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MMD > Archives > August 2003 > 2003.08.13 > 03Prev  Next


CD: Aeolian Philharmonic Pipe Organ in Les Gets
By Richard Vance

Thanks to the beautifully produced Dutch mechanical music magazine
"Het Pierement", I learned about a CD of an Aeolian pipe organ playing
116-note rolls.  As far as I know, this is the only recording now in
print featuring any Aeolian player pipe organ.

The July issue of "Het Pierement" has a fine article by Hendrik H.
Strenger about Aeolian Opus 1150, now beautifully restored and
installed at the Mechanical Museum at Les Gets, France.  This
instrument was originally a keyboardless (player only) 8-rank organ
built in 1910.  It was converted in 1914 to a regular two-manual
console with two more ranks, harp and chimes added; and finally
expanded to 13 ranks in 1916.  (Or 17 ranks, if you count the ranks
in a V-mixture separately.)  It was purchased by Kodak director George
Davison, who owned _two_ Aeolian pipe organs; this one for his London
town house, and opus 1060/1075 for his country house in Wales.

The article mentioned the CD.  The museum has a web site,
http://lemuseedesgets.free.fr/Textes2/cadregets.htm  where you can read
all about the organ, in French, by clicking on "Orgue Philharmonique
Aeolian".  But they have no on-line ordering system.  The easiest way
to get the CD is to buy a 20 euro note at the airport and put it in an
envelope addressed to:

  Musee de la Musique Mecanique
  74260 Les Gets
  Haute Savoie
  France

Ask for the CD "L'Orgue Philharmonique Aeolian, ses rouleaux a jeu
automatique", no. APR 092.  The EUR 20 price covers the cost of the CD,
including the EUR 3.50 airmail postage.  Mine arrived very promptly.

The 19 selections include mostly light classics; 'Turkish March',
'Espana', 'Dance of the Automatons', etc., very typical of Aeolian's
organ roll repertory.  Whoever played the rolls interpreted them
beautifully, because with 116-note rolls one must work the stops,
swell shutters and tempo manually, with some considerable musical
judgement.  There is even a solo passage on the Echo organ.  The
rebuilders have preserved the unique character of Aeolian's voicing
style.  I recommend this CD highly.

Richard Vance


(Message sent Wed 13 Aug 2003, 19:52:10 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  Aeolian, CD, Gets, Les, Organ, Philharmonic, Pipe

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