Wanamaker Organ
Keith R. Chapman,
The organ of the Wanamaker Department Store in Philadelphia (also Wanamaker Grand Court Organ ) is the largest fully playable organ in the world. It is constructed in the seven -story courtyard of a Macy's department store.
- 2.1 Structure
- 2.2 Main organ
- 2.3 Ethereal Organ
- 2.4 Stentor organ
- 2.5 Echo organ
- 2.6 Orchestral Organ
- 2.7 String organ
- 2.8 Percussion Division
Architectural History
New in 1904
The organ was built in 1904 by Los Angeles Art Organ Company, the successor Workshop by Murray M. Harris Organ Co., for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904. Since 1902 several organ builders had made proposals for the construction of the principal organ recital. 1903 Murray M. Harris was awarded the contract to build an organ for the Kansas City Convention Hall, which would first exhibited at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. The price was $ 67,000. William B. Fleming (1849-1940) was superintendent of the project.
Harris, however, had overestimated his financial capabilities, so that acquisition of the property by the Los Angeles Art Organ Company under the direction of Fleming. However, soon appeared also in this financial problems. The actual cost amounted now to over $ 105,000. In 1905, the Los Angeles Art Organ Company renamed in Electrolian Company.
As the organ finally in Hoboken (New Jersey) was completed, it was with ten trucks to Los Angeles in the Festival Hall brought. The organ had 140 registers and about 10,000 pipes. The hitherto largest organ was the organ of the Sydney Town Hall. The disposition was by George Ashdown Audsley. The concert at the fair was given on June 9, 1904 by Charles Galloway and Alexandre Guilmant with works by Samuel Scheidt, Frescobaldi, Pachelbel, Titelouze, Bach, Handel and Franck.
Instead of being brought to Kansas City, the instrument was purchased in 1909 by John Wanamaker to set it up in the Grand Court of his new business in Philadelphia. The installation was done by William B. Fleming and George Till.
Expansion 1914-1930
Shortly after their removal, the organ was enlarged in 1914 ( 4,000 pipes ), 1917 ( again by about 4,000 pipes ), as well as 1923 and 1930.
In its present state the Wanamaker Organ has 28,482 organ pipes in 461 ranks. The console has six manuals. The string work (String Division ) together with 88 ranks of pipes, the largest wind loading in the world. The organ is famous for their orchestral sound that comes from the many soft -voiced pipes that are available for it in large numbers.
Although the organ of the Atlantic City Convention Hall in Atlantic City (New Jersey) has fewer rows of pipes ( ranks) as the Wanamaker organ, but has 5000 pipes more. However, since the local organ is not fully playable, one can call the Wanamaker organ, the largest organ in the whole world.
The organ is played every week from Monday through Saturday twice a day ( at Christmas time even more often). The organ is also heard in many concerts that are held throughout the year, among others, along with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
The Friends of the Wanamaker Organ is a nonprofit organization that is committed to the preservation and restoration of the organ prescribed. The Foundation is supported by donations of its members and the sale of CDs and promotional products. The official organ of the Association is The Stentor, which appears four times a year. Typical topics are both reports on the progress of the restoration work as well as visits known organist and concert announcements.
Planning since 1930
Construction
The pipes of the organ works extend over five floors:
The 32' - register Wood Open, Diaphone and Metal Diapason extend over several floors starting on the second floor.
Main organ
Ethereal organ
Stentor organ
Echo organ
(floating)
Orchestral organ
(floating)
String organ
Percussion Division
Specifications
- 374 register ( 17 extensions, 16 transmissions ), 463 ranks of pipes, 28 522 pipes. 3 registers are not playable with 3 ranks and 243 pipes in Stentorwerk.
- Game (s): Detached.
- 6 manuals & pedal
- Register rockers
- Tontrakur: electro-pneumatic
- Stop action: electro-pneumatic