
21 1/3 Choeur Labia II n+sh
16 Choeur Labia III f+n+sh
16 Choeur Labia III v.f+n+8'
8 Choeur Labia III f+n+sh
8 Choeur Labia III v.f+n+sh
II Armonia 102 2/5' + 73 1/7'
(161 stops)
'Styx' is the name of the mythological river flowing between
earth and the underworld. In the stoplist, it therefore lies between
Avernus and Terrene.
The name FLUXIT is derived from the Latin verb 'to flow', and refers
to the flowing of river waters. It comprises veiled string tone of
the salicional type. The registers of the second subdivision are conical.
The two Vox divisions include:
This is the second of the introductory levels. Like Avernus, it
contains much extra-musical symbolism.
In the FLAUTO division there are three contrasting families, including:
VOX MITERRE: dark-toned registers. The name is derived from 'Middle Earth',
used by Tolkein and others.
VOX CHARON: Vocal-toned, mellow registers. The name comes from the
ferryman who, in Greek mythology, rows the
souls of the dead across the river Styx to Hades.
The Chamada family is called:
BONE PIPE: This evokes the primitive flute made from birds' bones.
(See also TIBIA in the stop glossary)
DMUZZI: A virile-toned, springy chamada horn.
This Babylonian name is that of the god also known as Tammuz, who descends
to the underworld, returning therefrom each Spring. The uppermost family in the
Styx level, it propels us upwards towards the Terrene level.
STYX LEVEL - FLUXIT
I
64 Fluxit
64 Fluxit sharp
32 Fluxit
32 Fluxit sharp
21 1/3 Fluxit 5th
18 2/7 Fluxit flat 7th
16 Fluxit sharp
16 Fluxit natural
16 Fluxit flat
10 2/3 Fluxit 5th
9 1/7 Fluxit flat 7th
8 Fluxit v.sharp
8 Fluxit sharp
8 Fluxit 1 ac.
8 Fluxit 2 mezz.
8 Fluxit 3 gr.
8 Fluxit flat
8 Fluxit v.flat
8 Fluxit Dolce
8 Fluxit Dolce flat
5 1/3 Fluxit 5th
5 1/3 Fluxit 5th sharp
4 4/7 Fluxit flat 7th
4 Fluxit sharp
4 Fluxit 1 ac.
4 Fluxit 2 gr.
4 Fluxit flat
3 1/5 Fluxit 10th
2 2/3 Fluxit 12th
2 2/3 Fluxit 12th sharp
2 2/7 Fluxit flat 14th
2 Fluxit sharp
2 Fluxit
2 Fluxit flat
1 3/5 Fluxit 17th
1 1/3 Fluxit 19th
1 1/7 Fluxit flat 21st
1 Fluxit 22nd
1 Fluxit 22nd sharp
1/2 Fluxit 29th
II
32 Fluxit
32 Fluxit flat
16 Fluxit sharp
16 Fluxit
16 Fluxit sl.flat
16 Fluxit flat
12 4/5 Fluxit 3rd
10 2/3 Fluxit 5th
8 Fluxit v.sharp
8 Fluxit sharp
8 Fluxit sl. sharp
8 Fluxit
8 Fluxit sl.flat
8 Fluxit flat
8 Fluxit v.flat
6 2/5 Fluxit 3rd
5 1/3 Fluxit 5th
4 Fluxit sharp
4 Fluxit
4 Fluxit sl.flat
4 Fluxit flat
3 1/5 Fluxit 10th
2 2/3 Fluxit 12th
2 Fluxit
2 Fluxit flat
IV Fluxit Armonia 17.19.f21.22
Piffaros
XII Fluxit Piffaro 64'
64'.42 2/3'.32'.24 4/5'.21 1/3'.18 2/7'. 16'.
14 2/9'.12 4/5'.11 7/11'.10 2/3'.9 11/13'
XII Fluxit Piffaro 32'
32'.21 1/3'.16'.12 4/5'.10 2/3'.9 1/7'.1.2.3.4.5.6
XII Fluxit Piffaro 16'
16'.10 2/3'.1.3.5.f7.8.9.10.11.12.13
XII Fluxit Piffaro 8'
1.5.8.10.12.f14.15.16.17.18.19.20
XII Fluxit Piffaro 4'
8.12.15.17.19.f21.22.23.24.25.26.27
XII Fluxit Piffaro 2'
15.19.22.24.26.f28.29.30.31.32.33.34
XII Fluxit Piffaro 1'
22.26.29.31.33.f35.36.37.38.39.40.41
STYX LEVEL - VOX
I
64 Vox Miterre
32 Vox Miterre
16 Vox Miterre
16 Vox Miterre sharp
10 2/3 Vox 5th
8 Vox Miterre sharp
8 Vox Miterre 1
8 Vox Miterre 2
8 Vox Miterre flat
5 1/3 Vox 5th
4 Vox Miterre
4 Vox Miterre sharp
3 1/5 Vox 10th
2 2/3 Vox 12th
2 Vox Miterre
2 Vox Miterre sharp
II
32 Vox Charon
16 Vox Charon
8 Vox Charon 1
8 Vox Charon 2
8 Vox Charon flat
4 Vox Charon
2 Vox Charon
1 Vox Charon
II Armonia 12 4/5'.9 1/7'
II Armonia 3.f7
II Armonia f14.17
STYX LEVEL - FLAUTO
Left:
32 Globular Flute
16 Globular Flute
8 Globular Flute
8 Globular Flute sharp
5 1/3 Globular 5th
4 Globular Flute
3 1/5 Globular 10th
2 Globular Flute
Centre:
8 Bone Pipe
4 Bone Pipe
2 Bone Pipe
1 Bone Pipe
Right:
16 Pentagonal Flute
8 Pentagonal Flute
8 Pentagonal Flute flat
6 2/5 Pentagonal 3rd
4 Pentagonal Flute
2 2/3 Pentagonal 12th
2 Pentagonal Flute
STYX LEVEL - CHAMADA
32 Dmuzzi
16 Dmuzzi
8 Dmuzzi
8 Dmuzzi sharp
5 1/3 Dmuzzi 5th
4 Dmuzzi
2 Dmuzzi
STYX LEVEL - PEDAL: FLUXIT
128 Rhiss
64 Rhiss
42 2/3 Rhiss 5th
32 Rhiss II
32 Shiss Piffaro IV
24 4/5 Rhiss 3rd
21 1/3 Rhiss 5th
16 Rhiss II sh+v.sh
16 Rhiss
16 Shiss Piffaro V
16 Rhiss II sh+v.sh
12 4/5 Rhiss 3rd
10 2/3 Rhiss 5th
8 Rhiss II
8 Shiss Piffaro IV
5 1/3 Rhiss 12th
4 Rhiss II
4 Shiss Piffaro IV
2 2/3 Rhiss 19th
2 Rhiss II
STYX LEVEL - PEDAL: VOX
128 Vox Cistern
64 Vox Cistern
32 Vox Cistern
21 1/3 Vox 5th
16 Vox Cistern
16 Vox Cistern sharp
10 2/3 Vox 5th
8 Vox Cistern
4 Vox Cistern
STYX LEVEL - PEDAL: FLAUTO
32 Hexagonal Flute
16 Hexagonal Flute
16 Triangular Flute
8 Hexagonal Flute
4 Hexagonal Flute
(107 stops)
This name, from Milton's 'Paradise Lost' (VI-78) means 'of the earth',
and there is much earth symbolism in the stop-names.
The LOGGIA division, like those throughout the organ, is a chest
which stands at the front of the level and comprises a tonal cameo
of specialised/original ranks. Here it is a string-chest containing:
Pedal: Upper contains:
This level contains a further selection of 'character' ensembles and
symbolic elements.
The lower section comprises a four-manual and pedal organ with many illustrative
stop-names:
PHORMINX: A piffaro evoking the timbre of the ancient Greek lyre.
GHISHAH: A string of plaintive, nasal timbre evoking the Persian viol.
GETSU: A thin and bland-toned string, evoking the Japanese flat lute.
KWAITARA: A piffaro of gently melodic quality, named after the
Arabic instrument, an ancestor of the guitar.
HARDANGER FIDDLE: A piffaro evoking the Norwegian folk instrument,
which has bowed strings of gut and sympathetic strings of wire.
The middle section is a chest of symbolic registers:
FLUTE DU TERRE: A wide-scale chimney flute.
BROWN/LOAMY/FERTILE/GROWING/WHOLE EARTH: These ranks comprise the diapason
chorus, of rich, earthy tone.
WALD HORN: An open wood flute of gently horny timbre.
(Midmer-Losh: St. Mark Philadelphia; Atlantic City Convention Hall, and others)
GREEN GRASS: A muted viol celeste.
AVICINIUM: A colouring mixture. The name, which means 'birdsong'
in Latin, has sometimes been given to 'toy' bird-stops.
FISTULA RURESTRIS: A rustic-toned oboe. The name means 'rural pipe' in Latin.
HEMIOL: A gentle-toned Musette. The name is derived from Slavic roots
meaning 'gentle'.
(Flauto Hemiol: St. Florian Abbey - Chrissman 1774)
MERULA: An open flute of bird-like tone. The name means 'blackbird' in Latin,
and was sometimes given to 'toy' bird-stops.
VOX VINOLATA: A bucolic, bubbly Vox Humana. The name comes from
the Latin 'Vinolentus', meaning 'drunken'.
(Lund Cathedral - Strand 1836)
STAG HORN: A virile chamada-horn.
The upper section contains two tonal families:
VOX POPULI: An inescapable register. 'Approx' conveys the
mutable loyalty and philosophical beliefs of this register.
VOX SATURNALIA: A burdensome register, heavy with the weight
of obligation; transmuted to a higher plane in the registers
'Ordinance' and 'Service Principle' on the Median Level.
LUCIFER: Not Satanic; rather, a light bringer.
TEMENU: A solid, Babylonian diapason. Named after 'Temenos', a
sacred enclosure.
ANTARES: This redly glowing reed hits the bull's eye.
ALPHA CENTAURI: Our nearest star presages the uppermost
subdivision in the whole Liber Organum, on the Celestial Level.
As above, so below.
The registers on Pedal: Loggia include:
AQUARELLE: A mild, neutral-toned Dulciana. The name
is French for 'water-colour'.
MEROPE: A warm, round-toned Unda Maris. The name means
'mortal' (and therefore terrene) in Greek.
Pedal: Lower includes tree symbolism, as well as a tansliteration
of 'Krum Horn'. For SALICIS and FAGUS see the main glossary.
KAMANCHA: A gutsy viol, after the Arabic instrument.
SELENE: A cool-toned Dolce. The name is that of the ancient Greek moon-goddess,
lover of Pan.
TERRENE LEVEL - LOGGIA
V Phorminx 1.12.15.17.f21
16 Ghishah 8 Getsu
8 Ghishah 4 Getsu
4 Ghishah 2 Getsu
VII Kwaitara 1.8.12.15.16.17.19
IV Hardanger Fiddle
(stopped flutes: 1.8
salicionals: 5.12)
TERRENE LEVEL - LOWER
I
16 Flute du Terre
8 Brown Earth
8 Wald Horn
8 Flute du Terre
8 Green Grass II
5 1/3 Earth 5th
4 Loamy Earth
4 Flute du Terre
2 2/3 Earth 12th
2 Fertile Earth
III Wald Cornet 12.15.17
IV Growing Earth 19.22.26.29
16 Country Horn
8 Country Horn
II
8 Whole Earth
8 Heath Flute
4 Whole Earth
4 Field Flute
2 2/3 Flute 12th
2 Whole Earth
2 Forest Flute
1 1/3 Flute 19th
1 Shepherds Flute
IV Avicinium 24.26.f28.36
8 Fistula Rurestris
4 Hemiol
III
2 Merula
III Vox Vinolata 16'.1sh.5
8 Krum Horn
chamada:
8 Stag Horn
IV
- GCR
- LMS
- LDECR
TERRENE LEVEL - MIDDLE
5 1/3 Alpha Centauri
8 Antares
4 - 16 Antares
8 Temenu (14 notes)
16 Lucifer
8 Vox Saturnalia flat
8 Vox Saturnalia
16 Vox Saturnalia
V Vox Populi (4' approx.)
V Vox Populi (8' approx.)
V Vox Populi (16' approx.)
TERRENE LEVEL - UPPER
32 Aquarelle 16 Merope
16 Aquarelle 8 Merope
8 Aquarelle 8 Merope sharp
8 Aquarelle flat 8 Merope dolce
4 Aquarelle 4 Merope
2 2/3 Aquarelle 12th 3 1/5 Merope 10th
2 Aquarelle 2 Merope
1 3/5 Aquarelle 17th 1 Merope
III Armonia 15.19.22 III Armonia 5.8sh.f14
TERRENE LEVEL - PEDAL: LOGGIA
16 Kamancha
16 Getsu
8 Kamancha
TERRENE LEVEL - PEDAL: LOWER
32 Root Flute
16 Fond du Terre
16 Trunk Flute
16 Salicis
10 2/3 Terre 5th
8 Fond du Terre
8 Branch Flute
II Terre Quartan 12.15
2 Leaf Flute
III Terre Ripieno
32 Bass Crook Horn
16 Baritone Crook Horn
16 Fagus
8 Tenor Crook Horn
TERRENE LEVEL - PEDAL: MIDDLE
8 Athyr
16 Temenu (17 notes)
TERRENE LEVEL - PEDAL: UPPER
64 Selene
32 Selene
16 Merope
16 Selene
8 Merope
8 Selene
4 Selene
(122 stops)
The name 'Inceptual' means 'that which begins'. Its choruses evoke historical organs,
preluding the main chorus-structures of the instrument.
The Lower section contains evocations of the earliest organs:
The Middle section contains a 'Venta' chest evoking the brassy timbre of the
famous 10th-century organ at Winchester, and a 'Blokwerk' evoking the
high-gothic organ with its individual tenor and bass registers, several
unison diapasons and large 'Hornwerk' chests.
The Upper section contains further organ-types, and includes a smaller
Blokwerk with reed stops called:
This level, which contains recreations of ancient
and medieval organ-types, forms a bridge between the symbolic realms of the
lowest three levels and the main body of the instrument.
In the BYZANTIA section, we reach the organ in Byzantium and Constantinople.
The six chests are all to be tuned in Pythagorean temperament, taking
the note named in brackets as the unison of the temperament. The difference
between A-flat and G-sharp (cheSts 1 and 6) is taken from the temperament whose
unison is C. Necessito is the mother of the three fates: Lachesis (past),
Clotho (present) and Atropos (future). The concept behind this selection of
divisions, and their names, comes from Joscelyn Godwin's 'Music, Mysticism
and Magic' (1987).
MAGREPHA: An instrument used in Jewish worship in
old-testament times. Possibly a kind of bagpipe,
it has also been claimed as an early organ.
Here it is a 3-rank Musette.
MASHROQUITHA: Another Jewish organ-like instrument.
KTESIBIOS: The name of the inventor of the Hydraulos (the
hydraulic organ) in Hellenic Alexandria. Here, it comprises three ranks
typically found in the Hydraulii: open and stopped flutes made of copper,
and a reed.
PNEUMATICA: A later cousin of the Hydraulus.
SHENG: The Chinese mouth-organ with bamboo pipes.
RHYTUM: The mechanically-blown Greek war-horn,
with its single strident reed pipe.
(For a detailed account of these fascinating early organs, the standard source
remains Jean Perrot's 'The Organ: from its invention in the hellenistic period
to the end of the thirteenth century', translated from the French and
published in 1971 by OUP.)
CANTUS: A thin-toned woodwind reed. The name means 'song' in Latin.
(Residence William Weaver II, New York - Gluck 1990)
INCEPTUAL LEVEL - LOWER
IV Magrepha IV Mashroquitha
III Ktesibios (8'open. 8'stopped. 8'reed)
IV Pneumatica (open: 8.15
stopped: 1.8.15
reed: 8)
8 Earth Sheng 8 + 5 1/3 Copper Rhytum
2-16 Sheng (breaking) 16 + 8 + 4 horn Rhytum
8 Sheng 8 + 3 1/5 Brass Rhytum
4 Sheng
8 Harmonic Sheng
INCEPTUAL LEVEL - BYZANTIA
1. Constantina Lachesis (a-flat)
4 open
2 open
8 stopped
4 stopped
4 reed
2. Constantina Clotho (c)
8 open
8 open
4 stopped
3. Constantina Necessito (d)
4 open
2 open
8 stopped
4 stopped
8 reed
4. Constantina Necessito (d)
8 open
4 open
4 stopped
2 stopped
4 reed
5. Constantina Atropos (e)
4 open
2 open
8 reed
6. Constantina Lachesis (g-sharp)
8 open
4 open
8 stopped
4 stopped
2 reed
INCEPTUAL LEVEL - MIDDLE
VENTA
IV Venta 1.8.12.19 IV Venta 1.12.15.22
V Venta 8.12.15.19.22 IV Venta 8.8.15.19
4 stopped 8 reed
BLOKWERK (to left and right of Venta)
I
32 Contra-Tenor
32 + 16 Contra-Tenor
16 + 16 Contra-Tenor
16 Contra-Tenor
II
8 + 8 Tenor
8 Tenor
8 + 5 1/3 Tenor
5 1/3 + 4 Tenor
III
8 + 8 + 8 Regula
8 Regula
IV
VII 16'.1.5.8.12.15.19
VIII 1.8.12.15.15.19.19.22
IX 1.8.12.15.19.22.22.26.26
V
IV 16'.1.8.15
IV 1.8.15.22
VI 5.8.12.15.19.22
V 15.19.22.26.29
VI
V 8.15.22.26.29
V 12.15.22.26.29
VII
VI 8.8.15.15.22.22
VIII 12.12.15.15.19.19.22.22
VII 12.15.19.22.22.26.29
VIII
II Flautus 1.8
III Flautus 8.19.22
II Flautus 12.15
8 stopped
4 stopped
2 stopped
INCEPTUAL LEVEL - UPPER
PORTATIV
4 + 2 open
4 stopped
REGAL
4 regal
POSITIV (to left and right of Portativ and Regal)
I
16 Tenor
16 + 8 Tenor
8 Tenor
4 Tenor
II
III 1.8.15
VI 8.15.19.22.22.29
III 12.15.19
VI 15.22.26.29.33.36
III
V 1.8.12.15.19.22
IV 15.19.26.29
IV 22.29.33.36
IV
4 open
8 + 4 stopped
2 stopped
1 1/3 stopped
V
8 cantus
4 cantus
2 cantus
INCEPTUAL LEVEL - PEDAL: LOWER
16 Sheng 16 + 8 Rhytum
INCEPTUAL LEVEL - PEDAL: BYZANTIA
1. Constantina Lachesis (a-flat)
8 open
16 reed
2. Constantina Clotho (c)
4 open
16 stopped
3. Constantina Necessito (d)
8 open
4 reed
4. Constantina Necessito (d)
8 open
16 stopped
5. Constantina Atropos (e)
8 open
8 reed
6. Constantina Lachesis (g-sharp)
4 open
8 stopped
INCEPTUAL LEVEL - PEDAL: MIDDLE
VENTA
III Ventabass 1.8.15
BLOKWERK
I
64 Contra-Bass
32 Contra-Bass
16 + 16 Contra-Bass
8 + 5 1/3 Contra-Bass
4 + 2 Contra-Bass
II
64 + 32 Contra-Bass
16 + 8 Contra-Bass
8 + 4 Contra-Bass
III
16 Flautus st.
8 Flautus st.
4 Flautus st.
INCEPTUAL LEVEL - PEDAL: UPPER
POSITIV
32 + 16 Bass
16 + 8 Bass
8 Bass