Al Melgard plays "Five Foot Two Eyes of Blue" on the Chicago Stadium theatre pipe organ

This is from 1958. Inside cover stated this was the world's largest theatre pipe organ with 4,000 pipes, 883 stops & six manuals. I hear the organ is alive and well in a private home.....must be nice!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• chicago
• stadium
• organ
• theatre
• pipe
• vintage
• LP

[Hi65Fi]

Wow, that is what it said on the back....thought it sounded a bit much. I hope to post better quality videos soon with stereo sound. Thanks

[paulj0557]

@paulj0557 The tremulents are there, the tibia clausa, nice selection of brass, piccolo's, couplers, but yes you're right there is something not there. It's not missed IMO in fact this is an excellent example of a unique personality that results from a unique registration assembled by an above average player. Bravo!

[furrypeanut1]

@paulj0557 You cant get an exact theatre tone because it isnt a true theatre organ. You can get it close enough to play theatre organ music relatively well, but It isnt exact. Take a close look at the stoplist. You'll find its almost entirely classical.

[paulj0557]

@furrypeanut1 Who wants to play classical when you can get a theater tone like this? That's about when I'd start calling it a theater organ too.

[furrypeanut1]

@rdadal that doesnt make it a theatre organ. It is a conglomeration of everything. It certainly can play theatre organ music, as it has all the Tibias, voxes, and strings you need. But the majority of the instrument is classically focused.

[rdadal]

@furrypeanut1

Yes it is a theater organ, you can hear the bells. It also had drums and whistles.

[csbartonorgan83]

@andyt1424 but I don't think the Midmer-Losh is fully operational. At least not yet. And it's closer in sound to the Wanamaker organ than the Chicago Stadium organ.

[furrypeanut1]

@andyt1424 It isnt a theatre organ though. It's more classical than anything.

[andyt1424]

Well I know for a fact that this wasn't the biggest theature organ in the world. Atlantic City's Midmer-Losh Organ has 7 manuals and 33,077 + pipes.

[danielmkubacki]

NOT A WURLITZER THEATER ORGAN BUT STILL COOL!