A Digital Baroque Organ:
IS IT POSSIBLE?
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Trinity Lime Rock proudly presented Organist and Choirmaster Christine Gevert in one of the major musical events of the Northwest Corner for the Winter of 2003, performing on our Rodgers model 960 Digital Concert Organ. The program was her specialty: the Baroque. The answer to the question is "YES".Interestingly, a digital organ can routinely render baroque music MORE faithfully than modern general-purpose pipe organs, even those costing in the millions of dollars.Miss Gevert's comments, from the concert program, shown below, address the question in more detail. |
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"First of all - you have come to listen to a baroque concert on a digital organ… which seems to be a contradiction in itself. But before you collect your entrance money back, let me direct your attention to this instrument and what it actually is capable of. The sound of is digitally (meaning CD-quality) recorded, note-by-note, pipe by pipe (this organ has over 70 pipe registers - or stops -- which means differently shaped pipes for each note of the 56 of the keyboard, making for over 3000 individually recorded sounds). That means that the organ sound was captured with all its typical sound qualities, the most characteristic perhaps the so called "speaking" of the pipe, which is caused by the air turbulence when the air rushes into the pipe once a pressed key opens the wind channel under it. The instruments the manufacturer chose to record from are masterpieces of organ construction, (instruments that are famous all over the world - a new instrument compared to one of these normally would not be affordable for any small or even most big churches…). "One key piece in this digital instrument is the sound emission, which comes through 8 speakers, placed at the altar part of the church high up under the ceiling (and on the floor) and far enough from each other so they give an illusion of the sound separation that a big pipe organ creates. Thus it enables us to hear the different register families, grouped on three manuals sounding in different spaces in the room, which for solo-music is very relevant. This particular instrument is also voiced (regulated in loudness and orientation of the sound sources) for this specific room, so it is "customized" carefully. The room is integral to the organ sound (and even you as a listener are). "The high technology makes one extraordinary thing possible that the baroque musicians surely would have enjoyed as well: the possibility of changing the whole tuning of the instrument in one second. The tuning of baroque instruments is a long forgotten but lately rediscovered art and science, and it has a major influence on the sound of any instrument. You will hear this afternoon one of the four baroque temperaments that this instrument is capable of reproducing. The effect compared to a "modern" (equal) temperament is that the tonalities and chords with few alterations (meaning black keys or sharps and flats) sound very good, as their tuning is kept very pure (in consonance with the natural overtones), but the further the harmonies go into alterations, the more tense, strange and "sharp" (!) it will sound. In baroque times composers were limited in the harmonical progression and choice of tonalities, but also were very aware of these differences and would use harmonies to reinforce expression and emotion (affetti from the Italian) very deliberately. Therefore you will have the opportunity to hear these pieces in a tuning that enhances their expression, something that these days you rarely have the opportunity to hear. Pipe organs today must suit all styles and can't be limited to just one era because of their tuning (which can take two or three whole days with at least two people for a huge instrument). "Computer features help the organist store certain register combinations used for different pieces, so the need of an assistant that helps with registration is eliminated. And then - amazingly enough - this instrument can play on its own! This is not a new idea - there are examples of organs, harmoniums and pianos centuries ago that play with different mechanisms (such as piano rolls). This organ records itself digitally (meaning internally) and then plays back through the whole instrument, something you will never equal with any other form of recording. "To finish this praise to the instrument - the test is always reality…the best comment so far was from an English friend who has performed for years as singer in oratorios and church concerts (who didn't know this was a digital organ) who simply asked after I had played a piece for him: "Magnificent, very beautiful - by the way, where are the pipes of this organ?"… "Judge by yourself… and please feel free to walk around during the concert. One listens with the whole body, especially to organ music. Listening to my own recordings I have learned how different the sound actually is in different locations in this room. You are also invited to sing three hymns - one for each of the festive seasons of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany). Each hymn will be preceded by a short organ prelude." |
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how it came to Trinity Lime Rock
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