Symphonic organ: description of the instrument, history of appearance, famous specimens

The symphonic organ rightfully bears the title of the king of music: this instrument has incredible timbre, register capabilities, and a wide range. He is quite capable of replacing a symphony orchestra on his own.

A huge structure the height of a multi-storey building can have up to 7 keyboards (manuals), 500 keys, 400 registers and tens of thousands of pipes.

The history of the emergence of a grandiose instrument that can replace an entire orchestra is associated with the name of the Frenchman A. Covaye-Collus. His offspring, equipped with a hundred registers, decorated the Parisian church of Saint-Sulpice in 1862. This symphony organ became the largest in France. The rich sound, unlimited musical possibilities of the instrument attracted famous musicians of the XNUMXth century to the church of Saint-Sulpice: organists S. Frank, L. Vierne had a chance to play it.

The second largest copy that Covaye-Col was able to construct was adorned in 1868 by the legendary temple of Notre Dame de Paris. The master upgraded the old model, which already existed in the cathedral: he increased the number of registers to 86 pieces, installed Barker levers for each key (the Frenchman was the first to use this mechanism to improve the organ design).

Today, symphonic organs are not produced. The three largest copies are the pride of the United States, they were all designed in the first half of the twentieth century:

• Wanamaker Organ. Location – Philadelphia, department store “Masy’c Center City”. The model weighing 287 tons is fully operational. Organ music concerts are held twice a day in the department store.
• convention hall organ. Location – New Jersey, Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Concert Hall. Officially recognized as the largest musical instrument in the world.
• First Congregational Church Organ. Location – First Congregational Church (California, Los Angeles). Organ music is played in the church on Sundays.