Opus 41 Pipe Organ

FullOrganBright-300x400The Rieth Recital Hall organ, designed by Taylor and Boody, is based upon 18th century North German organbuilding principles. It features more than 1600 pipes, and a case of carved solid white oak. The key and stop action are mechanical (tracker), with two manuals and a flat pedalboard. The temperament is set to Bach-Lehman, a hypothetical reconstruction of Johann Sebastian Bach’s preferred system, as specified on the title page of the Well-Tempered Clavier, 1722. This tuning method was re-discovered by GC alumnus Dr. Bradley Lehman (’86) in 2004 and published in the February and May 2005 issues of Early Music. This instrument was the first organ since the 18th century to employ this tuning in its construction.

The organ was dedicated in a series of concerts and events May 1 through May 8, 2005.

Dispensation of Stops

Hauptwerk Oberwerk Pedal Couplers
Bordun 16′ Gedackt 8′ Subbass 16′ Oberwerk / Haputwerk
Principal 8′ Quintadena 8′ Octave 8′ Hauptwerk / Pedal
Spillpfeife 8′ Principal 4′ Octave 4′ Oberwerk / Pedal
Viol da Gamba 8′ Rohrflöte 4′ Posaune 16”
Octave 4′ Waldflöte 2′ Trompet 8′
Spitflöte 4′ Sesquialtera II
Quinte 3′ Scharff IV
Nasat 3′ Dulcian 8′
Superoctave 2′
Mixtur IV-V
Trompet 8′
Tremulant to entire organ
Mechanical key and stop action
Compass: Manual 56 notes; C – g”’
Pedal 30 notes; C – f’
Bach-Lehman temperament
Metal pipes of hammered lead-tin alloys
Case of solid white oak
Number of pipes: 1604
Wind pressure: 75mm
Wind stabilizer

Opus 41 in the Press