Wanamaker Department Store Organ (Philadelphia)

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Wanamaker Department Store Organ (Philadelphia)
General
place Macy’s Philadelphia (formerly Wanamaker Department Store)
Organ builder Los Angeles Art Organ Company
Construction year 1904 for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition
Organ landscape United States
Illustrations
Gaming table ConsoleOrgueWanamaker.jpg
Technical specifications
Number of pipes 28,750
Number of registers 376
Number of rows of pipes 464
Number of manuals 6th
Tone tract Electropneumatic
Register action Electropneumatic
Number of 32 'registers 7th
Number of 64 'registers 1 (acoustic)
Others
Eminent organists

Keith R. Chapman ,

The organ in Wanamaker's Department Store in Philadelphia (also known as the Wanamaker Grand Court Organ ) is the largest fully playable organ in the world. It is set up in the seven-story courtyard of a Macy’s department store, the former John Wanamaker Store .

Building history

New building in 1904

Organ at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition 1904

The organ was built in 1904 by the Los Angeles Art Organ Company , the successor to Murray M. Harris Organ Co., for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition . Since 1902, several organ builders had made suggestions for the construction of the Principal Recital Organ . In 1903, Murray M. Harris was awarded the contract to build an organ for the Kansas City Convention Hall , which would initially be exhibited at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. The price was $ 67,000. William B. Fleming (1849–1940) became superintendent of the project.

However, Harris had overestimated his financial capabilities, so the project was taken over by the Los Angeles Art Organ Company, under the direction of Fleming. However, financial problems soon arose with this too. The actual cost has now exceeded $ 105,000. In 1905 the Los Angeles Art Organ Company was renamed the Electrolian Company .

When the organ was finally completed in Hoboken, New Jersey, ten trucks took it to the Festival Hall in St. Louis . The organ had 140 registers and around 10,000 pipes. The largest organ to date was the Sydney Town Hall organ . The disposition came from George Ashdown Audsley . The concert at the mass was given on June 9, 1904 by Charles Galloway and Alexandre Guilmant with works by Samuel Scheidt , Frescobaldi , Pachelbel , Titelouze , Bach , Handel and Franck .

Instead of being taken to Kansas City, the instrument was bought by John Wanamaker in 1909 to be placed in the Grand Court of his new Philadelphia store . The installation was done by William B. Fleming and George Till.

Expansion 1914–1930

View of the organ. The gaming table is at the height of the shooting position, a little outside the left edge of the picture.

Shortly after its expansion, the organ was expanded in 1914 (by 4,000 pipes), in 1917 (again by around 4,000 pipes), and in 1923 and 1930.

In its current state, the Wanamaker organ has 28,750 organ pipes in 464 rows. The console has six manuals. The strings plant (String Division) together with 88 ranks of pipes, the largest wind loading of the world. The organ is famous for its orchestral sound, which comes from the many softly voiced pipes, which are available in large numbers.

The organ of the Atlantic City Convention Hall in Atlantic City (New Jersey) has fewer ranks than the Wanamaker organ , but it has 5000 more pipes and a few manuals that extend over seven octaves. Since all currently does not work the organ of the Atlantic City Convention Hall are functional, you can see the Wanamaker Organ news as the biggest playable designate organ in the world.

The organ is played twice a day every week from Monday to Saturday (more often during the Christmas season). The organ can also be heard in many concerts held throughout the year, including with the Philadelphia Orchestra .

The Friends of the Wanamaker Organ is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the organ. The association is supported by donations from its members and the sale of CDs and advertising products. The official organ of the association is The Stentor , which appears four times a year. Typical topics include reports on the progress of the restoration work as well as visits to well-known organists and concert announcements.

Disposition since 1930

construction

The pipe works of the organ extend over five floors:

2nd floor Main Pedal 32 ′, Lower Swell, Great Open
3rd floor Solo, Main Pedal, Great Chorus, Upper Swell, Choir / Enclosed Great
4th floor Orchestral, Vox Humana, String division, String Dulcianas, String organ
5th floor String Dulcianas, String Organ, String 16 ′
7th floor Chimes, Ethereal, Echo

The Echowerk is located on the opposite side of the courtyard from the prospectus. The 32 ′ registers Wood Open , Diaphone and Metal Diapason extend over several floors starting on the second floor. Several single-manual keyboards for tuning and other work are installed throughout the organ.

Main organ

I Choir C – c 4
Double Dulciana 16 ′
Dulciana 8th'
Open diapason 8th'
Violin diapason 8th'
Stopped diapason 8th'
Concert flute 8th'
Salicional 8th'
Quintadena 8th'
Vox Angelica 8th'
Vox Celeste 8th'
Keraulophone 8th'
Forest Flute 4 ′
Salicet 4 ′
Piccolo 2 ′
Soft Cornet VI
Saxophones 16 ′
Saxophones 8th'
English horn 8th'
Clarinet 8th'
II Great C – c 4
Sub principal 32 ′
Contra gamba 16 ′
Double diapason 16 ′
Sub quint 10 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Diapason phonon 8th'
Diapason Major 8th'
First diapason 8th'
Second diapason 8th'
Third diapason 8th'
Fourth diapason 8th'
Gamba 8th'
Major tibia 8th'
Mezzo tibia 8th'
Minor tibia 8th'
Covered tibia 8th'
Flood 8th'
Double flute 8th'
Nazard Flute 8th'
Harmonic flute 8th'
Quint 5 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Harmonic flute 4 ′
Principal 4 ′
Octave 4 ′
Tierce 3 1 ⁄ 5  ′
Octave Quint 2 ′
Great Octave 2 ′
Mixture VII
Double trumpet 16 ′
Trumpet 8th'
Harmonic Trumpet 8th'
tuba 8th'
Harmonic Clarion 4 ′
Chorus Diapason Magna 8th'
Chorus stentorphone 8th'
Chorus First Diapason 8th'
Chorus Second Diapason 8th'
Chorus Major Flute 8th'
Chorus double flute 8th'
Chorus Gamba 8th'
Chorus Flute 4 ′
Chorus Octave 4 ′
Chorus Nazard VI
III Swell C-c 4
Unclosed
Double diapason 16 ′
Soft bourdon 16 ′
Stentorphone 8th'
Horn diapason 8th'
Violin diapason 8th'
Bell flute 8th'
Orchestral Flute 8th'
Harmonic flute 8th'
Grand Flute 8th'
Double flute 8th'
Enclosed
Tibia dura 8th'
Clarabella 8th'
Melody 8th'
Soft dulciana 8th'
Gamba Celeste 8th'
Gamba 8th'
Quint Bourdon 5 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Harmonic flute 4 ′
First Octave 4 ′
Second octave 4 ′
Nazard 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Piccolo 2 ′
Viol Cornet IV
Mixture VI
Bassoon 16 ′
Contra fagotto 16 ′
Double oboe horn 16 ′
Bassoon 8th'
Trombones 8th'
First oboe 8th'
Fagotto 8th'
oboe 8th'
Trumpet 8th'
horn 8th'
Bassett Horn 8th'
Clarinet 8th'
Clarinet 8th'
Vox Humana 8th'
Harmonic Clarion 4 ′
musette 4 ′
Original string division
Contra bass 16 ′
violoncello 8th'
Viol 8th'
Viol 8th'
viola 8th'
Quint Viol 5 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Octave Viol 4 ′
Violina 4 ′
Tierce 3 1 ⁄ 5  ′
Corroborating Mixture V.
String Mixture V
IV Solo C – c 4
Double Open Diapason 16 ′
Grand Viol 16 ′
First diapason 8th'
Second diapason 8th'
Third diapason 8th'
Violin diapason 8th'
Viol 8th'
Viol 8th'
Harmonic flute 8th'
Tierce Flute 8th'
Chimney Flute 8th'
Clarabella 8th'
Gemshorn 8th'
Nazard Gamba 8th'
Grand Gamba 8th'
Grand Gamba 8th'
Quintaphones 8th'
Quint Diapason 5 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Octave 4 ′
Harmonic Tierce 3 1 ⁄ 5  ′
Twelfth Harmonic 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Piccolo 2 ′
Double trumpet 16 ′
tuba 16 ′
Trumpet 8th'
Soft tuba 8th'
Cornopean 8th'
Ophicleide 8th'
musette 8th'
Ophicleide 4 ′
tuba 4 ′
Grand Mixture VI
Mixture V
Mixture VI
Pedal C – g 1
Gravissima (acoustic) 64 ′
Contra diaphones 32 ′
Diaphones 16 ′
First Contra Open Diapason (wood) 32 ′
Second Contra Open Diapason (metal) 32 ′
First Open Diapason 16 ′
Second Open Diapason 16 ′
Third Open Diapason 16 ′
Open diapason 8th'
Contra Bourdon 32 ′
Bourdon 16 ′
Soft bourdon 16 ′
Octave Soft Bourdon 8th'
Open flute 16 ′
Soft flute 8th'
Soft flute 4 ′
Violone 16 ′
Gamba 16 ′
Dulciana 16 ′
Soft dulciana 8th'
Open Quint 10 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Stopped Quint 10 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Stentorphone 8th'
Octave 8th'
First tibia 8th'
Second tibia 8th'
First tibia 4 ′
Second tibia 4 ′
First 'cello 8th'
Second 'cello 8th'
Principal 4 ′
Octave 4 ′
Mixture VII
Mixture VIII
Mixture VIII
Grand Mutation X
Contra bombs 32 ′
Bombard 16 ′
Bombard 8th'
Trombones 16 ′
tuba 16 ′
Euphonium 16 ′
Contra fagotto 16 ′
Octave Fagotto 8th'
Tromba 8th'
Clarion 4 ′

Ethereal organ

V Ethereal C-c 4
Bourdon 16 ′
First Open Diapason 8th'
Second Open Diapason 8th'
Clear flute 8th'
Harmonic flute 8th'
Double flute 8th'
Quint Flute 8th'
Grand Gamba 8th'
Gamba 8th'
Octave 4 ′
Harmonic flute 4 ′
Twelfth Harmonic 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Harmonic piccolo 2 ′
Mixture IV
Tuba profunda 16 ′
Tuba mirabilis 8th'
French Trumpet 8th'
Grand Clarinet 8th'
Post horn 8th'
Tuba Clarion 4 ′
Ethereal Pedal C – g 1
Acoustic bass 32 ′
diapason 16 ′
Bombard 16 ′
Bombard 8th'

Stentor organ

VI stentor C-c 4
Tuba Magna (from 8 ') 16 '
Tuba Magna 8th'

Echo organ

(floating)

Echo C-c 4
Bourdon 16 ′
Open diapason 8th'
Violin diapason 8th'
Stopped diapason 8th'
Night horn 8th'
Clarabella 8th'
Octave 4 ′
Harmonic flute 4 ′
Mellow flute 4 ′
Cornet Mixture V
Mixture VI
Melody 8th'
Orchestral Viol 8th'
Soft viol 8th'
Soft viol 8th'
Unda Maris 8th'
Open Quint 5 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Double trumpet 16 ′
Trumpet 8th'
Capped oboe 8th'
Euphone 8th'
Vox Humana 8th'
Echo Pedal C – g 1
Open diapason 16 ′
Stopped diapason 16 ′

Orchestral organ

(floating)

Orchestral C – c 4
Contra Quintadena 16 ′
Duophone 8th'
Tibia 8th'
Covered tibia 8th'
Concert flute 8th'
Harmonic flute 8th'
Mellow flute 8th'
String flute 8th'
Double flute 8th'
Hollow flute 8th'
Harmonic flute 4 ′
Orchestral Flute 4 ′
Covered flute 4 ′
Octave 4 ′
Harmonic piccolo 2 ′
English horn 16 ′
Bass clarinet 16 ′
Bass saxophones 16 ′
Bassoon 16 ′
English horn 8th'
Orchestral Clarinet 8th'
Saxophones 8th'
Orchestral Bassoon 8th'
Bassett Horn 8th'
oboe 8th'
Orchestral oboe 8th'
First French Horn 8th'
Second french horn 8th'
Third French Horn 8th'
Kinura 8th'
Muted cornet 8th'
Vox Humana Chorus C – c 4
Vox Humana 16 ′
First Vox Humana 8th'
Second Vox Humana 8th'
Third Vox Humana 8th'
Fourth Vox Humana 8th'
Fifth Vox Humana 8th'
Sixth Vox Humana 8th'
Vox Humana Chorus Pedal C – g 1
First Vox Humana 16 ′
Second Vox Humana 16 ′

String organ

String (swellable) C – c 4
Violone 16 ′
First contra gamba 16 ′
Second contra gamba 16 ′
First Contra Viol 16 ′
Second Contra Viol 16 ′
First viol 16 ′
Second viol 16 ′
Violin diapason 8th'
Gamba 8th'
Nazard Gamba II 8th'
Nazard Gamba II 8th'
First cello 8th'
First cello 8th'
First cello 8th'
Second cello 8th'
Second cello 8th'
Second cello 8th'
First orchestral violin 8th'
First orchestral violin 8th'
First orchestral violin 8th'
Second orchestral violin 8th'
Second orchestral violin 8th'
Second orchestral violin 8th'
Third orchestral violin 8th'
Third orchestral violin 8th'
Third orchestral violin 8th'
Fourth orchestral violin 8th'
Fourth orchestral violin 8th'
Fourth orchestral violin 8th'
Fifth orchestral violin 8th'
Fifth orchestral violin 8th'
Fifth orchestral violin 8th'
Sixth orchestral violin 8th'
Sixth orchestral violin 8th'
Sixth orchestral violin 8th'
First muted violin 8th'
First muted violin 8th'
First muted violin 8th'
Second muted violin 8th'
Second muted violin 8th'
Second muted violin 8th'
String (cont.) C – c 4
Third muted violin 8th'
Third muted violin 8th'
Third muted violin 8th'
Fourth muted violin 8th'
Fourth muted violin 8th'
Fourth muted violin 8th'
Fifth muted violin 8th'
Fifth muted violin 8th'
Fifth muted violin 8th'
Sixth muted violin 8th'
Sixth muted violin 8th'
Sixth muted violin 8th'
First orchestral violina 4 ′
First orchestral violina 4 ′
Second orchestral violina 4 ′
Second orchestral violina 4 ′
Quint Viol 5 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Quint Viol 5 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Tierce Viol 3 1 ⁄ 5  ′
Tierce Viol 3 1 ⁄ 5  ′
Nazard Violina 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Nazard Violina 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Great violina 2 ′
Great violina 2 ′
First Dulciana 8th'
First Dulciana 8th'
Second Dulciana 8th'
Second Dulciana 8th'
Third Dulciana 8th'
Third Dulciana 8th'
Fourth Dulciana 8th'
Fourth Dulciana 8th'
Fifth Dulciana 8th'
Fifth Dulciana 8th'
Sixth Dulciana 8th'
Sixth Dulciana 8th'
First Octave Dulciana 4 ′
First Octave Dulciana 4 ′
Second Octave Dulciana 4 ′
Second Octave Dulciana 4 ′
Dulciana mutation V
String Pedal C – g 1
Contra diaphones 32 ′
Diaphones 16 ′
Diaphones 8th'
Contra gamba 32 ′
Gamba 16 ′
Gamba 8th'
First violone 16 ′
Second violone 16 ′
First violone 8th'
Second violone 8th'
Violone 4 ′
Viol 16 ′
Viol 16 ′
Viol 8th'
Viol 8th'
Grand String Pedal Mixture XII
Mutation Diaphone 16 ′
Mutation Viol 16 ′
Mutation Viol 10 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Mutation Viol 8th'
Mutation Viol 5 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Mutation Viol 4 ′
Mutation Viol 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Mutation Viol 2 ′
Mutation Viol 1 3 ⁄ 5  ′
Mutation Viol 1 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Mutation Viol 4 ⁄ 5 ′

Percussion Division

Percussion
Major Chimes C-c 1
Minor chimes G-G
Metalophones C-c 2
Celeste C-c 2
Piano I
Piano II
Harp I tenor C-c 2
Harp II
Gong stenor C-c 2
Crescendo cymbal
Cymbal star

Technical specifications

  • 376 registers (+17 extensions, +16 transmissions), 464 rows of pipes, 28,750 pipes. 3 stops with 3 ranks and 243 pipes cannot be played in the stentor mechanism.
  • Game table (s) :
    • Detached.
    • 6 manuals & pedal
    • Register rockers
  • Action :
    • Sound action: electro-pneumatic
    • Stop action: electro-pneumatic
  • Six blower motors with a total of 158 HP for wind pressures between 5 and 34 inches, a motor with 3 HP to generate negative pressure with 20 inches and two motor generators (converters) with a total of 7 HP to provide the low voltage for the action mechanism and the registration system

Organists

  • 1911-1917: Irvin J. Morgan
  • 1917–1966: Mary E. Vogt
  • 1966–1989: Keith R. Chapman , Assistant Organist: Richard L. Elliott
  • Since 1989: Peter Richard Conte

literature

  • Ray Biswanger: Music in the Marketplace: The Story of Philadelphia's Historic Wanamaker Organ — from John Wanamaker to Lord & Taylor . Friends of Wanamaker Organ, 1999, ISBN 978-0-9665552-0-2 .
  • Orpha Caroline Ochse: The history of the organ in the United States . Indiana University Press, Bloomington & London 1975, ISBN 0-253-32830-6 , pp. 356-358 .

Recordings / sound carriers

  • The Wanamaker Store Organ 2000/1971, Psallite CD 60351, CD (recordings digitally restored by Keith Chapman)
  • The Wanamaker legacy. 2004, Gothic G 49240, CD (Peter Conte plays Bach, Dupré and Vierne).
  • Magic! 2001, Gothic G 49248, CD (Peter Conte plays Mussorgsky, Wagner, Dukas, Nicolai, Elgar).
  • Peter Richard Conte - Midnight in the Grand Court 2005, Gothic G.

Web links

Commons : Wanamaker Organ  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Orpha Caroline Ochse: The history of the organ in the United States . Indiana University Press, Bloomington & London 1975, ISBN 0-253-32830-6 , pp. 356-358 .
  2. ↑ a b c Video: "The Wanamaker Organ - Inside the world's largest operating musical instrument" about the internal structure of the organ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98KYMpBx9og
  3. ^ Orpha Caroline Ochse: The history of the organ in the United States . Indiana University Press, Bloomington & London 1975, ISBN 0-253-32830-6 , pp. 358-360 .
  4. ^ Ray Biswanger: Music in the Marketplace: The Story of Philadelphia's Historic Wanamaker Organ — from John Wanamaker to Lord & Taylor . Friends of Wanamaker Organ, 1999, ISBN 978-0-9665552-0-2 .
  5. ↑ Text booklet for the CD: " The Wanamaker legacy", 2004, Gothic G 49240, CD (Peter Conte plays Bach, Dupré and Vierne), p. 22 (English)