What organ registrations can be used on a pipe organ to suit theatre organ playing?

Answer 1

One of the characteristics of the theater organ is the tremulant. Also, whilst the prevalent stop on a church pipe organ is the Diapason or Principal, on the theater organ it is the Tibia Clausa, a pure Flute tone. Theater organs also have stops not commonly found on church organs such as the Kinura and Post Horn. The strings are usually quite a bit keener and louder as well as typified by the typical Wurlitzer Viol de Orchestra. One commonality is the Vox Humana. However the voicing of theater organs is usually quite different than church organs, particularly if the church organ in question was built after the Organ Reform Movement. A Church organ built during the romantic or orchestral period may make a fairly good imitation of a theater organ simply by turning on the tremulants. However the tremulants of theater organs are usually quite a bit faster and deeper than church organ tremulants. The best bet is to make maximum use of the strings, trems and reeds. Do not be afraid to use the mutations as well. Don't forget that theater organs were highly unified so that many stops played at every conceivable pitch.