Wanamaker Organ Day 2010 - Widor - Allegro, Symphony VI

[Peronter77]

great job the organ is know for its great color. Did you know it is a symphonic organ that mean it made for orchestral peices. its the best in ther world. Great job

[wurlitzer3]

I wish Ken Cowan could make a CD of Widor Symphonies on this organ. It should not be just any recording either but totally uncompromising audiophile. And wouldn't a tour of stops like Thomas Murray did on the Newberry Hall instrument be great?

[HiringAPtAdvocate]

From what I have read less than half was 'installed' in 1904. ~10K pipes formed the St. Louis Fair. Over the next several decades it grew to over 28K pipes being built in the pipe shops in the building. SO one could say it is the Wannamaer Organ bc it was mostly built BY Wannamaker. In addition to that a stability of name may be achieved by aligning the organ with the building's original owner. isn't Macy the third 'owner'? Isn't the organ some sort of landmark now?

[MrAlex413x]

was the organ on the loudest it could be ?

the louder the better !! was a 64' used on the last chord ??

[notredameswarrior1]

@MrAlex413x there is no 64 stop on this organ. your thinking of atlantic city. and i was there and im shure if it was on its full. its still sounded great though

[MDLRX8]

@notredameswarrior1 Actually, there is a 64' resultant - the "Gravissima." It isn't all that powerful though. You can read the full specification at the website for the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ.

[notredameswarrior1]

@MDLRX8 yea. now i remember. i like the organ its self. but i do not like conte. he has one hell of a lousy attitude and i dont like his playing. the organ is great. but they need to get conte out of there. im shure ken cowan would be fine as the head organist. i jsut dont like conte at all. but like i said i like the organ. i have the tape recording of Keith Chapman playing pictures at an exhibition. probaly one of the best recordings i ever heard.

[nostalgia1904]

I so enjoy hearing this beautiful pipe organ. My grandparents orgiinally heard this organ at the 1904 St. Louis Worlds Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. After the fair, the organ was stored and in 1911 Mr. Wanamaker purchased the organ and installed it in his department store. Through the years, many, many more ranks of pipes were added. So happy the organ is kept up and for many generations to enjoy the beauriful muisc.

[nostalgia1904]

I so enjoy hearing this amazine pipe organ. My grandparents heard this organ at the 1904 St. Louis Worlds Fair. After the fair, the organ was stored and sold to Mr. Wanamaker in 1911. Mr. Wanamaker added many, many more ranks to the organ.

So happy the organ is kept in working order and for everyone to enjoy.

[mlodyorganista]

I like this performance.

[mountainsong100]

Mush Mush and More Mush but is it loud.! As Virgil used to say: "pick up your hands off the keyboard and let the sun shine in" With the acoustics in that environment, the organist should have played to the room and not glued everything together. I'm sure Widor didn't.

[EccentricRichard]

@mountainsong100 - I think that most of the mush is down to an inadequate microphone (I'm guessing an in-camera mic). I dare say it would have been a lot clearer in the building on the day.

[sophelet]

INCREDIBLE. Beautiful playing! And what an enormous organ! (I know, an understatement.) Your video showing a lot of the organ is breathtaking.

[joebobshouse]

This is the best performance of the Allegro I've heard, recorded or otherwise. Thanks for posting.

[julorg]

Sure, Wanamaker was really a Grand Man !

Ken is playing beautifully, as usual. The assistant is Josh Stafford.

[steelersfanhawaii]

And I would love to be able to play it some day.....

[steelersfanhawaii]

thanks for the reply, I bet this largest pipe organ in the world (next to the Atlantic City organ) will always be know as 'The Wanamaker Organ' even though the store is Macy's - I can't fathom the idea of "The Macy's Organ"

[gromitbilly]

@steelersfanhawaii: That's true. It will always be the Wanamaker Organ (at Macy's Center City). Thanks to John and Rodman Wanamaker it was installed in their store.

[codeman2008]

He plays it with such ease. Such an incredible musician!

[steelersfanhawaii]

Question, anybody out there know if Wanamaker's today is Macy's? Pls pardon my ignorance....

[codeman2008]

@steelersfanhawaii Yes it is now Macy's. There are no actual Wanamaker stores anymore, although some of the buildings exist there is no Wanamaker's anymore.