Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-30
THE ORGANS, INTRICACIEs.

Some Interesting Comments ON the
Various Parts of the Instrument.
From the Providence Journal.
The keyboard of a modern church organ
contains from f1fty-eight to sixty-one keys,
and is consequently four and one-half to
five octaves in compass. The lowest or
bottom left-hand key is c. Now, counting
each octave from the left, it reads thus
The lowest octave Is called the "CC' oc-
tave, written with two capital C's; the
next is the tenor. octave, written with
one capital &C. the next the middle &C.
tave. written with an italic &c" with fig
ure over it-"C1;" the next is the treble
octave, written with an itaic "C' and a
figure over it-"C2;" the next is the
"alto" octave. written with an, italic CO.
and a figure 8 over it-"c3."
The lowest octave is sometimes called the
"bass octave" or double Gu octave, and
the GG is called the "gamut G." The q
of the tenor octave is called also fiddle
string of the violin. The black keys are
always called "sharps," never Flats such
as '.F sharp" not &c fat"
#. then, any key is wrong mention IT as
follows: Tenor on the oboe is out of
tune, ETC., or middle a sharp on the flute is
out of tune or weak, etc. If a note will
not respond to a key when touched on any
particular 'stop' try another stop. and II
II
out of order by its pipe not sounding Then
describe this thus: Middle on the melodia
is ''off its speech" When couplers are out
of order describe the position of the note
and mention the coupler thus: Tenor C
swell to great" Is loft. :"
A great organ separation is continuance
used in organs of pneumatic key and stop
action. By the use of two pistons or but
tons over the keys play er can separate"
or silence all the great organ from the
other manuals. and instantly restore the
sound again. Thus suppose both swell and
choir were coupled to the great organ and
the players hands were using the great
keys. and the piece called for only the
swell and choir coupled, then pressing the
button disconnects the great organ pro
tenn" SO that 1t Is silent, and the fingers
need not be taken off the great keys. but
be kept on and ready for the sudden loud
change by pressing the relieving button.
A "SalicionaI' from latin "Salicet' weep
ing Is the French equivalent for the "Dul-
OF gans. The WON angelica" or "angel
voice. is the softest stQp in the organ-it
does not come up to anything angelic that
human beings know of other than the quiet
more serviceable and cheaper. The 'Vox
Celeste" is a stop tuned slightly 'out of
tune so as to pulsate or beat with any
other stop played with 1t. 1t has nothing
to do with celestial voices" as far as
know. We presume qheeven is perfect and
all nature as we'll, but anything out of
tune offends the musicians ear; then why
encourage It? The Y OK Angelica effect can
be got by playing On the salicional with
the swell closed. The. best "Vox Celeste
not out of tune is the i''Tremuiant." Both
the Angelica" and. Celeste are excellent
stops for indifferent players to moon about
on for hours. but an, overdose produces cold
sweats and other changes. due no doubt to
the temperature Of the air above to where
we are waited. Both. stops are expensive
but useless additions to church organs. and
probably never used more than twice a
year, perhaps never.