[rodgersorganusers] From another list....



 From another list:

Good day to All,
    I titled my subject line as such for 2 reasons.
First, to courteously deter those who find digital
sound abhorrent, from even opening this report.
Secondly, to establish what made this experience unique
for me.
    I have heard live performances of instruments that
contained digital pedal ranks before, but had never
heard one that contained a mix of digital voices and
pipes in all the main divisions, plus one complete
division of all digital voices. It would be safe to say
I was prepared not to like such an instrument due in
large to what I have learned on this, and other organ
chat lists, but the fact that Felix Hell would be at
the console of this hybrid gave me far greater
incentive to satisfy my curiosity, and justify the 350
mile round trip it would require to hear it..
    St. John's Armenian Church in Southfield Michigan
has a striking yet rather stark sanctuary that is an
octagon. It has 8 equal sized bays formed by the
supporting interior arches which are the foundation for
a massive rounded dome which is painted gold on the
outside, and is visible for miles around. I would
estimate the height from floor to top center of the
dome to be around 60 feet. There is not a bit of
padding anywhere. The floors are marble, the arches
concrete, and the outside walls are concrete block left
stark and visible. The acoustic is most generous. One
of the bays houses the main alter, and the 2 flanking
bays hold the clergy and choir rooms above whose roofs
are mounted exposed, most of the organs flue work in
tiered flower box fashion. It is visually striking. If
you are looking for them, one can also see parts of the
speaker boxes mounted behind the pipe work peeking
through. They look to be plentiful and large. There is
also at least one expression chamber behind the right
bay pipe work, though I did not notice the shutters
moving until well into the second half of Felix's
program. The console is situated to the right side of
the alter bay at floor level such that the performer is
literally amongst the pews. Those who sat in the pews
directly behind Felix got the opportunity to witness
his marvelous technique up close, but had to sacrifice
hearing the organ from its best acoustic position. I
met up with Hans Hell before the concert, and he
quickly clued me in on the best place to sit, about
half way back on the center isle.
    I'm sorry I cannot offer you the exact
specifications for this organ. It is not for lack of
research that I have not found it anywhere on the net
or otherwise. A general description includes the
original 1969 Tellers 2/24 pipe organ which was
augmented several years ago with a Rodgers console
increased to 3 manuals, the third controlling a new
Choir Division which is completely digital. The
additional digital stops are reported to have increased
the stop count 3 fold. It is interesting to note also
that Lance Luce, famed theatre organist and organ
consultant, was directly responsible for this
instrument through its installation and finishing. I
was happy to have the opportunity to meet him, and I
thanked him sincerely for the fine work he did here.
    I must report with all candor that this instrument
sounds superb to me. I quickly found myself putting all
digital prejudice aside, and simply enjoying the fine
sonic experience that Felix created. This was my first
time hearing Felix's "Barber Adagio for Strings" in
live performance, and must admit to wet eyes during his
rendition. It was beautiful beyond words, and the
string tone coming from the digital Choir was more
convincing than any pipe string tone I had ever heard.
I heard violins, violas, cellos, and basses in chorus
with the pipes, and the experience was sensational.
Felix brings such sensitivity to this wonderful piece,
and this organ played its part with equal passion. I
was deeply moved.
    Anyone who has attended a Felix Hell concert knows
he programs his performance masterfully. He began with
the familiar Bach "Prelude and Fugue D Major to
establish his ground, and quickly moved into "O Mench
bewein dein Suende gross" to sort of soothe us before
the next 2 major concert pieces. Felix Mendelssohn
"Sonata No. 1, F Minor is a gigantic work, yet Felix
tosses it off with well rehearsed skill and form. If
you had not heard him play it before, you might wonder
how it could ever be eclipsed, yet he immediately moved
into the Franz Liszt "Consolation D flat Major" and
"Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H". Thus ended the first
half of the program, and the audience (who had been
reined in to hold applause until that point by the
clergy) erupted immediately into an standing ovation
that required Felix to take 2 curtain calls, and it was
just half time.
    As is my habit at Felix's concerts, I enjoy
circulating through the groups of audience members
during intermission to eavesdrop on the conversations.
I heard one senior member of the church ask his partner
when did they add all the extra stuff to the organ,
because he had never heard it sound like that. Another
proclaimed loudly that this was the first time the
organ had ever really "stood up", and it wouldn't stand
up like that again until Felix came back. The CD sales
were brisk during the intermission.
    Felix began the second half with Mozart's "Fantasy
F Minor" to dazzle us again, and then moved into the
Samuel Barber "Adagio for Strings" which I previously
described my rapture for. The final work on his program
this night is near and dear to me, for I heard the
Guilmant "Sonata No. 1 D Minor" as an organ symphony in
Hamilton Ontario during the Brott Music Festival with
Felix at the console accompanied by a complete symphony
orchestra. I have since heard Felix perform the Organ
Sonata version several times on different instruments,
and I never fail to be amazed at hearing all the organ
and all the orchestra parts being performed by a single
artist. I suppose the phrase "he owns this piece" might
be a bit over used, but I assure you, he owns me when
he plays it. The "Final" movement of the Sonata is
quite vigorous and grand, so we got the chance to hear
everything the organ had to offer. Felix's face was
positively alight as he reached for the last unpulled
stops, and mashed the crescendo pedal to the metal. The
sanctuary was rather dark you see, and the draw knobs
on the Rodgers console were of the "light up" variety.
I'm sure he was having great time as well. The full
organ was quite satisfying and filled the sanctuary
with a full and glorious bloom of sound along with the
deep rumble of 32' up through the seat of your pants
vibrate the whole building kind of ending. The applause
began before Felix released the chord, and everyone was
on their feet immediately. After several curtain calls
Felix returned to the console for his encore which
began with the "Adagio" from Widor's "Symphony No. 4 in
F Minor" and then the famous "Toccata" played with his
usual lightning tempo. Again the audience roared it's
approval with all standing. After several more curtain
calls, Felix moved off to the church lobby where he
greeted everyone who wished to speak with him, and Hans
kept busy doing a land office business in CD sales
while answering questions like "are you very proud of
him?", and "does he get straight As in school?". Since
I was standing beside Hans at the point I fielded this
last question. Felix will graduate from college in May
at the age of 18, and you certainly don't do that if
you're a B or C student.
    As I headed home to Cleveland after receiving my
final embrace each from Hans and Felix, (I feel so very
lucky to be so honored by them each time I see them) I
reflected on my first live experience with a hybrid
organ. Perhaps I'm too biased by the joy of hearing
Felix perform, but I don't think so. I've heard enough
performers play enough different instruments at this
point, that I think I have learned sufficiently to
determine when an organ sounds good or bad. Let me say
simply that the music that came from this particular
Rodgers installation was plenty good enough to take the
digital prejudice completely out of the picture. I
thoroughly enjoyed what I heard, and isn't that after
all the measure of a quality musical experience.
Granted my ear is not as experienced as some of the
harsher critics of hybrid technology, but I am no
longer prepared to dismiss an instrument off hand if it
contains digital ranks, simply because certain organ
folks tell me I should. My agenda is simply music
enjoyment, and I no longer care about the package it's
wrapped in. If it sounds good, I'll return to it. If it
sounds bad, I'll learn from it. But I will never again
allow myself to be bullied by politics or labels placed
in front of me by those who would portend to instruct
me about what I should or should not like.
    Will I support pipe organs in the future? You
betcha. Will I support hybrids in the future? I will
deal with that on an instrument by instrument basis.
Will I support all digital instruments? That will be a
new frontier for me that I am no longer afraid to
explore.
    Thanks to Felix for a wonderful concert experience,
and along with Hans, for their warm fellowship. I now
can't wait for Spivey Hall and the mighty Ruffatti on
December 21. I also wish to congratulate Lance Luce and
Rodgers Organs on a splendid installation that is
completely sensitive to the Tellers pipe work, while
expanding the capabilities of the instrument to best
serve the St. John's community and their marvelous
church building.

    Cheers
        Mike Gettelman

"Pipe Up and Be Heard!"
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