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The "Ubiquitous" Moller Artiste

Last post 07-09-2008, 4:16 AM by KleinErzahler. 11 replies.
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  •  07-07-2008, 5:22 PM 57721

    The "Ubiquitous" Moller Artiste

    You know, Moller Artistes are really popular organs, even the second or third time around.  From what I can tell, the "single" model stoplist resembles something like what I have typed below.  What is it that makes these so sought-after and popular, and should they inform the way small unit organs are built for home practice?

     Great

    8' Diapason, 8' Gedeckt, 8' Viole, 4' Octave, 4' Flute, 4' Viole, 2 2/3' Viole Quint, 2' Viole Fifteenth, Swell to Great

    Swell

    8' Gedeckt, 8' Viole, 4' Flute, 4' Viole, 2 2/3' Flute Twelfth, 2' Piccolo, Tremolo

    Pedal

    16' Gedeckt, 8' Gedeckt, 8' Viole, 5 1/3' Quint, 4' Octave, 4' Flute 

     

            Best,  Nathan 


    Like to read about pipe organ parts? - http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/organfixers/
  •  07-07-2008, 6:20 PM 57723 in reply to 57721

    Re: The "Ubiquitous" Moller Artiste

    One that I used to regularly practice on is - unfortunately - defunct at the moment.  Hopefully the church will do the right thing and will put some money into restoring it.  In the meantime there were plans to replace it with a restroom Angry but I think most people now understand that these things just cannot be replaced so easily.  And a fine organ it is...

    As I recall, the spec is this:

    Great Swell Pedal
    Diapason 8' Bourdon 16' (TC) Diapason 16'
    Gedeckt 8' Gedeckt 8' Bourdon 16'
    Viole 8' Viole 8' Octave 8'
    Octave 4' Vox Celeste 8' Flute 8'
    Flute 4' Flute 4' Octave 4' (maybe)
    Viole 4' Viole 4' Flute 4'
    Viole Quint 2 2/3' Flute Twelfth 2 2/3' Great to Pedal
    Viole Fifteenth 2' Flautino 2' Swell to Pedal
    Trumpet 8' Trumpet 8'
    Chimes Clarion 4'
    Swell to Great Tremolo

    The most unusual feature is the full-length 16' Diapason, which rattles the rafters!  The 8' and 4' Diapason/Octave are a tiny bit tubby (it was a late '40's installation) but that is not so bad to hear.  The pipes are a bit flutey at the top, and can be very difficult to tune.  I have learned to use the 4' Viole as a tuning reference - it saves a lot of grief.

    The Gedeckt unit is a generously-scaled wooden stop from 16' C up; only the top few octaves of the 2' are metal.  One critique is that the nicking is very heavy, so there is absolutely no articulation.  I played a Bach cantata with some string players who had a very hard time hearing the Gedeckt.  Thank goodness there was some action noise, it helped keep us together.  Big Smile

    The string ranks are heavenly, and the Trumpet is rather round and smooth.  There is no Pedal Quint; perhaps that is for the best...

    The worst critique is probably for the Viole Quint.  It almost sounds like a mixture, but with the vagaries of temperament it can just as easily sound wretched.  Sad  The Flute Twelfth is more successful.

    I would say the design is a success, but would probably opt for an independent Quint rank and less nicking of the Gedeckt.  I have also wished to have the 16' Bourdon on the Great, and to have the 8" Trumpet in the Pedal.  As there are two 16' stops, I suppose there could also be a 32' Resultant to complete the spec, though it would be a bit of overkill.  Smile

    I've learned more music on this instrument than you can imagine!  It doesn't do baroque music too idiomatically, but it is a good instrument for practicing.  Late romantic English music sounds wonderful, especially as the expression is very effective.  Not too bad for only five ranks!

    This little excerpt gives a sense of the organ: Whitlock Fantasie Choral No.1 in D-flat major 


    Soubasse32
  •  07-08-2008, 9:31 AM 57757 in reply to 57723

    Re: The "Ubiquitous" Moller Artiste

    oh man I need a 16' Diapason! ;)
    www.nycfarmboy.com
    www.reuter822.com
  •  07-08-2008, 1:09 PM 57766 in reply to 57757

    Re: The "Ubiquitous" Moller Artiste

    NYCFarmboy:
    oh man I need a 16' Diapason! ;)

    Go for it!  You really don't need that bathroom anyway, an outhouse will do.  Big Smile

    Oh and you will need one of these for bathing:


    Soubasse32
  •  07-08-2008, 1:18 PM 57767 in reply to 57766

    Re: The "Ubiquitous" Moller Artiste

    Oh, I don't know about that SB32; after all, Max Reger apparently believed in indoor plumbing even 100 years ago.  I wonder if he would have favored a 16' Diapason in "loo" of a proper bathroom?

    Embarrassed

  •  07-08-2008, 2:31 PM 57770 in reply to 57767

    Re: The "Ubiquitous" Moller Artiste

    I remember those tubs!  The house we lived in in Detroit in the 1950s did not have plumbed hot water for several years.  We heated water in big pots on the stove and used one of those galvanized tubs on the kitchen floor for bathing.  Some years later we put in a gas-fired hot water heater (external heating tubes) and a stall shower.  Heaven!

    MS, that was a terrible pun!

    David

  •  07-08-2008, 2:31 PM 57771 in reply to 57767

    Re: The "Ubiquitous" Moller Artiste

    Hey John, you could just group the open 16' pipes and run them through the roof along with the septic vent pipe stack! Stick out tongue 
    Holtkamp/Parkey pipe organ
    Galanti Praeludium home instrument
  •  07-08-2008, 3:00 PM 57774 in reply to 57770

    Re: The "Ubiquitous" Moller Artiste

    David,

     I remember quite well those old #3 washtubs used for bathing.  Until I was around 15 did we move into a house that had a complete bathroom which as you mentioned was sheer heaven.  We used that one tub for bathing only, but my Mom would use one to heat water in on the cook stove to go into the wringer washing machine.  She would dip that scaling water out with an old stew pan into the waiting washer.  God, weren't those golden days?  She had a pair of rinse  tubs made together for rinising the clothes.  So many in our neighborhood had the same setup, and talk about the good old days.

    I am all for saving an organ, and making additions as needed rather than dump a good pipe organ for some of these electonic digital things.  A restroom could be placeed elsewhere.  These churchs can get the damnest ideas of any place I know when it comes to spending donated money.  These organs have a nice stop list, but I would miss a good Diapason 16, Bourdon 16', or even a good Violone 16' in the Great.  Does this last organ have any couplers?

     

    James

  •  07-08-2008, 3:13 PM 57776 in reply to 57770

    Re: The "Ubiquitous" Moller Artiste

    MS, that was a terrible pun!

    David

    I am honored; that's the best kind.  LOL!

    Wink

  •  07-08-2008, 4:05 PM 57781 in reply to 57723

    Re: The "Ubiquitous" Moller Artiste

        Thanks for the response SB, that sounds like a wonderful little organ.  Two questions come to mind - what is the nature of the failure of the instrument, and, is the console pneumatic or electric in that installation?

        I know that the Moller Opus list is still a long way down the pike, but I would be interested to know just how many of these have been sold over the years.  They certainly sell like hotcakes on the used market these days!

     PJ Murphy Co. has a three-ranker with new wiring for sale:

    http://www.pjmorgans.com/Moller1953.html

          Best,

             Nathan 


    Like to read about pipe organ parts? - http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/organfixers/
  •  07-09-2008, 2:27 AM 57825 in reply to 57781

    Re: The "Ubiquitous" Moller Artiste

    The nature of the failure of my little Artiste...

    First of all, the stop tabs shrivelled up and fell off.  Surprise

    That wasn't enough to keep organists from playing it however (myself included).

    The biggest problem is now the rectifier seems to have taken a siesta.

    The console is pneumatic.  The combination action makes quite a clunk.  Smile


    Soubasse32
  •  07-09-2008, 4:16 AM 57832 in reply to 57825

    Re: The "Ubiquitous" Moller Artiste

      A combination action?  A deluxe installation!  (C:  Ah yes, Moller plastics of vintage have that habit.  Too bad it didn't have rocker tablets or I'd send you a Moller name board to at least keep you going!  Well, it sounds like it isn't too much of an issue to get it going again, best of luck with that.

     

           - Nate 


    Like to read about pipe organ parts? - http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/organfixers/
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