Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-10-17
Organ Papers-NO 8.

Organ Papers-NO. o.
When that great and wonderful work of art
that noblest of instruments-the organ in
the Boston Music Hall, shall have been heard,
the directors contemplate issuing complete
history and minute description of it, end until
then it is desired that only general account
OF it should be given.
OF the nobly elaborate organ-house-caSe is
not the word-there can hardly be given an
adequate description. 1t must be seen in or
der to comprehend its vast proportions and
splendid decorations, which far exceed any
thing of decorative art ever done in this coun-
try. 1t is of dark walnut, and in all over
seventy feet high, reaching far down below the
platform, and above until the little boy-angels
upon the towers almost touch the ceiling.
| The front is curvllinear, having wo colossal
central towers, one on each side of the manu-
ais. These towers are over sixty feet high,
supported by gigantic caryatides - if male
figures can properly be so called-whch seem
almost crushed to earth beneath the enor-
nous weight of the pipes they have to sup
port Each of these towers contains three
metal pipes of pure FURNISHED tin, thrty-two
feet in length and about two feet in diameter
The largest pipe weighs thousand pounds,
and cost nearly five hundred dollars.
Some idea may be formed of its size by its
taking five or six men day to put it in posi-
ton. The sides recede in curves from these
towers, with other pipes of sixteen feet in
| al, A+l,.
nearly fifty feet high-being each supported
by oaryatides- Tho manuals are placed in
the cOncave between the two central towers,
the statue Of Beethoven, familiar to Us all
who have in bygone days visited the Music
Hall, being placed in the centre between the
performer and audience, SO that one must sit
somewhat to the side of the hall in order to
see the organist. Over the manuals is placed
superb bust of Sebastian Bach, the father
and god of all great organists.
To the right of the right tower is the male
figure of bard resting upon his harp and also
at the left of the left tower is female figure
with harp, both life size, and surmountng
all, between the towers, is the angelic figure
of St Cecilia, guarded by griffins, seeming to
call down the angels to the organ, as Raphael
has represented her. In the panels are carved
all kinds of musical instruments, with wreaths,
ideal heads and faces, and in every place is
seen the most artistic work of the carvers
hand that has as yet been in America. The
organ has four manuals, eighty nine regis
tiers, twenty-five of which are in the great Or
gan and twenty in the pedal organ, and two
and half octaves of pedals. 1t has twelve
double action combination pedals, which by
simply being pressed produce the most Won
derful effects.
As the only two concert organs in the world
larger than ours-the Music Hall and the St.
Georges Hall organs-have these improve
ments, the best, most useful and wonderful
that an organ can have, it is hardly possible
that the liberality which has given us the
means for so great an organ Will suffer it to
lack these most valuable and almost indispen-
sable auxiiaries, when a comparatively small
sum will enable us to have them, and make
our organ one of the wonders of American
art. There is a crescendo pedal, which draws
t'N Stope OiC ~ OllS " lilc iuil pOnCl, anu do
gradually reduces them, and this can be used
to any desired extent, as there is dial with
figures ranging from one to eighty-nine-the
number Of the registers upon which can be
seen at any time the precise number drawn.
There are in all fifteen bellows and one large
reservoir for wind
1t is to be blown by hydraulic power, al
though there is an apparatus by which four
men can furnish wind in case the water power
could not be used, and here may it be said
by all means that our organ should be blown
by steam power, as that is constantly used in
the cold season to warm the building, and
then is the time when the organ would be most
used and no organist feels safe with the puny
and ebbing strength of manual power, besides
the great cost of playing when one has to pay
several assistants and spend much valuable
time in finding them. Pardon the DEPRESSION.
This great Music Hall organ will ere long
be dedicated by six of Americas best organ
ists and one has only to see and hear it, to
confess it one of the most magnificent works
of art that the world contains.
As all organs spoken of thus far have been
European, it may be well to examine the Pc
culiarities and excellencies of foreign organs,
in order that the art may here be brought to
its highest perfection.
ERRArUM.-In paper No. 5, for the eighth
paragraph, read 1.-The pneumatic lever,
which makes the pressure of the keys easier,
is applied to each of the manuals, and to the
manual coupers separately" As it was print
ed the paragraph was meaningless.
f A MASSACHUSETTS PENNY, of the date of
1857, was picked up in the garden of Syria
Esten, a few days since. On one side is an
;. Indian with bow and arrow on the reverse a
J spread eagle Woon socket Pnta1nt