Longwood Organ Demonstration
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ย. 2024
- Peter Richard Conte presented a demonstration of the Longwood Organ on Feb. 6, 2016. He is Principal Organist at Longwood Gardens, and is long-time organist at the Wanamaker Grand Court Organ at Macy’s, Philadelphia. Since 1991, he has served as Choirmaster and Organist of Saint Clement’s Church, Philadelphia, and is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Organ at Rider University’s Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ, where he teaches Organ Improvisation. Composed of 10,010 pipes divided into 146 ranks, the Longwood Organ is the largest Aeolian organ ever constructed in a residential setting. Pierre du Pont was an organ aficionado who, in 1930, replaced the original organ with a much larger, custom-designed Aeolian model that remains in Longwood’s Conservatory to this day. Recorded on my iPhone 6s Plus.
Mr. Conte did a wonderful job explaining how the organ works, and also showing the classical and symphonic sides of this organ.
"Finlandia" transcription: *50:00*
(Sibelius)
"Be Still My Soul" : *54:21*
Youre welcome ! 🙂
I mostly agree with all that was said about both the Longwood & Wanamaker Organs by all who answered my caustic comments. Having never heard either in person my comments come from recordings only. Years ago I was back east for only a short time, before the overhaul of the Wanamaker & did catch a noon recital from the eagle. Very unsatisfying mostly because of the high ambient noise level. I think after so many years I'll listen again to my CDs of Thomas Murray & Michael Stairs on the Longwood. My one time visit to Longwood was a miss also since the organ was not being played that day & the hall was locked. Couldn't see much through the windows either.
Thank God! Another organ NOT strangled by Schweitzer's organ "reform" movement. Bravo!
Both instructive and humorous descriptions for the common (wo)man and outstanding performance: excellent!
Mr Conte your the greatest
Yes he is
the swell shoes and there assignments and flexibility are amazing.....
Wow. Peter's rocking the 'Felix Hell look'. Interesting.
Great performance and explanation of the instrument's complexities.
I think Peter had the look long before Felix did.
I was about to say the same thing praestant did...!
Yeah he might of had that look for a lot longer than Felix hell
omg!! it is sooooo big i would barf from shock if i sat at it!!!!😃😃😃
The Guilmant was played much, much too fast for my taste, although I realize he only had about an hour in which to cover a lot of musical ground, so to speak. I do appreciate his willingness to speak to the audience and explain what he was doing and why, as well as introducing each of the selections he was about to play.
I agree, sounds like he is rushing to catch a train.
The old console is on display in the organ room. The left wall is glass, showing the inside of the organs.
Yes, I believe so.
That Finladia piece, at first I didn't recognize it then about 15 seconds I did because I had heard it on a concert reel-to-reel tape, any way this is great organ performance
Big like 219 🤗🤗🤗
Question, is the great manual closest to the player?
Is that the Wanamaker grand court organist?
Yes
The man, the myth, the legend
Yes it is. The legend
Heloo my new friend 🤗🤗🤗 new subscriber
Thank you. Enjoy.
The new organ and an old microphone just does not work.
While that is true, sometimes things happen at the last moment andi one is stuck with what they have.
Perhaps the microphone sounds bad because it is not connected to the camera; it went through the public address system. I sat in the front row and used my handheld iPhone XS, with no inputs, to video it.
Ok makes sense
What happened to the old console by Skinner?
The original console was built by Æolian, not Skinner. It now controls a similarly sized organ at the famous Tabernacle in Ocean Grove NJ. The second console was built by M.P. Möller of Hagerstown MD in the 1950's. The third (present) was built in 2001 in the style of the original Æolian.
The old Aeolian console was enlarged to 5 manuals and plays a big organ at a religious camp...can't remember the name. The 2nd console, on display, was done by Moller. The present console is new.
contrary to neo-pseudo baroque claims these symphonic voices ALL blend effortlessly one with the other just as orchestral instruments likewise blend perfectly and thus the pseudo ''purist'' tracker backer propaganda is a pile of bunk
I would love for Diane Bish to be invited to Longwood Gardens to PERFORM on this GREAT ORGAN. She would really bring a performance.
Chesterbarnes1 They don’t want her breaking it with her abusive “technique.”
Pls no, she is a disgrace to the organ world
@@wouterattheorgan why?
@@jakedarmstadter6943 butchering pieces, and playing generally too fast. Just listen to her widor toccata
@@wouterattheorgan ok, I will listen to her widor
Terrible sound quality. The cell phone was inadequate for recording this instrument The Organ is much to big for the room. The room is very dead with very little reverb. I have several CDs of this organ, and even with professional mikes & recorders the organ lacks bloom because of the too small dead room.
It's a strange paradox of the two organs where he has appointments. Yes, Longwood is too small a space, but Wanamaker too big a space. That being said I've been to several recitals at Longwood. Although the room is almost dead without reverb, it's unusual to get to hear an organ of this size so intimately. You can hear nuances of pipe sounds you couldn't possibly hear in a place like National Cathedral, St. John the Divine, etc. And certainly not on the Wanamaker. I'd *much* rather go to a concert on this organ than mushy sounding Wanamaker.
But yeah, it's a shame Dupont, with all his money, didn't make the ceiling of the concert room twice as high and made one division of the organ exposed in a pipe work case. That would have made a tremendous difference in the effect it has.
@@Salmagundiii I totally agree with your comments regarding Longwood & Wanamaker. I find Conte's recordings on the Wanamaker not that satisfying. I find mike placement has much to do with a recordings success.
@@Salmagundiii I also think that the organ is in a way small room and he said it’s not meant to be heard in the room but from out in the gardens. And also usually at Wanamaker’s he doesn’t really play it where it would sound mushy. Yes sometimes it does because it’s such a big room but I think the organ fills the space really well.
Hiya Charlie. This is the way the organ was built and this is the room it was built for. Take it as it comes, boy. Enjoy it for what it is, not what it should be.
Ohhhh it's 2 bigggg!😨
Go find a photo of the Atlantic City Convention Hall console. That makes this look tiny. In fact, that was designed to make the organ which was, at the time, the world's largest, look tiny (besides besting it in actual working size).
@@JonasClark sadly you can barely consider the Boardwalk Hall organ the largest in the world right now because of it being only about 50% playable, but hopefully soon in the future it will be 100% playable, just like it’s brother in philly
@@jakedarmstadter6943 It is the largest, whether or not it's all working. The Wanamaker Organ's official title at this time is the "world's largest fully-functional musical instrument," which is correct, but the ACCH organ is indeed larger.
@@JonasClark yes and I totally agree with that statement, but I just won’t call it the largest pipe organ in the world till it over 28,750 pipes are working
@@jakedarmstadter6943 Fair. I will because the pipes still exist.
if usa church members heard this music instead of narrow-minded heavy bach or older maybe things wouldnt be as bad as they are and maybe people would attend to listen to this gorgeous music both services and RECITALS ; sadly organists are buying for the church calliope rattle-traps that sound AWEFUL
…I think you mean tracker action organs which are the rage now. I would agree with you if you were so harsh. Churches are losing favor for way more reasons than the poor old Organist. We don’t time today to set aside for church, and we do attend, it’s for continuity and a stayed contemplation, and the new ideas and ways aren’t keeping that promise I’m afraid. So people stay away.
As far as I know Peter Contre is engaged at Saint Clement Church, on Cherry St. why don’t you attend there? I so miss not living in Philadelphia anymore. I make the effort to attend church, but avoid the socializing. I pay my dues and slip away. Saint Clements is sublime though, and you might take part and worship there.