An organ recital is a concert at which music especially written for the organ is played.
The music played at such recitals was typically written for pipe organ, which includes church organs, and symphonic organs (also known as concert organs). However restoration of theatre and cinema organs (such as the Wurlitzers) allows performances of many pieces that can only be played on theatre organs.
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History
Recitals appear to have arisen from playing before and after religious services. In 19th century synagogues organs appeared before their use in services was allowed; instead their purpose was to give concerts before the sundown Shabat service. Sweelinck's duties [1] included the giving of extra-liturgical concerts in Amsterdam's Oude Kerk .
Logistics
Pipe organs are not, in general, portable instruments. The venues for organ recitals using those instruments are thus the churches, theatres, or halls where the organs are housed. Some instruments of about a century ago were built to be listened to while strolling, such as those at the Wanamaker department store in Philadelphia or the museum of San Francisco's Palace of the Legion of Honor, which is not heard to best advantage from any one spot.
However, with some organs the console is portable to a limited extent (such as, for example, being attached to a platform that can be raised or lowered, which is often the case for theatre organs, but rarely the case for church organs). Where this is the case, the console is moved during the recital so that the audience can see the organist playing.
Notable venues and recitals
The Wanamaker Organ is played twice daily, Monday through Saturday, free of charge, for patrons and those who visit Macy's Department Store in the Wanamaker Building in Philadelphia. The Grand Court Organist is Peter Richard Conte and when he is touring, assistant organists perform to ensure the organ is played every day.
The Dane and Polly Bales Organ Recital Hall at the University of Kansas was specifically constructed for organ recitals.
To show off its new concert organ, the Walt Disney Concert Hall held a series of organ recitals in 2004 and 2005.
The Harvard Organ Society holds regular organ recitals at the Adolphus Busch Hall.
The Temple Square Organ Recitals show off the organs in and around Temple Square including the Salt Lake Tabernacle organ (most often in the Tabernacle) others are the Conference Center organ and the Salt Lake Assembly Hall organ (occasionally). During the summer: Mon. through Sat. Noon and 2pm. Sun. 2pm. Non-summer: Mon. through Sat. Noon and Sun at 2pm.
See also
References
External links
- Official Wanamaker Organ website
- Walt Disney Concert Hall Organ Recitals 2004/2005
- Dane and Polly Bales Organ Recital Hall
- Scheduled organ recitals for 2006 on the Madison Symphony Orchestra's Overture Concert Organ
- The programme for a 2004 organ recital at the University of Mississippi
- Harvard Organ Society recitals
- UK Cinema organ recital schedule
- Atlantic City Convention Hall Organ - The world's largest musical instrument
- Comprehensive details of organ concerts in Britain
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