The New York herald., 1863-11-05
THE MONSTER ORGAN.

0 which 80 much has been written and about which 90
much has boon tslked-whch In fact. has formed lead
ing topic Of oonversatoa Ia musical circles for months
viii undoubtedly rank among tho arst In The
on The gigantic scale, 50 il contains features and
| improvements mover before achieved; and In these
respects may therefore be accounted he best
either side OF tho Atlantic. Tho completion OF the nsru
ment and Ito exhibition 10 the public constitute Ia
the musicA annals Of our country; and from ths tms
forward IL may be that tho art Of music will
higher position among Lot earnestly hoes thai
such may bo tho The audience. last evening"
contased more genuine musical culture intelligence and
renenent than was ever before assembled on tho CONT
mont. Some ten or twelve States Of the Union were
represented and By those Who made special pilgrimage
70 Boston for the purpose Of attending the
Eos lees than two hundred were present from tae oty
| and as many moro from Baltimore and washing.
ton. Parties were also present from oities q
| distant .as Chicago and Detroit; while dslegs.
tlons came from all parts OF New England.
Tiers was an extensive array Of nne dressing
on we do not rec0llect 20 have years Some OF
the costumes were oxceedipgy gay and brilliant aud
regardless Of dgures that might be placed upon bills
payable for tho same The OF the fashion Of our
city aud vicinity were out 10 full numbers and in ceors
that excoled the rainbow; for what s the rainbow In all
Its splendor compared With youth, beauty and the
quse art OF Demo ests The hall thronged In every
was left unoccupied. 1t presented truly magnificent
appearance AS teen from the north gallery under the
vaeS et n was un
bined with the "great organ' balcd all attempts ut
description The next quarter OF century will hardly
witness just such an auditory In our city, and for tue
sufficient reason that no adequate occasion will occur
THE aRxAT ORGAN
The great organ OF the Music Hall is choir Of nearly
six thousand voc, throats Its largest windpipes are
thirty two ieet in length, and crawl through
them. It's finest tubes are too small for bsbys whistle
biuati0ns OF which Its orchestra capable from
tho purest solo OF singing nun to the odest chorus In
which all it's groups Of voices have their part in the full
flow OF its barmOnes Like all Instruments or its class
IL conta several distinct systems OF pipes. commonly
spoken Of as separate organs and capable Of being played
alone In connection with each other Four manuels,
hand keyboards and two pedals, foot eyboards,
command those several systems-he solo organ, the
piano AND forte pc@a 'os organ s'A' Twexc
pairs OF bellows. which II ia intended 10 move
By water power derived from tho cochtuate reservoirs.
furnishes the breath which pours Itself forth in music.
Those beautiful effects for which the organ ncompara
bic, the cssonde and dnnuendohe gradual rise OF the
the dying fall by which II steals gently back into ST.
lence-the dssoviag views, to speak. Of harmony
obtained by special adjustment from the eevera systems
OF pipes and from the entire instrument. The structure
Is Of black walnut aud is covered with carved statues,
centre richly ornamented arch contains niche for
the ksyboards and stops. colossal mask Of a
pedinsut above is surmounled by the bust OF
Johann Sebastian Bach Behind this rises the lofty cen.
tiul sitting statute of S. Cecilia, boidns her yre ' On
each side Of her griffin sits guardian This
connected by harp shaped compartments, filled with
pipes, to tho two great round towers each SIDE
and each OF them contauing three colossal pipes These
magnificent towers come boldly forward into the hail,
being the most prominent as they are the highest and
sateest part OF the fac,de AZ the OF each ggan-
tic half caya'id. in the style OF the ancient horne, but
weight Ike Atlas nnder the globe. These figures are Of
wonderful force, the muscular development being almost
excessive, but in keeping with their superhuman task
At each SIDE OF the base two lion herma share n
the task Of the giant. Over the base rises the
round pillars which support the dome and enclose tho
three great pipes already mentioned The thres great
pipes are crowned by heavily sculptured, ribbed,
rounded dome: and this Is surmounted each side BY
chsrubs whose hends touch the lofty ceiling
This whole portion the scuptnre OF eminent beanH
Tho exquisite cberubs OF side are play ing the
Tyre and the lutte those Of the other side flute and
the horn All tho reefs that round the lower por.
tou OF the dome are OF singular richness Two other
lateral compartments iiied with pipes, and sti more
lateral towers Over hese compartments, coee 10 the
round tower. sits on each side harper, the
apparently Of natural size. The square towers,
hoding pipes In their orea interior, arc lower
front Below, three colossal kermo Of sybi like womcn
perform for them the once which the giants and tho
lion shapes perform for the round towers The four p
lars which rise from tbobtse square, and the dome
which surmounts them Ia square also. Above the dome
is vase like support, upon which disposed figures
OF the Tyre and other musical symbols The whole baso
OF the INSTRUMENT in the intervals OF the figures described
is covered With elaborate carvings. Groups Of musical
instruments. standing out almost detached from tho
background, occupy tho panels. Ancient aud moicrn
clustered with careless grace and quaint variety
from the violin down % to , string Of sleigh bells
such ~ the thousand tongued organ blends To.
gether in ono grand harmony. The iT~trnment
Is placed upon .ow platform, the outlines Of which
In accordance with ts Its whole bcigh about
sixty feet its breadth iorty eight feet lie average
depth twenty four feet Some idea OF it's magnitude may
be got from the fact that the wind machinery and tie
swell organ alone i mp the whole occupied by the
former organ. which was not small All the ohor
portions OF the great instrument forward into the
hall In front Of its centre stands Cawods noble bronze
statue OF Beethoven. the gift OF our tcwnsnan. Mr.
Charles o. Perkins IL might be suggested that fine
work Of art should have q platform wholly 10 itself;
bat the eye soon reconciles Itself 10 the position
OF the statue, aud the tremulous Atmosphere
which surrounds the vibrating organ is that which
the almost breathing figure would de-
light ia imagination invests II with nonentary
consciousness As return the impress produce
by the grand facade, and more struck with
the subtle art displayed In it's adaptations and symbol
isms. Never did any structure have looked upon
Justify Madam de Staes definition of architecture. as
"frozen music" The outermost towers their pillars and
domes all square, their outlines thus passing without
too sudden transitions from the sharp square angles OF
the vauted ceiling aud the rectangular lines oi the walls
OF the ball itself into the more central parts OF the psru
S Ha .su Ssss ps'S: s
to represent the meaning OF the entire sr.ufs
which gave sharpness and variety me 10 Hi ess Ta
portions oil resolved approached lis throbbnR
heart. And again the half fauas,c repcttons Of mu.
steal forms in the principal ounesthe Tyre like shape
Of the bases OF the great towers the hapke 1gure OF
the connecting wings, the clustering reeds of the
columns-tl the mind with musical suggestions, and
listener.
NO descrpto however wen peDned, could do justice
10 the stupendous INSTRUMENT n must be seen, gazed
upon, studied, TO obtain anything like adequate idea
OF It's grand proportions It's massive structure and it's
artistic and phosophrc details. The Atlantic koniAiy
from which we have drawn the above somewhat freely
may 40 somethng some OF our musical journals may do
moro but the organ II 10 be known only by bodily
visit 70 Music HALL
THR PERFORMANCE.
The performance of the evening such benttcd
the occasion. Nothing could have been arranged with
admirable adaptation, taste artistic propriety.
Each player brought ont some new power OF the organ
each developed some iresh beauty
The following was the programme
rARrL
1-Ode recited by Miss Charlotte Cushmsn
2Dpeuiug OF the Organ by Herr Friedrich ws,cker
OF the eminent organ builder, ". r. wacker of Lud-
wiesburg kingdom o. wurtemberg
Sal Grand Tcccata In Bach
(b.) Trio Sonata IN dat, for two manuals and pedal
I. Allegro moderate. 2. Adsgo. 8 Allegro. Bach
BY John X Paine orgsnst, Al the West church, Bos-
ton, and Musical Instructor at Harvard University
t-srans Fugue IN minor ...,...... Bach
BY Eugene rhsyer. OF Worcester.
PART H.
1--Grsnd Double Chorus.--sHe led them through the
Deep and Chorus: but the waters overwhelmed
'hcir enemies" from "isrsel in Egypp 80. Handel