“The King of Instruments” is what the wind organ is called for its enormous size, stunning sound range and unique richness of timbres. A musical instrument with a long history, which has experienced periods of enormous popularity and oblivion, it served both for religious services and secular entertainment. The organ is also unique in that it belongs to the class of wind instruments, but is equipped with keys. A special feature of this majestic instrument is that to play it, the performer must masterfully control not only his hands, but also his feet.
A little history
Organ - musical instrument with a rich and ancient history. According to experts, the ancestors of this giant can be considered the syrinx - the simplest reed flute of Pan, the ancient oriental shen reed organ and the Babylonian bagpipe. What all these dissimilar instruments have in common is that to extract sound from them, a more powerful air flow than human lungs can create is required. Already in ancient times, a mechanism was found that could replace human breathing - bellows, similar to those used to fan the fire in a blacksmith's forge.
Ancient history
Already in the 2nd century BC. e. The Greek craftsman from Alexandria Ctesibius (Ctesebius) invented and assembled a hydraulic organ - hydraulics. Air was pumped into it by a water press, and not by bellows. Thanks to such changes, air flow acted much more evenly, and the sound of the organ became more beautiful and even.
In the first centuries of the spread of Christianity, air bellows replaced the water pump. Thanks to this replacement, it became possible to increase both the number and size of pipes in the organ.
The further history of the organ, a musical instrument, quite loud and little adjustable, developed in such European countries oh, like Spain, Italy, France and Germany.
Middle Ages
In the middle of the 5th century AD. e. organs were built in many Spanish churches, but due to their very loud sound they were used only on major holidays. In 666, Pope Vitalian introduced this instrument into Catholic worship. In the 7th-8th centuries the organ underwent several changes and improvements. It was at this time that the most famous organs were created in Byzantium, but the art of their construction also developed in Europe.
In the 9th century, Italy became the center of their production, from where they were distributed even to France. Later, skilled craftsmen appeared in Germany. By the 11th century, such musical giants were being built in most European countries. However, it is worth noting that modern instrument differs significantly from what a medieval organ looks like. The instruments created in the Middle Ages were much cruder than later ones. Thus, the sizes of the keys varied from 5 to 7 cm, and the distance between them could reach 1.5 cm. To play such an organ, the performer used fists rather than fingers, hitting the keys with force.
In the 14th century, the organ became a popular and widespread instrument. This was also facilitated by the improvement of this instrument: the organ keys replaced large and inconvenient plates, a bass keyboard for the feet appeared, equipped with a pedal, the registers became noticeably more diverse, and the range was wider.
Renaissance
In the 15th century, the number of tubes was increased and the size of the keys was reduced. During the same period, a small portable (organetto) and a small stationary (positive) organ became popular and widespread.
Musical instrument XVI century becomes more and more complex: the keyboard becomes five-manual, and the range of each manual could reach up to five octaves. Register switches appeared, which made it possible to significantly increase the timbre capabilities. Each of the keys could be connected to dozens and sometimes hundreds of pipes, which produced sounds that were the same in pitch but differed in color.
Baroque
Many researchers call the 17th-18th centuries the golden period of organ performance and organ building. The instruments built at this time not only sounded great and could imitate the sound of any one instrument, but also entire orchestral groups and even choirs. In addition, they were distinguished by their transparency and clarity of timbre sound, most suitable for the performance of polyphonic works. It should be noted that most of the great organ composers, such as Frescobaldi, Buxtehude, Sweelinck, Pachelbel, Bach, wrote their works specifically for the “baroque organ”.
"Romantic" period
Romanticism of the 19th century, according to many researchers, with its desire to give this musical instrument a rich and powerful sound inherent symphony orchestra, had a dubious effect both on the construction of organs and on organ music, and even negative influence. Masters, and primarily the Frenchman Aristide Cavaillé-Cohl, sought to create instruments capable of becoming an orchestra for one performer. Instruments appeared in which the sound of the organ became unusually powerful and large-scale, new timbres appeared, and various design improvements were made.
New time
The 20th century, especially at its beginning, was characterized by a desire for gigantism, which was reflected in organs and their scale. However, such trends quickly passed, and a movement arose among performers and specialists in the construction of organs, promoting a return to comfortable and simple tools Baroque type, with a genuine organ sound.
Appearance
What we see from the hall is the outside, and it is called the façade of the organ. Looking at it, it’s difficult to decide what it is: a wonderful mechanism, a unique musical instrument, or a work of art? The description of the organ, a musical instrument of truly impressive size, could fill several volumes. We will try to make general sketches in a few lines. First of all, the facade of the organ is unique and inimitable in each of the halls or temples. The only thing in common is that it consists of pipes assembled into several groups. In each of these groups, the pipes are arranged in height. Behind the austere or richly decorated facade of the organ lies a complex structure, thanks to which the performer can imitate the voices of birds or the sound of the sea surf, imitate the high sound of a flute or an entire orchestral group.
How is it arranged?
Let's look at the structure of the organ. The musical instrument is very complex and can consist of three or more small organs that the performer can control simultaneously. Each of them has its own set of pipes - registers and manual (keyboard). This complex mechanism is controlled from the executive console, or as it is also called, the lectern. It is here that the keyboards (manuals) are located one above the other, on which the performer plays with his hands, and below there are huge pedals - keys for the feet, which allow you to extract the lowest bass sounds. An organ can have many thousands of pipes, lined up in a row, and located in internal chambers, closed from the viewer's eyes by a decorative facade (avenue).
Each of the small organs included in the “large” one has its own purpose and name. The most common are the following:
- main - Haupwerk;
- top - Oberwerk;
- "ruckpositive" - Rückpositiv.
Haupwerk - the "main organ" contains the main registers and is the largest. Somewhat smaller and softer sounding, the Rückpositiv also contains some solo registers. “Oberwerk” - “upper” introduces a number of onomatopoeic and solo timbres into the ensemble. “Rukpositive” and “overwerk” pipes can be installed in semi-closed chamber-blinds, which open and close using a special channel. Due to this, effects such as gradual strengthening or weakening of sound can be created.
As you remember, an organ is a musical instrument that is both keyboard and wind. It consists of many pipes, each of which can produce a sound of one timbre, pitch and strength.
A group of pipes producing sounds of the same timbre are combined into registers that can be activated from the remote control. Thus, the performer can select the desired register or a combination of them.
Air is pumped into modern organs using an electric motor. From the bellows, through air ducts made of wood, the air is directed into vinladas - a special system of wooden boxes, in the top covers of which special holes are made. It is in them that they are strengthened organ pipes with its “legs”, into which air from the vinlad enters under pressure.
ORGAN, keyboard-wind musical instrument, the largest and most complex of existing tools. A huge modern organ consists of three or more organs, and the performer can control all of them simultaneously. Each of the organs that make up such a “large organ” has its own registers (sets of pipes) and its own keyboard (manual). Pipes lined up in rows are located in the internal rooms (chambers) of the organ; Some of the pipes may be visible, but in principle all the pipes are hidden behind a façade (avenue) consisting partly of decorative pipes. The organist sits at the so-called spiltish (cathedra), in front of it are the keyboards (manuals) of the organ, located in terraces one above the other, and under the feet is a pedal keyboard.
Each of the organs included in the " large organ", has its own purpose and name; Among the most common are the “main” (German: Hauptwerk), “upper” or “oberwerk” (German: Oberwerk), “ruckpositiv” (Rückpositiv), as well as a set of pedal registers. The “main” organ is the largest and contains the main registers of the instrument. The Ryukpositif is similar to the Main, but is smaller and softer sounding, and also contains some special lead registers. The “upper” organ adds new solo and onomatopoeic timbres to the ensemble; Pipes are connected to the pedal, producing low sounds to enhance the bass lines.
The pipes of some of the named organs, especially the “upper” and “backpack”, are placed inside semi-closed louvers-chambers, which can be closed or opened using the so-called. channel, resulting in the creation of crescendo and diminuendo effects that are not available on an organ without this mechanism.
In modern organs, air is forced into the pipes using an electric motor; Through wooden air ducts, air from the bellows enters the windlads - a system of wooden boxes with holes in the top lid. Organ pipes are reinforced with their “legs” in these holes. From the windlade, air under pressure enters one or another pipe.
Since each trumpet is capable of producing the same pitch and timbre, a standard five-octave manual requires a set of at least 61 trumpets. In general, an organ can have from several hundred to many thousands of pipes. A group of pipes producing sounds of the same timbre is called a register. When the organist turns on the register on the pin (using a button or lever located on the side of the manuals or above them), air access to all pipes of this register is opened. Thus, the performer can select any register he needs or any combination of registers.
There are different types of trumpets that create a variety of sound effects. Pipes are made of tin, lead, copper and various alloys (mainly lead and tin), in some cases wood is also used. The length of the pipes can be from 9.8 m to 2.54 cm or less; The diameter varies depending on the pitch and timbre of the sound. Organ pipes are divided into two groups according to the method of sound production (labial and reed) and into four groups according to timbre. In labial pipes, sound is generated as a result of the impact of an air stream on the lower and upper lips of the “mouth” (labium) - a cut in the lower part of the pipe; in reed pipes, the source of sound is a metal reed vibrating under the pressure of an air stream. The main families of registers (timbres) are principals, flutes, gambas and reeds. The principals are the foundation of all organ sound; flute registers sound calmer, softer and to some extent resemble orchestral flutes in timbre; gambas (strings) are more piercing and sharper than flutes; The reed timbre is metallic, imitating the timbres of orchestral wind instruments. Some organs, especially theater organs, also have percussion tones, such as those simulating cymbals and drums. Finally, many registers are constructed in such a way that their pipes do not produce the main sound, but its transposition an octave higher or lower, and in the case of the so-called. mixtures and aliquots - not even one sound, as well as overtones to the main tone (aliquots reproduce one overtone, mixtures - up to seven overtones).
The organ is an ancient instrument. Its distant predecessors were, apparently, the bagpipes and the Pan flute. In the 3rd century. BC a water organ appeared - hydraulos; its invention is attributed to the master Ctesibius of Alexandria. Hydraulos was a powerful tool in which the required air pressure entering the pipes was supported by a column of water. Hydraulos was used by the Greeks and Romans at hippodromes, in circuses, and also to accompany pagan mysteries. The sound of the hydraulic jet was unusually strong and piercing. In the first centuries of Christianity, the water pump was replaced by air bellows, which made it possible to increase the size of the pipes and their number in the organ.
Already in the middle of the 5th century. organs were built in Spanish churches, but since the instrument still sounded very loud, it was only used on major holidays. By the 11th century. large organs were built throughout Europe; In particular, the organ built in 980 in Winchester (England) was known for its extraordinary size. Gradually, keys replaced clunky, large “plates”; The range of the instrument has become wider, the registers have become more diverse. At the same time, a small portable organ, the portable, and a miniature stationary organ, the positive, came into widespread use.
17th–18th centuries – “golden age” of organ building and organ performance. The organs of this time were distinguished by their beauty and variety of sound; exceptional timbre clarity and transparency made them excellent instruments for performing polyphonic music. Almost all the great organ composers wrote for the “baroque organ,” which was more widespread than the organs of previous and subsequent periods. Romanticism of the 19th century, with its desire for expressive orchestral sound, had a dubious influence on organ construction and organ music; masters tried to create instruments that were an “orchestra for one performer,” but as a result, the matter was reduced to a weak imitation of an orchestra. At the same time, in the 19th and 20th centuries. Many new timbres appeared in the organ, and significant improvements were made in the design of the instrument. The trend toward ever larger organs culminated in the enormous 33,112-pipe organ in Atlantic City, New Jersey. This instrument has two pulpits, one of which has seven keyboards. Despite this, in the 20th century. organists and organ builders realized the need to return to simpler and more convenient types of instruments.
The organ is an ancient instrument. His distant predecessors were, apparently, bagpipes and pan flute. In ancient times, when there were no complex musical instruments yet, several reed pipes of different sizes began to be connected together - this is the Pan flute.
It was believed that it was invented by the god of forests and groves Pan. It is easy to play on one pipe: it needs a little air. But playing several at once is much more difficult - you don’t have enough breath. Therefore, already in ancient times, people were looking for a mechanism that could replace human breathing. They found such a mechanism: they began to pump air with bellows, the same as those that blacksmiths used to fan the fire in the forge.In the second century BC in Alexandria, Ctesebius (lat. Ctesibius, approximately 3rd - 2nd centuries BC) invented a hydraulic organ. Note that this Greek nickname literally means “Creator of Life” (Greek Ktesh-bio), i.e. simply the Lord God. This Ctesibius allegedly also invented a float water clock (which has not come down to us), a piston pump and a hydraulic drive
- long before the discovery of Torricelli's law (1608-1647). (In what conceivable way in the 2nd century BC was it possible to ensure the tightness necessary to create a vacuum in the Ctesibius pump? What material could the connecting rod mechanism of the pump be made of - after all, to ensure the sound of an organ, an initial excess pressure of at least 2 atm is required. ?).
In the hydraulic system, air was pumped not by bellows, but by a water press. Therefore, he acted more evenly, and the sound was better - smoother and more beautiful.
Hydraulos was used by the Greeks and Romans at hippodromes, in circuses, and also to accompany pagan mysteries. The sound of the hydraulic jet was unusually strong and piercing. In the first centuries of Christianity, the water pump was replaced by air bellows, which made it possible to increase the size of the pipes and their number in the organ.
Centuries passed, the instrument was improved. The so-called performance console or performance table appeared. There are several keyboards on it, located one above the other, and at the bottom there are huge keys for the feet - pedals that were used to produce the lowest sounds. Of course, the reed pipes - the flutes of Pan - were long forgotten. Metal pipes began to sound in the organ, and their number reached many thousands. It is clear that if each pipe had a corresponding key, then it would be impossible to play an instrument with thousands of keys. Therefore, register knobs or buttons were made above the keyboards. Each key corresponds to several dozen, or even hundreds of pipes, producing sounds of the same pitch but different timbre. They can be turned on and off with register knobs, and then, at the request of the composer and performer, the sound of the organ becomes similar to a flute, an oboe or other instruments; it can even imitate birdsong.
Already in the middle of the 5th century, organs were built in Spanish churches, but since the instrument still sounded loud, it was used only on major holidays.
By the 11th century, all of Europe was building organs. Unusual sizes there was a famous organ built in 980 in Wenchester (England). Gradually, the keys replaced the awkward large “plates”; The range of the instrument has become wider, the registers have become more diverse. At the same time, a small portable organ, the portable, and a miniature stationary organ, the positive, came into widespread use.
Music Encyclopedia states that the organ keys are from before the 14th century. were huge
- 30-33 cm long and 8-9 cm wide. The playing technique was very simple: these keys were hit with fists and elbows (German: Orgel schlagen). What sublime divinely inspired organ masses could be heard in Catholic cathedrals (it is believed that from the 7th century AD) with such a performance technique?? Or were they orgies?
17-18 centuries – “golden age” of organ building and organ performance.
The organs of this time were distinguished by their beauty and variety of sound; exceptional timbre clarity and transparency made them excellent instruments for performing polyphonic music.
Organs were built in all Catholic cathedrals and large churches. Their solemn and powerful sound perfectly suited the architecture of cathedrals with upward lines and high arches. The best musicians in the world served as church organists. Much excellent music was written for this instrument by various composers, including Bach. Most often they wrote for the “baroque organ,” which was more widespread than the organs of previous or subsequent periods. Of course, not all music created for the organ was cult music associated with the church.
So-called “secular” works were also composed for him. In Russia, the organ was only a secular instrument, since in the Orthodox Church, unlike the Catholic Church, it was never installed.
Since the 18th century, composers have included the organ in oratorios. And in the 19th century he appeared in opera. As a rule, this was caused by a stage situation - if the action took place in or near a temple. Tchaikovsky, for example, used the organ in the opera “The Maid of Orleans” in the scene of the solemn coronation of Charles VII. We also hear the organ in one of the scenes of Gounod's opera "Faust"
(scene in the cathedral). But Rimsky-Korsakov in the opera "Sadko" commissioned the organ to accompany the song of the Elder Mighty Hero, who interrupts the dance
Sea king. Verdi in the opera "Othello" uses an organ to imitate the sound of a sea storm. Sometimes the organ is included in the scores of symphonic works. With his participation, the Third Symphony of Saint-Saëns, the Poem of Ecstasy and “Prometheus” by Scriabin are performed; the symphony “Manfred” by Tchaikovsky also features an organ, although the composer did not foresee this. He wrote the harmonium part, which the organ often replaces there.
Romanticism of the 19th century, with its desire for expressive orchestral sound, had a dubious influence on organ construction and organ music; masters tried to create instruments that were an “orchestra for one performer,” but as a result, the matter was reduced to a weak imitation of an orchestra.
At the same time, in the 19th and 20th centuries. Many new timbres appeared in the organ, and significant improvements were made in the design of the instrument.
The trend toward ever larger organs culminated in the enormous 33,112-pipe organ in Atlantic City, New York.
Jersey). This instrument has two chairs, and one of them has 7 keyboards. Despite this, in the 20th century. organists and organ builders realized the need to return to simpler and more convenient types of instruments.
The remains of the oldest organ-like instrument with a hydraulic drive were found in 1931 during excavations at Aquincum (near Budapest) and dated to 228 AD. e. It is believed that this city, which had a forced water supply system, was destroyed in 409. However, in terms of the level of development of hydraulic technology, this is the middle of the 15th century.
The structure of a modern organ.
The organ is a keyboard-wind musical instrument, the largest and most complex of existing instruments. They play it like a piano, pressing the keys. But unlike the piano, the organ is not a stringed instrument, but a wind instrument, and its relative is not a keyboard instrument, but a small flute.
A huge modern organ consists of three or more organs, and the performer can control all of them simultaneously. Each of the organs that make up such a “large organ” has its own registers (sets of pipes) and its own keyboard (manual). Pipes lined up in rows are located in the internal rooms (chambers) of the organ; Some of the pipes may be visible, but in principle all the pipes are hidden by a façade (avenue) consisting partly of decorative pipes. The organist sits at the so-called spiltish (pulpit), in front of him are the keyboards (manuals) of the organ, arranged in terraces one above the other, and under his feet is a pedal keyboard. Each of the organs included in
“large organ” has its own purpose and name; among the most common are “main” (German: Haupwerk), “upper”, or “overwerk”
(German: Oberwerk), “ruckpositive” (Rykpositiv), as well as a set of pedal registers. The “main” organ is the largest and contains the main registers of the instrument. The Ryukpositif is similar to the Main, but is smaller and softer sounding, and also contains some special lead registers. The “upper” organ adds new solo and onomatopoeic timbres to the ensemble; Pipes are connected to the pedal, producing low sounds to enhance the bass lines.
The pipes of some of their named organs, especially the "upper" and "rukpositive", are placed inside semi-closed louvers-chambers, which can be closed or opened using the so-called channel, resulting in the creation of crescendo and diminuendo effects that are not available on an organ without this mechanism. In modern organs, air is forced into the pipes using an electric motor; Through wooden air ducts, air from the bellows enters the windlads - a system of wooden boxes with holes in the top lid. Organ pipes are reinforced with their “legs” in these holes. From the windlade, air under pressure enters one or another pipe.
Since each trumpet is capable of reproducing one pitch and one timbre, a standard five-octave manual requires a set of at least 61 pipes. In general, an organ can have from several hundred to many thousands of pipes. A group of pipes producing sounds of the same timbre is called a register. When the organist turns on the register on the pin (using a button or lever located on the side of the manuals or above them), access to all the pipes of that register is available. Thus, the performer can select any register he needs or any combination of registers.
There are different types of trumpets that create a variety of sound effects.
Pipes are made of tin, lead, copper and various alloys
(mainly lead and tin), in some cases wood is also used.
The length of the pipes can be from 9.8 m to 2.54 cm or less; The diameter varies depending on the pitch and timbre of the sound. Organ pipes are divided into two groups according to the method of sound production (labial and reed) and into four groups according to timbre. In labial pipes, sound is generated as a result of the impact of an air stream on the lower and upper lips of the “mouth” (labium) - a cut in the lower part of the pipe; in reed pipes, the source of sound is a metal reed vibrating under the pressure of an air stream. The main families of registers (timbres) are principals, flutes, gambas and reeds.
The principals are the foundation of all organ sound; flute registers sound calmer, softer and to some extent resemble orchestral flutes in timbre; gambas (strings) are more piercing and sharper than flutes; The reed timbre is metallic, imitating the timbres of orchestral wind instruments. Some organs, especially theater organs, also have percussion sounds, such as cymbals and drums.
Finally, many registers are constructed in such a way that their pipes produce not the main sound, but its transposition an octave higher or lower, and in the case of the so-called mixtures and aliquots - not even one sound, as well as overtones to the main tone (aliquots reproduce one overtone, mixtures – up to seven overtones).
Organ in Russia.
The organ, the development of which has since ancient times been associated with the history of the Western Church, was able to establish itself in Russia, in a country where the Orthodox Church prohibited the use of musical instruments during worship.
Kievan Rus (10th-12th centuries). The first organs in Russia, as well as in Western Europe, came from Byzantium. This coincided with the adoption of Christianity in Rus' in 988 and the reign of Prince Vladimir the Saint (c. 978-1015), with an era of especially close political, religious and cultural contacts between Russian princes and Byzantine rulers. The organ in Kievan Rus was a stable component of the court and folk culture. The earliest evidence of an organ in our country is in the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral, which, due to its long construction in the 11th-12th centuries. became the “stone chronicle” of Kievan Rus. There is a fresco of Skomorokha preserved there, which depicts a musician playing positively and two calcantes
(organ bellows pumpers), pumping air into the organ bellows. After death
During the Mongol-Tatar rule (1243-1480) of the Kyiv state, Moscow became the cultural and political center of Rus'.
Moscow Grand Duchy and Kingdom (15-17 centuries). In this era between
Moscow and Western Europe Increasingly close relationships developed. So, in 1475-1479. Italian architect Aristotle Fioravanti built
The Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin, and Sophia's brother Paleologus, niece of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine XI and since 1472 the wife of the king
Ivan III, brought organist John Salvator to Moscow from Italy.
The royal court of that time showed a keen interest in organ art.
This allowed the Dutch organist and organ builder Gottlieb Eilhof (the Russians called him Danilo Nemchin) to settle in Moscow in 1578. A written message from the English envoy Jerome Horsey was dated 1586 about the purchase of several clavichords and an organ built in England for Tsarina Irina Feodorovna, sister of Boris Godunov.
Organs have become widespread among common people.
Buffoons traveling around Rus' on portables. For a wide variety of reasons, which was condemned Orthodox Church.
During the reign of Tsar Mikhail Romanov (1613-1645) and further, up to
1650, except for Russian organists Tomila Mikhailov (Besov), Boris Ovsonov,
Melenty Stepanov and Andrey Andreev, foreigners also worked in the amusement chamber in Moscow: the Poles Jerzy (Yuri) Proskurovsky and Fyodor Zavalsky, the organ builders, the Dutch brothers Yagan (probably Johan) and Melchert Lun.
Under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, from 1654 to 1685, Simon served at court
Gutowski, a “jack of all trades” musician of Polish origin, originally from
Smolensk. With his multifaceted activities, Gutovsky made a significant contribution to the development musical culture. In Moscow he built several organs; in 1662, by order of the Tsar, he and four of his apprentices went to
Persia to donate one of his instruments to the Shah of Persia.
One of the most significant events in the cultural life of Moscow was the founding of the court theater in 1672, which was also equipped with an organ.
Gutovsky.
The era of Peter the Great (1682-1725) and his successors. Peter I was keenly interested Western culture. In 1691, as a nineteen-year-old youth, he commissioned the famous Hamburg organ builder Arp Schnittger (1648-1719) to build an organ for Moscow with sixteen registers, decorated with walnut figures on top. In 1697, Schnitger sent another one to Moscow, this time an eight-register instrument for a certain Mr. Ernhorn. Peter
I, who sought to adopt all Western European achievements, among other things, commissioned the Görlitz organist Christian Ludwig Boxberg, who demonstrated to the king the new organ of Eugen Casparini in the church of St. Peter and Paul in Görlitz (Germany), installed there in 1690-1703, to design an even more grandiose organ for the Metropolitan Cathedral in Moscow. The designs for two dispositions of this “giant organ” with 92 and 114 registers were prepared by Boxberg ca. 1715. During the reign of the reformer tsar, organs were built throughout the country, primarily in Lutheran and Catholic churches.
In St. Petersburg, the Catholic Church of St. Catherine and the Protestant Church of Sts. Peter and Paul. For the latter, the organ was built by Johann Heinrich Joachim (1696-1752) from Mitau (now Jelgava in Latvia) in 1737.
In 1764, weekly concerts of symphonic and oratorio music began to be held in this church. Thus, in 1764 the royal court was captivated by the playing of the Danish organist Johann Gottfried Wilhelm Palschau (1741 or 1742-1813). At the end
1770s, Empress Catherine II commissioned the English master Samuel
Green (1740-1796) construction of an organ in St. Petersburg, presumably for Prince Potemkin.
Famous organ builder Heinrich Adreas Kontius (1708-1792) from Halle
(Germany), mainly working in the Baltic cities, and also built two organs, one in St. Petersburg (1791), the other in Narva.
The most famous organ builder in Russia at the end of the 18th century was Franz Kirschnik
(1741-1802). Abbot Georg Joseph Vogler, who gave in April and May 1788 in St.
St. Petersburg, two concerts, after visiting the organ workshop, Kirshnik was so impressed by his instruments that in 1790 he invited his assistant master Rakwitz, first to Warsaw and then to Rotterdam.
Thirty years of activity left a famous mark on the cultural life of Moscow. German composer, organist and pianist Johann Wilhelm
Gessler (1747-1822). Gessler studied organ playing from a student of J. S. Bach
Johann Christian Kittel and therefore in his work adhered to the tradition of the Leipzig cantor of the Church of St. Thomas.. In 1792 Gessler was appointed imperial court conductor in St. Petersburg. In 1794, he moved to
Moscow, gained fame as the best piano teacher, and thanks to numerous concerts dedicated to organ creativity J. S. Bach had a huge influence on Russian musicians and music lovers.
19th – early 20th century. In the 19th century Among the Russian aristocracy, interest in playing music on the organ in home conditions spread. Prince Vladimir
Odoevsky (1804-1869), one of the most remarkable personalities of Russian society, a friend of M. I. Glinka and the author of the first original works for organ in Russia, at the end of the 1840s invited the master Georg Mälzel (1807-
1866) for the construction of an organ, which went down in the history of Russian music as
“Sebastianon” (named after Johann Sebastian Bach). It was about a home organ, in the development of which Prince Odoevsky himself took part. This Russian aristocrat saw one of the main goals of his life in awakening interest among the Russian musical community in the organ and in the exceptional personality of J. S. Bach. Accordingly, the programs of his home concerts were primarily devoted to the work of the Leipzig cantor. Exactly from
Odoevsky also issued a call to the Russian public to raise funds for the restoration of the Bach organ in the Novof Church (now the Bach Church) in Arnstadt (Germany).
M. I. Glinka often improvised on Odoevsky’s organ. From the memoirs of his contemporaries we know that Glinka was endowed with outstanding improvisational talent. He highly appreciated the organ improvisations of Glinka F.
Sheet. During his tour in Moscow on May 4, 1843, Liszt gave an organ concert in Protestant Church St. Peter and Pavle.
It did not lose its intensity in the 19th century. and the activities of organ builders. TO
In 1856 there were 2,280 church bodies in Russia. German firms took part in the construction of organs installed in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
In the period from 1827 to 1854, Karl Wirth (1800-1882) worked in St. Petersburg as a piano and organ builder, who built several organs, among which one was intended for the Church of St. Catherine. In 1875 this instrument was sold to Finland. The English company Brindley and Foster from Sheffield supplied its organs to Moscow, Kronstadt and St. Petersburg, the German company Ernst Rover from Hausneindorf (Harz) built one of its organs in Moscow in 1897, the Austrian organ-building workshop of the brothers
Rieger erected several organs in churches in Russian provincial cities
(V Nizhny Novgorod- in 1896, in Tula - in 1901, in Samara - in 1905, in Penza - in 1906). One of the most famous organs of Eberhard Friedrich Walker with
1840 was in the Protestant Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg. It was built on the model of the large organ built seven years earlier in the church of St. Paul in Frankfurt am Main.
A huge rise in Russian organ culture began with the founding of organ classes at the St. Petersburg (1862) and Moscow (1885) conservatories. A graduate of the Leipzig Conservatory, a native of Lübeck, Gerich Stihl (1829-
1886). His teaching activity in St. Petersburg lasted from 1862 to
1869. B recent years his life was the organist of the Olaya Church in Tallinea Stihl and his successor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory lasted from 1862 to 1869. In the last years of his life he was the organist of the Olaya Church in Tallinea Stihl and his successor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory Louis Gomilius (1845-1908), in his pedagogical practice focused primarily on the German organ school. In the early years, organ classes at the St. Petersburg Conservatory were held in the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, and among the first organ students was P. I. Tchaikovsky. Actually, the organ appeared in the conservatory itself only in 1897.
In 1901, the Moscow Conservatory also received a magnificent concert organ. For a year this organ was an exhibition piece in
Russian pavilion of the World Exhibition in Paris (1900). In addition to this instrument, there were two more Ladegast organs, which in 1885 found their place in the Small Hall of the Conservatory. The larger of them was donated by a merchant and philanthropist
Vasily Khludov (1843-1915). This organ was in use at the conservatory until 1959. Professors and students regularly participated in concerts in Moscow and
Petersburg, and graduates of both conservatories also gave concerts in other cities of the country. Foreign performers also performed in Moscow: Charles-
Marie Widor (1896 and 1901), Charles Tournemire (1911), Marco Enrico Bossi (1907 and
1912).
Organs were also built for theaters, for example for the Imperial and for
Mariinsky theaters in St. Petersburg, and later for the Imperial Theater in Moscow.
Jacques was invited to succeed Louis Gomilius at the St. Petersburg Conservatory
Ganshin (1886-1955). A native of Moscow, and later a citizen of Switzerland and a student of Max Reger and Charles-Marie Widor, he headed the organ class from 1909 to 1920. It is interesting that organ music written by professional Russian composers, starting with Dm. Bortyansky (1751-
1825), combined Western European musical forms with traditional Russian melos. This contributed to the manifestation of special expressiveness and charm, thanks to which Russian works for organ stand out with their originality against the backdrop of the world organ repertoire. This also became the key to the strong impression that they make on the listener.
Organ
Organ organ[body part] noun, m., used compare often
Morphology: (no) what? organ, what? organ, (see) what? organ, how? organ, about what? about the organ;
pl.
What? organs, (no) what? organs, what? organs, (see) what? organs, how? organs, about what? about organs
1. Organ- this is a part of the human body, animal or part of a plant that performs a specific function. Treat, examine, remove any organ. | A sick, damaged, atrophied organ. | Internal organs. | Respiratory organs. | Sense organs. | Organ of hearing and vision. | Work, functions of the digestive organs. | Artificial organ. | Transplantation, organ transplantation. | Although human brain Weighing less than two kilograms, it is a very complex organ.
2. Authority of one or another process is called an instrument, a means of carrying out this process.
The press is a powerful organ of education. | Science is an organ of self-knowledge.
3. Organ authority or imperious organ- an institution or organization that performs certain tasks in a particular area public life.
Elect, create, abolish any body. | Supreme, central authority. | Collegiate body. | Representative body. | Executive and legislative body. | State and local authorities. | Higher authority. | Economic and financial authorities. | The European Parliament is the supervisory body.
4. Organ press is a periodical publication belonging to a party, association, institution and reflecting their views and activities.
The highest party body. | Academic body. | Organ of the Union of Journalists. | In 1830, it began to appear in St. Petersburg Literary newspaper- organ of writers of the Pushkin circle.
5. Organs during the USSR period colloquial speech called state security agencies.
The writer refused to cooperate with the authorities. | For some offense he was expelled from the authorities.
organ[tool] noun, m., used infrequently
Morphology: (no) what? organ, what? organ, (see) what? organ, how? organ, about what? about the organ; pl. What? organs, (no) what? organs, what? organs, (see) what? organs, how? organs, about what? about organs
1. Organ is a wind keyboard instrument large sizes, consisting of a set of pipes into which air is pumped using bellows.
Listen to the organ. | An organ sounded in the ancient church. | The organ played a Mendelssohn march. | This ancient organ had thirty-nine keys and two pedals. | A choir of singers sang to the accompaniment of an organ in Cologne Cathedral.
2. Authority called an electronic keyboard musical instrument.
organ noun, m.
organ adj.
Organ music. | Organ evening. | Organ concert.
Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Dmitriev. D. V. Dmitriev. 2003.
Synonyms:
See what “organ” is in other dictionaries:
organ- an organ, and... Russian spelling dictionary
organism- [organ’i/zm] mu, m. (on) m i ... Spelling dictionary of Ukrainian language
- (English). The largest and full-sounding wind musical instrument, intended primarily for performing serious music, used in Latin and Lutheran churches. Dictionary foreign words, included in the Russian... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary
Male, Lat. tool, projectile, means: more about a part of an animal body that has its own purpose. Circulatory organ, heart; organ of vision, eye. Organic, man-made, weapon, projectile; | slender and coherent in all its parts; | belonging to... ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary
Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
1. ORGAN, organ, male. (Greek organon). A large wind keyboard instrument consisting of pipes or chambers into which air is forced by bellows (music). || The name of various types of automatic wind instruments. Restaurant organ. 2. ORGAN,… … Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
I organ m. Part of an animal or plant organism that has a certain structure and performs certain functions. II organ m. 1. Periodical publication published by any party, organization, institution and reflecting relevant ... ... Modern explanatory dictionary Russian language Efremova
Tool, means (Dal) See tool... Dictionary of synonyms
Alexey Nadezhin: “The organ is the largest and most complex musical instrument. In fact, an organ is a whole brass band, and each of its registers is a separate musical instrument with its own sound.
The largest organ in Russia is installed in the Svetlanov Hall of the Moscow International House of Music. I was lucky enough to see a side of him from which very few people have seen him.
This organ was manufactured in 2004 in Germany by a consortium of companies Glatter Gotz and Klais, considered the flagships of organ building. The organ was developed specifically for the Moscow International House of Music. The organ has 84 registers (in a regular organ the number of registers rarely exceeds 60) and more than six thousand pipes. Each register is a separate musical instrument with its own sound.
The height of the organ is 15 meters, weight is 30 tons, cost is two and a half million euros. 
Pavel Nikolaevich Kravchun, associate professor of the Department of Acoustics at Moscow State University, who is the chief caretaker of the organs of the Moscow International House of Music and who took part in the development of this instrument, told me about how the organ works. 
The organ has five keyboards - four manual and one foot. Surprisingly, the foot keyboard is quite complete and some simple works can be performed with only legs. Each manual (manual keyboard) has 61 keys. On the right and left are handles for turning on registers. 
Although the organ looks completely traditional and analog, in fact it is partly controlled by a computer, which first of all remembers presets - sets of registers. They are switched using buttons on the ends of the manuals. 
Presets are saved on a regular 1.44″ floppy disk. Of course, disk drives are almost never used in computer technology anymore, but here it works properly. 
It was a discovery for me to learn that every organist is an improviser, because the notes either do not indicate a set of registers at all or indicate general wishes. In all organs the only common basic set registers, and their number and tonality can vary greatly. Only best performers can quickly adapt to the huge range of registers of the Svetlanov Hall organ and use its capabilities to the fullest.
In addition to the knobs, the organ has foot operated levers and pedals. Levers turn on and off various functions computer controlled. For example, combining keyboards and a rising effect controlled by a rotating roller pedal, as it rotates, additional registers are connected and the sound becomes richer and more powerful.
To improve the sound of the organ (and at the same time other instruments), a electronic system Constellation, which includes many microphones and mini-speaker monitors on stage, lowered from the ceiling on cables using motors and many microphones and speakers in the hall. This is not a sound reinforcement system; when it is turned on, the sound in the hall does not become louder, it becomes more uniform (spectators in the side and distant seats begin to hear the music as well as spectators in the stalls), in addition, reverberation can be added, which improves the perception of the music. 
The air with which the organ sounds is supplied by three powerful but very quiet fans. 
To supply it evenly,… ordinary bricks are used. They press the furs. When the fans are turned on, the bellows are inflated, and the weight of the bricks provides the necessary air pressure. 
Air is supplied to the organ through wooden pipes. Surprisingly, most of the dampers that make pipes sound are controlled purely mechanically - by rods, some of which are more than ten meters long. When many registers are connected to the keyboard, it can be very difficult for the organist to press the keys. Of course, the organ has an electrical amplification system, which makes the keys easy to press when turned on, but high-class organists of the old school always play without amplification - because this is the only way to change intonation by changing the speed and force of pressing the keys. Without amplification, an organ is a purely analog instrument; with amplification, it is digital: each pipe can only sound or be silent.
This is what the rods from the keyboards to the pipes look like. They are made of wood, since wood is least susceptible to thermal expansion. 
You can go inside the organ and even climb a small “fire” ladder along its floors. There is very little space inside, so it’s difficult to get a sense of the scale of the structure from the photographs, but I’ll still try to show you what I saw. 
Pipes vary in height, thickness and shape. 
Some pipes are wooden, some are metal made of tin-lead alloy. 
Before each major concert, the organ is tuned anew. The setup process takes several hours. To adjust, the ends of the smallest pipes are slightly flared or rolled with a special tool; larger pipes have an adjusting rod. 
Larger pipes have a cut-out petal that can be twisted or twisted slightly to adjust the tone. 
The largest pipes emit infrasound from 8 Hz, the smallest - ultrasound. 
A unique feature of the MMDM organ is the presence of horizontal pipes facing the hall. 
I took the previous shot from a small balcony that you can access from inside the organ. It is used to adjust horizontal pipes. View auditorium from this balcony. 
A small number of pipes are only electrically driven. 
The organ also has two sound registers or “special effects”. These are “bells” - the ringing of seven bells in a row and “birds” - the chirping of birds, which occurs due to air and distilled water. Pavel Nikolaevich demonstrates how the “bells” work. 
An amazing and very complex instrument! The Constellation system goes into parking mode, and here I end the story about the largest musical instrument in our country. 
