Aeolian Player Pipe Organ, Widor's Toccata

[DuoArtDanOz]

Beautiful piece of music! , i wonder if it was ever done on 58 note roll? , for my Model V Orchestrelle.

[virginiaorganbuilder]

Ah, the Fifth Sumphony...(probably not the first time that's been posted). Love these organs! I'm always glad to see one in operation.

[767373jae]

Thanks for posting this but, why the computer shit. It has nothing to do with what the organ is doing?!?

[1ampico]

@767373jae Actually the computer is playing the organ and the screen shows the music being played. The higher notes are at the top of the screen, and the bass notes are near the bottom.  It takes a little practice, but you can follow the music by watching the screen. When the cursor first reaches a note on the screen, the note sounds.

[mudog35]

what kinda piano is that ??

[RedDawgEsq]

Bob, there are two notes at the 2:40 mark that should be sounding a half step higher than they are (and do in the preceeding pattern or measure.) Is this roll 58 or 116 note format (I assume not full Duo-Art since you say you added the coding.) The mistake is probably in the roll, not the MIDI conversion. Interestingly, I have a factory "made-to-order" (non-production) roll of this piece with handwritten comments that has numerous errors that I corrected drafting-board style. -John Grant

[ampicoab]

Interesting comment, John. I don't have the score, so I can't check the notes against that. I did go to the original MIDI file made from the roll and found no errors in tracking. The location you identified briefly plays on two manuals, and I suspect you identified the middle E on the lower manual as errant. Replacing that note with F# seems to remove the conflict, but there is a modulation in progress at that point, so I'm not sure which is correct. It is a 116-note roll.

[trombonedude5566]

@ampicoab The problem is the A-natural on the upper manual, actually. It should be an A-sharp. The chord in the "right hand" should be F-sharp major, not F-sharp minor.

[MrsAlexisClyde]

@RedDawgEsq

I heard it too.

[12inchshell]

I used to play an Aeolian home installation at STan Hywet Hall and Gardens in Akron, OH. Schantz Organ just rebuilt the entire guts last year. Re-leathered everything, new air lines, complete tonal restoration, etc. It sounds awesome. I was honered to be resident organist there in the 1990's.

[steamboat75043]

Bravo - beautiful instrument.

[gollyo]

Thanks for posting !

Any idea who the artist who "punched the paper" might have been. ( And when) ?

[ampicoab]

I don't think there any way to attribute the roll to an artist. The roll is listed in the 1907 catalog, so it is a early roll in the Aeolian library.

The performance heard here uses the original roll converted to MIDI, to which I added the suggested registrations and expression. The MIDI file then plays the organ and controls everything automatically.

[praisethelord333]

it sounds good but still mechanical. it is not on live....

[Andulusian]

Perfect!

[welngtn4]

Where is opus 1280?

[erlock21]

nice ,,but you cant beat it live from a master with one of the big catheral organs..it blows your fucking socks off ..if god has a theme tune this is it

[DoctorNeoCortex72]

were did you find the pictures?

[ampicoab]

The pictures are mostly original advertising photos used by Aeolian. All are actual Aeolian installations. The last photo is this organ as it was in its original 5th Avenue location, under a staircase.

[m4rty1990]

very good tempo because it's sequencer, that's hard to hold this tempo during the all Toccata when you play it on your own

[fluteceleste]

very good tempo! That's the way it should be played..

[kettohio]

Loved it very much

[mspysu79]

What was the MIDI software userd, I know it was on a mac, and looks like you used a PowerBook.

[ampicoab]

The MIDI program is MasterTracks Pro. The computer is indeed an old Mac laptop cs5300 which is used only for organ playing. Other Macs are used in converting the rolls to MIDI and for edit functions.

[DiegoLiger]

They could've tuned the reeds before the recording...out of tune and off speach reeds spoil it which is a shame

[ampicoab]

You are correct. The "They" in this instance would have be "me". The real offenders in this recording were the top octave flues in the reed ranks. Maybe the next recording will sound better.

[DiegoLiger]

Ahh okay. What reed is it? It sounds like a low pressure Cornopean type thing and quite tightly voiced? Adds more intensity and colour to the full organ rather than dominating it I think.

(Im an organ builder by the way)

[ampicoab]

At this point I really would have to guess. Many changes have been made since the recording was made. In its last installation, the organ was "buried" and the voicing turned up very loud to compensate. I'm slowly undoing that.

The swell trumpet is called "capped" trumpet by Aeolian and is probably a cornopean. The great trumpet is much louder. Both at 4" of wind. Other reeds, oboe, vox humana (2), and clarinet (free reed). All 4" except echo vox, which is 3 1/2".

[DiegoLiger]

Okay cool. That sounds similar to the English Hooded Trumpet which has a cap at the top of the tube to keep the muck out...we also have a fractional length reed called "close horn" which are very smooth but next to useless. Rubbishy thing. I guess if the organ was burried it would be voiced pretty full out, tip holes and flues wide open almost shouting and not very musical.

[Reesman95]

On player pipe organs can you set your own registrations?

[ampicoab]

The short answer is yes. This roll has printed instructions for setting the stops, manually. In this performance, the stops are set automatically in an "upgraded" MIDI file based on those instructions. If wanted, those automatic features can be disabled.

[Reesman95]

What about tempo?

[ampicoab]

If playing a roll, the speed is easily changed at any time. If playing a MIDI file, the speed can be changed for the entire playback, or one can edit the file and map changes in tempo throughout the performance. If the automatic concertola is playing the roll, tempo changes cannot be made.

[barbara5706]

Interesting, Maybe they should bring these player organs back since there is a shortage of organists. I love the way it is installed in a house and you can listen anytime without a person. Good Job!!!

[harrymonk68]

yee man.. rock n roll.

[Andulusian]

Beyond Awesome! Thanks for restoring and sharing this wonderful instrument!

[silverswan481]

VERY INFORMATIVE!

I like seeing the roll supply the information to the organ and the computer showing the same thing.

GOOD JOB.

[diaphone32]

This is wonderful. I fantasize about living in a wonderful mansion in Florida with a custom player symphonic organ built to my specifications. I like the slide show of all those old mansions with organs in them. Any one can reply.

[deekav99]

This is just fantastic. Another wonderful experience from MBSI

[elisan693]

a player organ! WOW!!! Now I want that!!!!

[mortonbelcher]

Um, Where is opus 1280 (the organ heard on this recording) located? Are any concerts/recitals given on this organ?

Many thanks for posting.

[ivrykeys]

cool cool cool

[adalb137]

Very cool! Anyone know where I can find this roll? I have been looking for ages to play on my piano! Help!

[mikeydud]

Way cool. I want an Aeolian pipe organ. Are they still in business? LOL. No, I know--rare as hen's teeth. Finding the organ might be easy--finding a place to set it up, not so easy.

I have a rebuilt non-electric vintage player piano and I play it every day. The mechanics of how it works is fascinating.

Thanks for the post.

Mike

[octave4]

Nicely done - Shows amazing technology put to use by Organ Builders of USA many years before computers wre developed. and all done by pheumatic controls - systems now copied by many other industries and medical equipment.

[markusgisel]

Just viewed your vid about the vfr landing in stl - great! (was that actually your last flight?) Your various organ-videos are just as great! Congratulations.

markusgisel

[ampicoab]

Thanks for the comments. The last flight vid hasn't been posted--yet. It was a baseball charter, SFO-STL.