Understanding the Pipe Organ: A Guide for Students, Teachers and Lovers of the Instrument

by John R. Shannon

Overview

The pipe organ, an instrument whose origins date to ancient Greece, is prominent in the development of secular and church music, and its builders were as artistic as the composers like Bach, Pachelbel and Handel who played them.

This book describes the mechanics, fabrication, and acoustics of all types of pipe organs. Although it is technical in nature, its design, descriptions, and language are directed to organ students, their teachers, and all persons who love the organ. The book covers the construction of several types of pipe organ, with chapters on actions, chests, pipe work, wind supply, electrical circuitry, mechanics, registration, organ placement, acoustics, and repairs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786439980
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	01/27/2009
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	204
Sales rank:	546,899
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

The late John R. Shannon was professor emeritus of music at Sweet Briar College, and the author or editor of several books about organ composition, improvisation and music history. A charter member of the Southern Historical Keyboard Society, he lived in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

List of Figures      viii
Introduction     

1. The Principal Components of the Organ     
2. The Wind Supply     
3. Mechanical Action     
4. Electric Action     
5. Organ Chests     
6. Unification and Duplexing     
7. Aids to Registration     
8. Acoustics of Organ Pipes     
9. Pipework     
10. Achieving Optimal Sound Through Location and Placement     
11. Can You or Should You Fix It Yourself?     

Glossary     
Bibliography     
Index     

Editorial Reviews

a beautiful, handy, easy-to-read manual...the most useful and valuable guide to the organ to appear in any language in many years. It is hard to imagine a more thoroughly useful book than this; it should be placed in the hands of every conscientious organist and kept at the console of every organ in the country”—The Diapason; “will be useful”—ARBA.

From the Publisher

"will be useful"

ARBA

a beautiful, handy, easy-to-read manual...the most useful and valuable guide to the organ to appear in any language in many years. It is hard to imagine a more thoroughly useful book than this; it should be placed in the hands of every conscientious organist and kept at the console of every organ in the country

The Diapason