JULIAN RHODES' DREAM ORGANS
PART FIVE: THE 273-STOP 'TEMPLE OF TONE'
The Pedal division, according to Audsley's custom, is partly expressive, the
enclosed ranks consisting of "the higher-pitched single and compound
harmonic corroborating stops, so as to greatly increase their powers in
compound-tone production, in combination with uninclosed stops... The stops
which are of a solo character and the contrasting lingual stops are also
inclosed, for obvious reasons." The proprtions of this division are interesting.
Eight 32ft. stops (including four open flues and three reeds)
balance thirteen 16ft. stops, with eight at 8ft. and only three at 4ft. There is no
stopped flute of any kind at 16', but a rich array of soft open metal ranks
includes two gemshorns.
This division may seem rather small for a 273-stop instrument, but we must
not overlook the fact that all the
independent Pedal ranks are provided with an extra top octave of pipes for
use with the Pedal octave coupler. This was a practice found in 19th-century
organs by Walker, while in his Alexandra Palace organ Father Willis included selective
octave couplers to certain of the pedal stops.
The Grand Organ is the least revolutionary section of the instrument. The
diapason chorus includes the 14th but omits the 21st; it has two 10ths and
builds up to thirteen ranks of mixtures. There are full-toned strings and flutes at
8', including three of open wooden contruction. Note that Audsley does not
exaggerate the amount of unison diapason tone (four chorus ranks plus two
enclosed 'character' voices); rather, he concentrates on a well-balanced
ensemble. "The stops of the First Subdivision, which are foundational in
their tones, are advisedly exposed; so that, under no circumstances,
can such tones be changed or lose their essential character, whatever the
others associated with them may be... Lingual stops have been omitted here...
no lingual stop should be inserted in an unexpresive and inflexible
manual Division or Subdivision of an organ." The mixtures are included in the
enclosed subdivision because "the power to adjust or graduate the tones of the
harmonic-corroborating stops, and especially of both the GRAND CORNET and
FULL MIXTURE, cannot well be over-valued; for it increases their utility in
compound tone-production to an almost limitless extent."
The Accompanimental Organ "...has been devised to meet all legitimate
demands that can be made on it in accompanimental music, and, in the
production of tonal effects, simple and complex, of a singularly refined
character, and of any degree of softness that may be desirable..."
The two subdivisions are enclosed in separate swell boxes, as was
Audsley's preference. "While each subdivision is practically complete,
and can be used separately; in combination they afford the organist
entirely new and fascinating means for the production of refined
effects and subtle nuances... the coupling of the Ancilliary
Aërial Organ to this Division will greatly increase its tonal
resources". In the first subdivision "the special voices provided are of refined and
sympathetic unimitative Flute-tones" with "other voices of valuable mixing and
colouring qualities... these voices contrast effectively with the special voices
of the Second Subdivision, which are of delicate String and Free Organ-tones:
the latter being furnished by the nine ranks of Dulciana pipes."
The Wood-Wind and Brass-Wind divisions, together with Ancilliary String,
contain the largest number of purely imitative voices in the
organ. Here is the apotheosis of Audsley's vision of a great
organ/orchestral instrument. The various subdivisons (as throughout the
organ) are self-sufficient in themselves, as well as working
effectively in combination with one another. There is an inherent
classicality in the way Audsley builds up his large scheme from small,
complementary elements, bringing to mind once more the way in which a row
of identical columns creates dignity by the very repetition of similar
units. Appropriately, then, within the various subdivision there is a certain
amount of duplication: 16ft. stopped wood flutes, 8ft. open wood flutes, 4ft.
harmonic flutes, timbre-creating Cornets and so on. The Wood-Wind
division contains a multiplicity of flutes: wooden and imitative ranks in the first
subdivision, unimitative stops in the second, provided to blend with the
orchestral reeds and modify their voices. The family of Clarinets is unusual,
a feature perhaps derived from French models.
The Brass-Wind division has "an importance and position only secondary to that
of the fundamental Grand Organ, while it exceeds it in volume and power of tone."
As well as two large
choruses of reeds, it has the second of only two diapason chorus in the instrument.
This is a deliberate feature of the stoplist, for Audsley regarded the duplication
of diapason choruses in a concert-hall instrument as a sign of inappropriate
churchiness and unimaginative traditionalism. All the Brass-Wind
reeds should be enclosed "if artistic music is to be played on the
instrument" so that dynamic variety is possible for even the loudest
registers. In this division he proposes a 32ft. manual
reed, which he claims is "an addition never before suggested by any organ designer
to be commanded by a manual clavier". If Audsley has his facts right, this design, or at
least the idea for this stop, must pre-date the 1914 organ
at Johannesburg Town Hall. Each rank of the Grand Cornet - like
all his mixturework - "is to be
regulated softer as it ascends the scale." There are two further batteries of
climactic reeds within the organ: the Trumpets and Tubas on Solo and the
various voices of the Ancialliary Fanfare. The latter, with its reeds at 5 1/3ft. and
3 1/5ft. but omitting the 2ft., exemplifies Audsley's principle that lower pitches
take precedence over higher in completing the chorus. Such reed groups
had, at this date, never before been proposed.
The Solo division, like the Grand, stays relatively
close to traditional models, though its solo voices are thoroughly
imitative. Within the context of
this instrument, it opens up additional possibilities of orchestral
dialogue, which are impossible in a conventional instrument in which
all the orchestral voices are massed in a single division.
For example, a string register on Solo can be accompanied
by the Ancillary Strings; a wood-wind register on Solo can duet with a register
on the Wood-Wind division. Audsley
remarks: "This is the only manual stationary Division that does not call for
subdivision; although, on the other hand, it demands the most effective
powers of expression that can be imparted to it. A solo without expression is a
musical anomaly; and, accordingly, a solo stop in an organ, devoid of
expressive powers, is in the same category."
Audsley had been the first to introduce a division of imitative string-tone registers
into the organ, with a string organ of 18 ranks in the 1904 Louisiana
Purchase Exposition. In the present scheme, the Ancilliary String Organ
is the most comprehensive example published by Audsley.
There are 33 ranks, 17 of which are at 8ft. pitch. Audsley wrote:
"This complete appointment would furnish a satisfactory
representative of the string forces of the orchestra; and also, in varied
combinations, all desirable effects commonly produced by the string instruments
played by the bow."
The Ancilliary Aërial Organ was deliberately planned with a chorus structure
rather in the Schulze manner (cf. Armley and Leeds Parish Church). In this way,
Audsley writes, it
differs from most traditional Echo divisions and justifies its newly minted
title. Audsley remarks that, independent as it
is, it is also useful as an adjunct to the Accompaniment, Wood-Wind and Solo
organs, and that "with the String Ancilliary, it could be made to produce
compound tones never heard on the organ of today". The reeds are to be as
soft and delicate as possible: the Dulcian is a miniature Fagotto, the
Scialumo a very quiet, smooth Clarinet.
Of the Ancilliary Harmonic Organ Audsley wrote: "Unlike the other
Ancilliaries that are specified, which in their stop-apportionments
are practically independent; and, accordingly, can be played alone;
this Harmonic Ancilliary is essentially an adjunct, not complete in itself,
and not to be played alone. Herein, however, lies its great importance and
value. As an addition to any other Division or Subdivision of the instrument,
it immensely increases its powers in the colorations of compound tones
which are dependent on the introduction of varied harmonic over-tones... thereby
rendering it largely unnecessary to insert numerous harmonic-corroborating
stops in the stationary Divisions." The two subdivisions, Forte and Piano,
provide harmonic colouring at different dynamic strengths.
Audsley claimed that the Ancilliary Fanfare Organ was a new tonal concept.
He wrote: "Our aim was to furnish the complete Concert-room Organ with ready
and effective means of producing, under absolute control and powers of tonal
flexibility and expression, the most powerful and impressive effects that
could possibly be required in the rendition of orchestral scores. Something
has been essayed, in a similar direction, in certain large modern organs...
but in a singularly crude and essentially inartistic manner..." He goes on to
comment that the presence of a Fanfare division "would, happily,
render it uneccesary to resort to undesirable high wind-pressures
in the stationary Brass-wind Organ; and, accordingly, allows a desirable
balance of tone to be established therein, and so increase its value generally
in relation to the other Divisions of the instrument."
Taken as a whole, this
stoplist is a disparate mixture: extravagance (everywhere); a peculiar puritanism
(the general paucity of celestes and
highly-spiced voices); forward-looking vision (tonal synthesis, complete
dynamic control); a Victorianism still perceptible (a certain
miscellany among the smaller voices, an elaborate literariness in the
stop-names, references in the notes to the
unsurpassed voicing of Thynne, Pedlebury etc).
As a vehicle for mainstream repertoire it is limited; as a practical
proposal it is wasteful. But as an uncompromising statement of
Audsley's tonal ideals it is invaluable, and as a dream-vision for an
ideal organ it has a numinous fascination.
By 1925 Audsley's ideas had developed to the point that he felt able to
publish what is essentially a book of his tonal ideals as exemplified in fifteen
stoplists, "The Temple of Tone." It contains his largest design, a concert-room
organ of five manuals, 273 speaking stops and four percussions.
PEDAL ORGAN
Unexpressive subdivision:
64 Vox Gravissima resultant
32 Double Principal wood
32 Double Principal metal
32 Contra-Violone metal
32 Contra-Dulciana metal
21 1/3 Grossquintenbass wood
16 Major Principal wood
16 Minor Principal
16 Gemshornbass
16 Violonbass 32' ex
16 Dulciana 32' ex
10 2/3 Quintenbass 21 1/3' ex
8 Grand Octave
8 Grossflöte wood
4 Super-Octave
VI Compensating Mixture
15th (32 notes). 17th (27 notes). 19th (24 notes).
22nd (20 notes). 26th (17 notes). 29th (13 notes)
32 Contre-Bombarde
32 Contra-Trombone
16 Bombarde
16 Trombone 32' ex
8 Tromba
Expressive subdivision:
32 Untersatz wood
16 Diapason Phonon
16 Contrabasso wood
16 Gemshornbass
10 2/3 Gemshornquint
8 Octave
8 Violoncello
8 Doppelspitzflöte wood
6 2/5 Gemshornterz
5 1/3 Gemshornquint
4 4/7 Septième
4 Hohlflöte wood
VII Grand Cornet
32 Fagottone
16 Contrafagotto
16 Contra-Saxophone
16 Contra-Clarinetto
8 Tuba Sonora
8 Trombone
4 Clarion harmonic
I GRAND ORGAN
Unexpressive subdivision:
16 Double Diapason Major
16 Contra-Gamba
16 Double Dulciana
10 2/3 Grand Quint
8 Major Diapason
8 Diapason, Schulze
8 Minor Diapason
8 Diapason wood
8 Flûte à Pavillon
8 Doppelflöte wood
5 1/3 Quint
4 Octave Major
4 Harmonic Flute
3 1/5 Tierce
2 2/3 Twelfth
2 Super-Octave
Auxilliary stop:
32 Dolciano Profundo Pedal
Expressive subdivision (box 1):
16 Starkgedeckt wood
16 Quintaten wood
8 Horn Diapason
8 Viol Diapason
8 Clarabella wood
8 Grand Viol
8 Tibia Plena wood
8 Flauto Maggiore wood
8 Harmonic Flute
5 1/3 Quint
4 Octave Minor
4 Waldflöte
4 Harmonic Flute
3 1/5 Gedeckt-Terz
2 2/3 Twelfth
2 2/7 Septième
2 Super-Octave
VI Full Mixture 15.19.22.24.26.29 (breaks to 16'.1.8.10.12.15 at c3)
VII Grand Cornet 1.5.8.10.12.14.15 no breaks
16 Double Trumpet
8 Tromba
8 Trumpet
5 1/3 Tromba Quint
4 Clarion harmonic
II ACCOMPANIMENTAL ORGAN
1st Expressive subdivision (box 2):
16 Bourdon Doux wood
8 English Diapason
8 Salicional
8 Keraulophone
8 Dolcan inverted conical
8 Gemshorn
8 Melodia wood
8 Flauto Amabile wood
8 Dolce
8 Flûte à Cheminée
8 Spitzflöte
8 Flautone
5 1/3 Rohrflötenquinte wood
4 Gemshornoctav
4 Spitzflöte
4 Salicet
VII Grand Dolce Cornet 1.5.8.10.12.14.15 inverted conical; no breaks
8 Horn
8 Cor Anglais
Tremolant
2nd Expressive subdivision (box 3):
16 Lieblichgedeckt wood
8 Dulciana
8 Viole Sourdine
8 Lieblichgedeckt wood
8 Viola d'Amore
8 Viola d'Amore sharp
8 Philomela wood
8 Cone Gamba
5 1/3 Dulciana Quint
4 Lieblichflöte wood
4 Dulcet
4 Flauto d'Amore wood
2 2/3 Dulciana Twelfth
2 Dulciana Fifteenth
V Dulciana Cornet 19.22.24.26.29
16 Euphonium
8 Oboe d'Amore
Tremolant
III WOODWIND ORGAN
1st Expressive subdivision (box 2):
16 Bourdon wood
8 Doppelrohrgedeckt wood
8 Flachflöte wood
8 Hohlflöte wood
8 Orchestral Flute wood
8 Dolce
5 1/3 Gedecktquinte
4 Orchestral Flute wood
4 Zauberflöte
4 Harmonic Flute
2 Orchestral Piccolo
V Spitzflöte Cornet 10.12.15.19.22 no breaks
16 Contra-Basset-Horn
8 Saxophone
Tremolant
2nd Expressive subdivision (box3):
16 Bourdon Doux wood
8 Doppelgedeckt wood
8 Clarabel Flute wood
8 Melodia wood
IV Dolce Cornet 10.12.14.15 no breaks
16 Contrafagotto
16 Contra-Clarinetto
16 Contra-Oboe
8 Orchestral Fagotto
8 Orchestral Oboe
8 Orchestral Clarinetto
8 Cor Anglais
8 Vox Humana
5 1/3 Clarinetto Quinta
4 Clarinetto Ottava
4 Oboe Ottava
4 Musetta
Tremolant
IV BRASS-WIND ORGAN
1st Expressive subdivision (box 4):
16 Grossgedeckt wood
8 Horn Diapason
8 Grand Viol
8 Doppelflöte wood
8 Clarabella wood
8 Gemshorn
4 Octave, Major
4 Octave Viol
2 Super-Octave
V Grand Cornet 7.8.10.12.15 no breaks
16 Contra-Tromba
8 Tromba Real
8 Ophicleide
8 Trumpet Royal
5 1/3 Tromba Quint
4 Tromba Clarion
2nd Expressive subdivision (box 5):
16 Grossdoppelgedeckt wood
8 Major Diapason
8 Grossflöte wood
8 Quintaten wood
4 Gambette
16 Bombardon
16 Contra-Trombone
8 Euphonium
8 Trombone
5 1/3 Trombone Quint
4 Trombone Octave
8 Orchestral Horn
8 Orchestral Trumpet
4 Clarion
Auxilliary stop:
32 Contra-Trombone Pedal
V SOLO ORGAN (box 6)
16 Quintaten wood
8 Geigenprincipal
8 Orchestral Violoncello tin
8 Orchestral Violin tin
8 Orchestral Flute wood
4 Violetta tin
4 Orchestral Flute wood
2 Orchestral Piccolo
V Dolce Cornet
8 Orchestral Oboe
8 Orchestral Clarinet
8 Orchestral Horn
8 Vox Humana
8 Orchestral Trumpet
8 Tuba Magna
4 Tuba Clarion
Tremolant (to labial stops)
ANCILLIARY STRING ORGAN (box 7)
16 Contrabasso wood
16 Quintaten wood
10 2/3 Viola Bastarda
8 Violin Diapason
8 Salicional
8 Melodia wood
8 Nachthorn wood
8 Violoncello
8 Violoncello Sordo
8 Violoncello Vibrato
8 Viola Pomposa
8 Viola Sordo
8 Viola da Gamba
8 Viola da Gamba sharp
8 Viola d'Amore
8 Viola d'Amore flat
8 Viole d'Orchestre
8 Violino
8 Violino Sordo
8 Violino Vibrato
5 1/3 Viol Quint
4 Violetta
3 1/5 Viol Tierce
2 2/3 Viol Twelfth
2 2/7 Viol Septième
2 Viol Fifteenth
V Viol Cornet Sordo 8.10.12.14.15 no breaks
II Viol Sesquialtera 12.17 no breaks
Tremolant
ANCILLIARY AËRIAL ORGAN (box 8)
16 Bourdonecho wood
8 Echo Diapason
8 Dulciana
8 Gelindgedeckt wood
8 Salicional tin
8 Melodia wood
8 Violino Sordo tin
8 Flauto d'Amore wood
8 Harmonica wood
8 Æoline
8 Voix Angélique
8 Vox Céleste sharp
4 Cœlestina
4 Flauto Amabile wood
2 2/3 Echo Quint
2 Flautino
VI Harmonia Ætheria tin
8 Vox Humana
8 Dulcian
8 Scialumo
Tremolant
ANCILLIARY HARMONIC ORGAN (box 9)
Forte subdivision:
8 Quintaten wood
5 1/3 Quint
4 Octave
3 1/5 Tierce
2 2/3 Twelfth
2 2/7 Septième soft
2 Super-Octave
1 Twenty-Second
IV Mixture 19.22.26.29
Piano subdivision:
8 Dolce
5 1/3 Dolce Quint
4 Dolce Octave
3 1/5 Dolce Tierce
2 2/3 Dolce Twelfth
2 Dolce Fifteenth
1 3/5 Dolce Seventeenth
1 1/3 Dolce Nineteenth
1 Dolce Twenty-Second
IV Dolce Acuta 26.29.33.36
ANCILLIARY FANFARE ORGAN (box 10)
8 Stentorphone
16 Contra-Tuba
16 Contra-Trumpet harmonic
8 Tuba Magna
8 Trumpet harmonic
5 1/3 Trumpet Quint
4 Tuba Clarion
4 Clarion harmonic
3 1/5 Trumpet Tierce
IV Stentor Cornet 8.10.12.15 no breaks
ANCILLIARY PERCUSSION ORGAN (box 11)
Carillon 49 true bells
Harp 61 wood bars
Celesta 61 steel bars
Xylophone 49 wood bars
The 38 couplers specified by Audsley include a Pedal octave.
The manual subdivisions are to be couplable individually,
both at unison and octave pitch, to other keyboards, e.g.
Second Clavier 1st subdivision to First Clavier, unison
Second Clavier 1st subdivision to First Clavier, octave
Second Clavier 2nd subdivision to First Clavier, unison
Second Clavier 2nd subdivision to First Clavier, octave
The Ancilliary divisions are floating, and available as follows:
Ancilliary String: on 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th.
Ancilliary Aërial: on 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th.
Ancilliary Harmonic, Forte subdivision: on 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, Pedal.
Ancilliary Harmonic, Piano subdivision: on 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th.
Ancilliary Fanfare: on 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, Pedal.
Ancilliary Percussion: on 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th.
Seven swell pedals, to boxes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and the Pedal box.
Ancilliary swell boxes available on the pedals to boxes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Register crescendo pedal.
Various thumb and toe pistons specified.
Audsley was able to approach that point where the
mundane fuses with the visionary, to produce an inspired creation with a foot
in each world. This stoplist evokes a great hovering organ-palace full
of halls and chambers which compose a unified whole, capped by towers,
domes and minarets. There is indeed much of the
fantastic here, and also much that is easy to criticise.
Despite the new division-types, the stoplist as a whole is
pervaded by a curiously mid 19th-century
feel. Audsley seems to have by-passed much of the progressive thought in organ design
exemplified by Dixon, Arthur Harrison, Skinner, Moller and
others. Then there are the strange details:
several batteries of loud manual reeds underpinned by only two at 16ft.
on Pedal; the great variety of 'free organ-tone' (Audsley's phrase)
throughout the manuals at 8ft.
pitch (Dolces, Dulcianas, Keraulophone, Gemshorns, Salicionals etc) as well
as twenty-two
strings; yet there are only two open doubles (on Grand and Ancilliary String) to
underpin them. Indeed, no less than eleven of the manual doubles are
stopped flutes, yet there is not one at 16ft. on the Pedal.
Notice also the over-abundance and re-duplication of unison flute tone in the
Woodwind Organ and elsewhere: perhaps Audsley, an architect by training, was
subconsciously influenced by the way in which a building is planned using
repeated examples of identical details. A Grecian temple is not considered
boring in appearance or wasteful of materials because it contains rows
of identical pillars.
