Ted Alan Worth | Davies Hall | Ruffatti Organ

[MrRichardcampbell]

I don't really see why anyone has an axe to grind - certainly no more or less than Mr Snyder! How many light shows has there been in the last 21 years DavidSnyderLumierist?? For the record Richard Torrence is very much alive!

[cnmmnc8852]

@MrRichardcampbell Well no, sorry to break the bad news but Richard passed away on February 7, 2011. I think it was a result of a stroke. I was very fond of him and enjoyed our talks and emails very much. He was a lot bigger than organ music and had an perspective and expansive intellect for all seasons.

[tramky]

The Davies Hall Ruffatti in San Francisco is one of the great organs of the world. At the hands & feet of an organist who isn't afraid to pull out all the stops, it is simply incredible in its tonalities and volume.

[silverstartrucker]

Lacking true depth of sound from such a powerful organ. Must have been weak recording equipment. When Virgil plays - Come sweet death - on the Wanamaker organ on my youtube site, this place rumbles. My large Fisher studio speakers re-produce a very low bass. Not with this piece though...

[dacatholicbandorgan]

San Antonio De Padua Ora Pro Nobis!

[abqcleve]

One last comment about Ted: his last recording was on the Girard College AS in the late '90s. He wasn't well then and I can hear it in his playing, which was always by memory and the most exquisitely musical of any organist. His "Komm, süsser Tod" still makes me weep, especially in an LP version I have from the early '80s on a Ruffatti/Rogers combo in Spain. Nobody ever did long cresc./decresc. as well as him.

RIP, dear Ted. My wife and I miss you.

[abqcleve]

7) I also turned pages for many of the opening weeks' recitalists. I'll never forget turning for Simon Preston, playing the ad Nos. I had never seen the score and just about sh!t my britches as he ripped through that in record time! Stunning. There was a cipher at the very end that I could hear while the 2,500 folks in the hall were going nuts, so I turned off the blowers and prayed he wouldn't play an encore. He did, but it worked out fine.

[abqcleve]

5) Roger Hardesty was one of the original voicers and was a little hard of hearing, but still one of the best; but the "brightness" you hear in the original Telarc recordings is more a function of Ted going for the thrill factor and the brightness of Davies Hall.

6) It was here that I was thrown out of Davies by Alfred Brendel: I had the stage scheduled and was looking for a squeak; but he decided to tune his piano in the same slot. I lost the battle, but not without a fight!

[abqcleve]

2) Ted was all about color and fought with Pierro mightily about the original voicing. He's responsible for the brightness.

3) The great principals were buried on either side of the 2nd level of the organ (split). They could not be voiced properly to balance the organ for the opening series of concerts, so Ted surreptitiously had us install mics, amps and speakers for them!

4) I voiced the orig. orchestral and en chamade trumpets with P. Ruffatti; so loud, we could only voice 3 pipes per hr.

[abqcleve]

This is marvelous! I hadn't expected to find this; was looking up some bio info on Ted. I worked for him (Organ Arts in SF) from '81 through '84, so, yes, I was on the crew that did the original installation. Lots of hilarious and some pathetic speculation here so let me try to set the record straight (so to speak--sorry Ted!).

1) Ted was indeed one of the finest gentlemen I have ever known. I'm not an organist (singer and flutist instead) but he taught me more about art than anyone. (tbc....)

[willowthebored]

"largest concert organ"

I can haz Wanamaker?

[AlienofAndromeda]

Well Wanamaker is not in a concert hall, so does it count?

The San Francisco Symphony website claims this is the largest concert organ in North America

[willowthebored]

The definition of 'Concert Organ' is a very, very flimsy thing. I mean, you can say that it's specifically designed for a concert hall, but that begs a definition of 'concert hall;' the original Wanamaker instrument back when it was first constructed displayed in much the same manner as this Ruffati, the Saint-Saens symphony was written and premiered in a church, back in a time when concert hall organs were almost unheard of. Frankly, a 'concert organ' is just a large pipe organ.

[Brandotuomikoski]

I WANT TO PLAY THIS ORGAN!!!!!!

[foodman27]

the ruffatti organ at davies symphony hall has a 64' basse acoustique and another 64' grands.there is a 32'contra bourdon and a 32' contre bombarde an many more 32 foot pipes.there is a fanfare divison with a trompette heroique en chamade.the video is quite plesant to see because i am a big fan about pipe organs.i played church an 1 cathedral pipe organ.i always wanted to go to the cathedral of st. john the divine and play there organ and take out the 8' state trumpet.

[grandpoobah0913]

Sounds to me like you're carried away with the "specialty" stops. Instead, why don't you tell us about the principle chorus on the Great, or the quieter solo reeds. Big and bombastic isn't what the organ is about, at least, it shouldn't be.

[freebird1947]

I thoroughly agree with grandpoobah. I play a Baldwin organ in a church and feel that the big, loud, and thundering sounds aren't as beautiful as the simpler and softer stops. I do crank it out for hymns when necessary but appreciate music and harmonies much better when not blaring on all the stops possible.

[abqcleve]

You get an incomplete perspective on the instrument from this early snippet, that naturally focused for TV on the more spectacular stops, including the "Great Earthquake" 64' Ted throws on in the D minor. But this instrument also has one of the most ethereal harmonic flutes you'll hear and many other gorgeous soft stops, as well. The point is, it has a huge range and tons of color. This is no church organ.

[VonDuesenberg]

Totaly agree you!! but I don't understand why there are just few recordings of this magnificient instrument. I would love record on this one!! More over I don't understand why the Davies Symphony Hall doesen't give any information on their website about this instrument. I will ask Master Guillou what he think about it in few weeks.

[abqcleve]

Remember when you speak with Guillou that that was a quarter century ago! What a delight that you get to work with such a phenomenal creative artist. He may or may not feel this way, but when I worked with him, I felt Davies was made for artists like him. The recordings were made because Telarc had the SFFO contract under de Waart, but the recordings were very expensive. Telarc is a shadow of its former presence and the organ music buying public is miniscule. Too bad!

[VonDuesenberg]

You know, when I met him it was like a dream for me I did, as Bach did a travel of 400km to meet Buxtehude, a travel of 300km to meet Master Guillou. (But I'm not Bach at all!) He is the finest Musician that I know, he is at the organ like Rostropovitch was at cello. The first time I met him, he told me that he was not an amator of big organ with more than 100 stops. Is idea about organ conception is really the one of a conductor, each stop must have a solistic character.

[VonDuesenberg]

And this is caracteristic of the organ that he had conceived in Bruxelles, Zurich, Rome, Naples, ...

But for me the Davies organ is near of the perfection in stoplist and sound, in technics it's quite discusable. But you who have worked on this organ, could you tell me more about the caracteristics of construction? How many pressures are they, How many blowers? etc...

If you have any photos about, I'm reaaly interesting!!

[JanPB]

First time I heard this organ was the opening of Mahler's 8th. "Volles Werk", as Mahler writes in the score over that chord. It was no less!

[HonestJago]

one of the organs in my town is a Ruffatti and was tested for the first time from a Dupré's student....

[acoustics101]

This is definitely one of the better organs of the late 20th Century! I have a couple of Telarc CDs of it recorded by Michael Murray. I have quite a collection of organ CDs in my collection and this one is still among my favorites. I also love the newsclip. It's very well done.

[Christopher81]

As with any organ company, there are good ones and there are bad ones. This happens to be a good one. I've always liked Ruffatti's reeds, especially their snarly 32's Bombardes and of course their percussive chamades. I am always thrilled when I get a chance to play at Spivey Hall.

[Bachlives2]

Have you heard the one at BYU Idaho? The 16'ombarde can't stay on the right pitch you have to hold it for a while to get it to stay steady

[abqcleve]

One of our voicers at Davies, a wonderful Aussie named David Sacre, used to call Ruffatti reeds, "a herd of angry Buicks!" They do indeed snarl and can be persnickety, but Pierro had me juice 'em up even more than I liked when we did the big ones in '84. Murray and Guillou especially loved this instrument. I turned pages for both (well, you don't really turn pages for Guillou!) and they would work all night, trying sounds. The academics hated it and couldn't handle it.

[faliali]

this is my most favorite one of all out of the best organist in the world ted is by far the best organ player in the world

thanks

[qudolph]

haha ive never even heard of that guy. and btw, olivier latry is the best real organist in the world.

[daveinphilly]

That's because he died some years ago, you cretan. He was a brilliant instrumentalist.

[and3583]

you haven't witnessed Daniel Roth then, or Virgil Fox

[abqcleve]

You do realize that Ted was Virgil's protege? His book about Virgil finally got published some years ago and is a scream: pure Ted! Ted did not have Virgil's erudition and natural talent, but believe me, working in the shop with Ted practicing for hours and hours and hours upstairs, cursing and stamping, that man was a perfectionist. Daniel Roth is an entirely different kind of musician: Ted was pure romanticism, but very clean.

[DavidSnyderLumierist]

@abqcleve Ted Worth,,contrary to his imagination was never a student of Virgil Fox,,just a man who wanted to be him.Virgil threw him out of his first and last lesson.I worked with Virgil for 17 years and for 15 of those years Virgil had nothing to do with the man,,for many reasons, I suppose. After the release of his book,after Virgil was dead naturally, he threw his final hook to anchor himself onto Virgil's memory. Read on the e net." The Young Virgil Fox I Knew",by Louise Clary.

[DCN1234567]

@DavidSnyderLumierist That's the impression I got after reading "The Dish." It was a very biased book, and Ted Alan Worth seemed to leave out a lot of information. The book, "All The Stops" by Craig Whitney includes 2 chapters about Virgil Fox, and gives a more accurate and objective, albeit more brief, reflection on his life.

[MrRichardcampbell]

@DavidSnyderLumierist

So "The Dish" is a work of fiction? Richard Torrence was VF's manager for many years (until 1979) and I cant understand why he would be behind a work of fiction! I have met one of the contributors to "The Dish", former pupil of VF, and he told me a lot of the stuff about VF (and others!) that is in the book, before its publication. Did he make it all up? David, do you seriously expect us to believe the stuff you are spouting on here?

[cnmmnc8852]

@MrRichardcampbell I'm not defending anyone, much less since VF, Ted Worth and Mr. Torrence are deceased and can't defend themselves, but I recall Ted Worth was gone before the book(the book was almost more about Ted than VF) came along. He flat out said he learned "through osmosis" and never actually studied formally. The only person who was around VF before Ted, Richard, David, et al. who never had an ax to grind/and education/a career separate from VF was/is Bob Hebble who's very much alive.

[pipeorganDUDE]

its no called thunder bolts its called toccata and fugue

[pipeorganDUDE]

my pipe organ only has 4 keybords and 26 stops with 11 pedal pisstons.

[Streetcar1743]

Well the reason why they sound like gorillas moaning is because you are hearing 2 or three of the 32' stops being used and also the mixture pipes are the ones that can get pretty thin.

[Bachlives2]

I hate Ruffatti organs they are so thin and buzzy and the pedals sound like gorillas moaning YUCK!

[GrandeChoeur]

When you build a giant V manual pipe organ and it sounds that good, let me know! I love the sound of a nice Ruffatti organ! They are wonderful. I have played the one at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Kansas City, Missouri, and it is wonderful! Thanks for posting!

[sheepfokker1]

You could argue this until the gorillas come home, but in my estimation, at this time nobody is doing a better job. I have a hi-def DVD with Richard Morris playing at Spivey Hall. It is like taking E.

[rmb10]

You need to hear the instruments that they have built in Europe and were not voiced by Allan VanZoeren and you need to hear the new work they are doing--it's definitely a change in style.

[Bachlives2]

Thank goodness for that!

[grandpoobah0913]

Oh? And just makes you say that? I'm intrigued. I'll wait to see your response before I offer my own opinions in the matter. However, having voiced organs, worked with Ruffatti pipes, and Alan, I have a few opinions on the matter.

[Bachlives2]

The previous voicer was a little hard of hearing causing him to voice the upper work 2's and up very shrill and made the organ sound all 32's and mixtures. Was not a very good sound I think

[Christopher81]

There is an equally amazing recording of the Saint Saens "Symphony No. 3(Organ)" on the RCA Label featuring organist Jean Guillou of St. Eustache, Paris. It's probably one of the best recordings of that work in that you can actually hear the organ for a change.

[GrandeChoeur]

I haven't heard it, but I hate it when I listen to this piece and can't hear the organ! I've heard Oliver Latry on the organ at the Verizon Hall in Philadelphia, and you can't hear the organ. Pretty disappointing that the orchestra is louder!

[acoustics101]

You wouldn't have any problem hearing this organ over an orchestra. That's also the way I like them. It's all in the design of the pipes, their scales, cutups and operating pressures.

[basspig]

My favorite of Symphony No. 3 is probably the one made at Symphony Hall, Boston, in 1959 with Berj Zamkochian. I still have the RCA Red Label half speed mastered disc. I think a Japanese company remastered the original tape to CD not too long ago, which is said to sound even better.

[basspig]

I have the Telarc recording of this organ, made during the inaugural of this organ, featuring Bach, Messiaen, Dupré, Widor & Franck (Telarc CD80097) and it is the most amazing organ recording I own. A magnificent and versatile instrument.

[flyurway]

Hey, that was my first CD that I bought with my first CD player! I remember I needed a CD, of course, to go with the player, I looked at the picture on the jacket and thought "hmmm, this oughta sound big!" :D

[Thor876]

This clip is now 22 years old, the organ has expanded by 2000 or so pipes to count 9300+ today, both the organist Ted Worth, and the Reporter (Paul Wynne) are now dead, the reporter having died of AIDS in 1990.

[gondor124]

Thor, as a very young man I sang in the Grace Cathedral choir and Teddy was my best friend. After I left for Europe in my early 20's I lost touch with him. I did not know he died. I remember him with great fondness and affection. We used to play in the lofts and roofs of the cathedral like a couple of hunchbacks and look out over the view.

[gondor124]

He was then an assistant to Purvis and really puffed proudly when he was able to play the carillon of bells in the bell tower from the keyboard as I remember it. Do you know where I can find the particulars on his death and where he is buried. Would appreciate it very much thanx

[gondor124]

Odd question on a public forum.

[gondor124]

Some of the happiest times in my life. I am sad to hear that he has died. In those days he was a chubby little fellow who played the Aeolian Skinner with such pride it burst out at the seams, with his red shoes dancing on the keys.

[Brandotuomikoski]

Ted died? What happend? He was not that old.

[rotunda57]

Typical - The TV announcer has to speak over the great D major chord of the Tocatta. Ruins it. AAAUGH!!

[jtsoundtech]

Awww, sweeet!