Aeolian Player Pipe Organ, Widor's Toccata

Add &fmt=18 to the URL to hear in stereo. The Widor 5th Symphony Toccata, roll 51466, has been converted to MIDI with Duo Art coding added. While opus 1280 performs, historic Aeolian installations are seen. An on screen MIDI track as well as the original roll are also seen.

www.aeolianorgan.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• www.AMICA.org
• automatic
• music
• MBSI
• Aeolian
• Opus
• 1280
• amica

[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.

[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.

[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.

[fluteceleste]

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

[kettohio]

Loved it very much

[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.

[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.

[767373jae]

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

[MrsAlexisClyde]

@RedDawgEsq

I heard it too.

[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.

[mudog35]

what kinda piano is that ??

[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.