Bottlehead Forum

General Category => Music => Topic started by: Bill Epstein on April 19, 2015, 03:57:42 PM

Title: Johann, what a large organ you have!
Post by: Bill Epstein on April 19, 2015, 03:57:42 PM: Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, J.S. Bach

This is the picture of the main part of the organ in the Cathedral of Passau. The organ consists of five separate parts â€“ the great organ above the main entrance, the epistle and the gospel organ on the western gallery of the aisle, the choir organ at the altar and the echo organ in the attic behind the â€žHoly Spirit Holeâ€œ in the ceiling in the middle of the nave. The organâ€˜s muted tones reach the interior through that hole in the ceiling. The largest pipe is more than 11 meters long and weighs 306 kilos. Its deepest tone is almost inaudible with a frequency of 16 Hz. The smallest pipes are 6 mm and their tones are almost to piercingly high for our hearing with a frequency of 16 000 Hz. More than 120 km cable had to be laid in the attic to connect the five organ parts. Your stereo speakers have 6" cone drivers?

It is the largest Cathedral Organ in the world.

St. Stephen's Cathedral is a baroque church from 1688 in Passau, Germany, dedicated to Saint Stephen. It is the seat of the Catholic Bishop of Passau and the main church of his diocese.

https://youtu.be/ho9rZjlsyYY
Title: Re: Johann, what a large organ you have!
Post by: porcupunctis on April 19, 2015, 04:53:15 PM: Bach was the Keith Emerson of the day and ironicaly had access to better live equipment. Though I wonder what Bach would have done with a moog.
Title: Re: Johann, what a large organ you have!
Post by: fullheadofnothing on April 20, 2015, 07:15:16 AM: So your implication is that the tool most needed by a man who did more to redefine the way the western mind thinks of harmony and counterpoint than anyone before or since is a monophonic synthesizer...?
Title: Re: Johann, what a large organ you have!
Post by: Doc B. on April 20, 2015, 08:41:15 AM: I think actually he's saying that Bach had a cooler setup than Keith.
Title: Re: Johann, what a large organ you have!
Post by: porcupunctis on April 20, 2015, 03:36:18 PM: Yes, that is what I meant. Actually a big fan of both of them.
Title: Re: Johann, what a large organ you have!
Post by: Grainger49 on April 21, 2015, 02:14:16 AM: It wouldn't fit in my listening room. But nice organ. You can't usually say that to another guy without derision.
Title: Re: Johann, what a large organ you have!
Post by: vetmed on April 21, 2015, 07:04:12 AM: Wonder if Johann actually played at this church? Passau is a long way from Leipzig, at least in 18th century terms :)

Robert Lees
Title: Re: Johann, what a large organ you have!
Post by: porcupunctis on April 21, 2015, 05:12:03 PM: I set of imagine that this was built with the intention of drawing in the celebrity musicians of the day. Much in the way we build concert halls in cities today. Back then, live music was the only music.