R&F organs are always among the most inspiring and sensitive to play. They are one for those companies that spend months finishing every detail of the voicing. Some companies just dump the pipes in and tune them.
I don't know that I would use the word buttery to describe R&F's wonderful principals. I mean, when the train gets to Buttery, the next station is Schmalzy, and there isn't a scintilla of that here. So what word would I use? I'm going to duck the problem and have recourse to French: 'velouté' seems right to me--as you would employ it for a wine: a fine red, deepening colour, without a hint of acidity. That's especially true of the Swell. The Great principals impress me most by their vocal quality. And the more stops you add, the more convincing this becomes: truly the choir of the Heavenly Host. Hats off to Richards & Fowkes, and also of course, to Balint Karosi for this masterful demonstration.
A nice demonstration of a very well voiced organ. The eight foot line especially is nice and warm. I enjoyed listening the Trio improvisation on "Allein Gott" at the end.
Another fascinating instrument finely demonstrated. I must salute the designers, builders and voicers as well as the organist for a instrument tailored well to the building. It is not easy to fit an organ into an Anglican church where choirs are traditionally in chancels - all too often instruments in chancel chamber might be fine to accompany choirs but fail to support singing in a nave congregation. Interesting to see the use of pipe metal as opposed to spotted metal or tin in the principal choruses and the sound it not unlike remaining 18thC work in England where similar metal was the norm. I hope the pipe feet do not sag with the weight but i guess that is not a problem to correct in 100 years. The building does not look ideal for an organ with so much internal woodwork but the voicing has been expertly done and the mixtures blend as do the reeds. The pedal stops are models for firm and clear bases. I get the sense that it might be impossible to make a nasty noise on this instrument!
I fell in love with this organ within the first 20 seconds of the video. Thank you for this demonstration. It must be a dream to play. The video and audio is well done.
It's certainly not my sort of thing, but I can't fault it. Not only does it has an expression box and full combination action, but it is a very successful outcome of that particular style of instrument.
What a great demo of this fine organ. To my ear, the flute stops are the most impressive. The reeds seem pretty bland -- I wish they would put in some more unique reed sounds. How about a nice buzzy Regal!
Interesting and satisfying. I wonder who chose and why Neidhardt’s Kleine Stadt from 1732 was chosen? Is it the impact of Julliard's evangelism? What ramifications might Neidhardt’s Kleine Stadt from 1732 have upon preferred repertoire? IMWTK
Most well temperaments allow one to play in all keys, it can be used for all periods and styles of music including romantic and Anglican choral. There is really no reason to use Equal unless you play exclusively in the key of Ab, even if you play pieces in remote keys the music usually modulates and allows for tension and release. I’m not sure why they use this particular temperament but it works well at the organ in Hanover Square, London.
@@holmespianotuning I can understand novel tuning in pianos and harpsichords to gain an authentic performance of baroque material on historic instruments. Harpsichords and pianos can readily be retuned. But a ~25-stop organ? I guess some things I'll never understand.
I'm not sure what you mean by Julliard's evangelism. I've not thought of that school--for all its indisputable greatness--as a fount of historically informed organ culture. Be that as it may, Neidhardt's circulating temperaments are convincing adaptations to the organ of the expanded range of keys that were deemed necessary to the composers of the early to middle 18th century. Unlike the earlier schemes suggested by Werckmeister, these temperaments do their utmost to create a distinct character for each key, while avoiding the the disagreeable dissonances of Pythagorean thirds.
I personally would prefer a stronger temperament for these kinds of organs, but I a lot of the hymns in the Episcopal tradition would be “in the wrong keys”
What an exquisite, perfect voicing. Wonderful instrument of the highest world standard. What kind of tuning is used? It is definitely not boring equal temperament...
