The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-04-09
The Organ.
SALT LAKE CITY, April 7, 'S4.
Editors Herald:

Uo DTandLlC anu AtAlc CO1ulu0S
of your Sunday issues are a very in
teresting feature of your valued
paper but it's opinions are not
always undeniably correct, az for
instance, the remarks OF Professor
81. S. Krouee. in last Sundays
paper. In giving his criticism OF
the late Patti concert ne says: "Phe
organ was greatly at fault. They
may dicker at it as much as they
choose, but until they bring some
one cut here from the great organ
builders in Pittsburgh or some-
where else east, where organ build
ing is a profession, they will never
have a perfect instrument; it's a
great pity. too, when you think of
what it might be-"
Now as friend of Mr.. johnson,
who has in hand the completion OF
the Tabernacle organ, object 10 this
opinion of Professor Krouse, it being
all incorrect except the first sen.
tence. L do not deny that Profess
sor Krouse is pianist of great
merit, and undoubtedly good
Judge of harm onious sounds, bat
[ assert that he is not by any means
an authority upon the building
or construction of pipe organs. His
onin ion is only that of one in6i-
vidual, and of itself of no moment,
but an assertion in your columns is
a creator of opinions, good and had
ones, therefore / undertake to cor
rect this inaccuracy OF Professor
Krouse.
We have but four pipe organs in
Salt Lake City; the Tabernacle, As
SEM bly, Hall, st. Marks Cathedral,
and the small one in the Methodist
Church. The last one Ia not of
capacity to make comparisons and
the Assembly Hall as we'll as the
Tabernacle instruments being b 'th
home made, or built, and under the
supervision of Mr.. Johnson, leaves
us with that in st Marks Cathedral
built "Where organ building is pro-
feesion" as a criteri n to judge by.
[ have no doubt but Pro: essor
Krouee will admit that the organ
in st. MARKS I a be0ral IS R foe in
slrument, as it truly is, its beauti-
full tones being constant source
of delight to, all who drank III is
melc dioy SounEs. But let me here
remark that it is not by any meacs
ga perfect instrument" Those
who ara well versed in organ build
ing, and there ara several reside ut
in this city, do not admire all its
mechanical arrangements, and can
point out its weak places iu lack If
desirable additional pipes to give it
a fuller volume of tone, e!c. HOWs
ever. the public are not interested
in this. My object in mentioning
the st. Marks Cathedral organ is
this: 1t so happens that the same
Mr.. Johnson, who has chsrge OF the
Tabernacle and Assembly Hall or
gans, has also.charge of st. Marks;
was engaged with Mr.. Chsffin in
erecting it in the cathedral, Mr..
Chsffin having been sent ont here
by the builders; Mr.. johnson attun-
ed several whole stops Of the pipes
himself, Mr.. G. doing the rest; and
Mr.. johnson has gone over the
whole instrument and regulated its
tone several times since the departs
ure Of Mr.. Chsffi o, the latest Occa>
sion being just previous to the last
organ recital, st which time com.
ment was made on the beautiful
eveness of tone of the instrument.
Therefore, it is apparent that Mr.
J Johnson, has had, and presumably |
now retaining his good health anu
senses, does possess the ability to |
make the tabernacle organ a beau
tiful sound, but not per ect, in
strument. Prof. Krouse must GER
tsinly---appreciats >, that it is |
a constant labor to keep large pipe !
organ we'll in tune. it bsing affected |
by all changes Of temperature, end |
more particularly its reed pipes OR
stops.
Perhaps the Profe sor will he vii
ling to admit that the Assembly |
Hall organ is fine instrd-
ment. At least, 1t is go ad mitted by
many authorities who have hoard
and examined the instrument when
visiting this city. It was designed
and built entirely un Ter the super
vision Of Mr.. Johnson.
The Tabernacle o-gsn was un~
doub ,edly at fault on the night of !
PATHS concert. 1t was nor, and is
not now. in tune. Mr.. Johnson OBJ
jected to it's use so he tells Neon
that night. The pneumatic action |
and some new and besutifGl sol3 |
organ and other pipes, made down
east by professional organ builders,
are in place, but are not properly |
connected, much less regulated or
tuned. It will occupy several weeks
of individual labor before Mr. John.
son completes the work to his satis>
faction. | have known organ
builders in Europa. professional
men," who could acknowledge that
after months of labor, they were
not satisfied with their endeaVors to
tune the pipe organ; it did not please
even themselves. On the Patti
concert night, the Weber piano then
used was different in pitch to the
organ, hence they could not be used
together. Will Professor Ktouss
kindly wait awhile before passing
Judgment on the tone OF the TabeE-
lscls organ, and then il he notices
m r1prfe ptjOnS in tho bland no or !