AES New York 2011
Organ Concert
Saturday, October 22, 8:00 pm — 9:30 pm
Organ Concert
Central Synagogue
652 Lexington Avenue at 55th Street
New York
Abstract:
Organist Graham Blyth's concerts are a highlight of every AES convention at which he performs. This year’s recital will be held at Central Synagogue. He will play Fantasia & Fugue in G minor by J.S. Bach; “Come, Sweet Death” by J. S. Bach arr. Virgil Fox; Tuba Tune by Norman Cocker; Prelude, Fugue & Variation by Cesar Franck; and Sonata No. 1 in D minor by Alexandre Guilmant.
Constructed by the renowned firm of Casavant Frères of St. Hyacinthe, Canada and completed in 2002, the Gabe M. Wiener Memorial Organ consists of two distinct, interconnected instruments: a Bimah Organ (Casavant Opus 3812) located on both sides of the bimah and used primarily during services to accompany the cantor, choir, and congregation; and a larger Gallery Organ (Casavant Opus 3813) located in the elevated rear gallery and used both for services and concerts. It contains two consoles and 4,345 pipes, 55 stops, and 74 ranks, located in the front and back of the sanctuary. The Bimah Organ, with Choeur, Echo, and Pédale divisions (groups of pipes) was installed and voiced in July 2001, in time for the rededication of the sanctuary on September 9, 2001. The Gallery Organ, with Grand Orgue, Récit, Positif, Solo, and Pédale divisions, was installed and voiced in March 2002. Both coordinate in style and materials with the design of the restored sanctuary. The entire instrument was dedicated at a concert on April 10, 2002, by concert organist David Higgs and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Both organs can be played from separate movable consoles: the Bimah console, which has three keyboards, and a Gallery console that has four. Either can control the entire organ. The Bimah console is equipped with 40 pistons, 31 couplers, and 30 toe studs. The Gallery console is equipped with 80 pistons, 24 couplers, and 34 toe studs. Both consoles have solid-state combination systems with 128 levels of memory, MIDI connections, transposers, and many other amenities. The organ contains two very special stops created specifically for Central Synagogue: a Trompette Shofar, that replicates the sound of the traditional shofar, used for services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur; and a Klezmer Clarinette, that reproduces the sound of a klezmer clarinet with great brilliance and clarity, believed to be the first such organ stop in the world. Both are used to enrich the accompaniment of contemporary anthems and liturgical music. The instrument also contains a rich array of other reed registers, including a Trompette-de-Fête that can sound out over the entire organ, and a 32-foot Contre-Bombarde in the pedal division that provides floor-shaking bass to the full ensemble. The organ was designed by Pierre Dionne, President of Casavant Frères, and Jacquelin Rochette, Associate Tonal Director, in conjunction with George B. Stauffer and Shelly Palmer, who served as organ consultants for Central Synagogue. It is the product of three years of planning and a cumulative total of 21,000 work-hours by Casavant's artisans and musicians.
Information Last Updated: 20110908, mei
