Meantone organs in North America
Encyclopedia
Pipe organ
s that are tuned in meantone temperament
are very rare in North America. They are listed here, by type of temperament and sorted by date of construction. North America is defined here as Canada, the United States of America and Mexico. All instruments listed are playable but unplayable instruments may be added with a note.
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
s that are tuned in meantone temperament
Meantone temperament
Meantone temperament is a musical temperament, which is a system of musical tuning. In general, a meantone is constructed the same way as Pythagorean tuning, as a stack of perfect fifths, but in meantone, each fifth is narrow compared to the ratio 27/12:1 in 12 equal temperament, the opposite of...
are very rare in North America. They are listed here, by type of temperament and sorted by date of construction. North America is defined here as Canada, the United States of America and Mexico. All instruments listed are playable but unplayable instruments may be added with a note.
Historic organs
- University of Rochester, Memorial Art GalleryMemorial Art GalleryThe Memorial Art Gallery is the civic art museum of Rochester, New York. Founded in 1913, it is part of the University of Rochester and occupies the southern half of the University's former Prince Street campus...
(Rochester, NY). Anonymous, ca. 1700/1770 . Originally from Naples region or Tuscany.
- Tlacochahuaya, Convent of San Jerónimo (San Jerónimo TlacochahuayaSan Jerónimo TlacochahuayaSan Jerónimo Tlacochahuaya is a town and municipality in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, 21 km from the center of the city of Oaxaca on the highway that leads to Mitla...
, Oaxaca, Mexico). Anonymous, ca. 1725-1730 . Colonial Spanish style.
- Zautla (San Andrés Zautla, Oaxaca, Mexico). Anonymous, 1726 . Colonial Spanish style.
New organs
- Wellesley College, Houghton Chapel (Wellesley, MA). C. B. Fisk Inc., Opus 72, 1981 . Instrument includes subsemitones. North German, Danish and Dutch 16th and 17th c. style.
- Augustana College (Rock Island, IL). Bedient Organ Company, Opus 16, 1981 . Italian 17th c. style.
- Oberlin College, Fairchild Chapel (Oberlin, OH). John Brombaugh & AssociatesJohn BrombaughJohn Brombaugh is an American master pipe organ builder, known for his historically-oriented tracker action instruments, some of which are capable of playing at different historical pitches.-Personal life and early training:...
, 1981 , . North German 16th c. style
- University of California, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary Chapel (Berkeley, CA). Greg Harrold, Opus 11, 1989 . Spanish early 18th c. style.
- Mission San Jose (San Jose, CA). Rosales Organ Builders, 1989. . 18th c. Spanish and Mexican style.
- Duke University, Memorial Chapel (Durham, NC). John Brombaugh & AssociatesJohn BrombaughJohn Brombaugh is an American master pipe organ builder, known for his historically-oriented tracker action instruments, some of which are capable of playing at different historical pitches.-Personal life and early training:...
, 1997 . Italian 15th - 17th c. style.
- St. Cecilia CathedralSt. Cecilia CathedralSt. Cecilia Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha. Located at 701 North 40th Street in the Gold Coast Historic District, the Cathedral was ranked as one of the ten largest in the United States when it was completed in 1959...
(Omaha, NE), Pasi Organ BuildersPasi Organ BuildersPasi Organ Builders, based in Roy, WA, manufactures mechanical action organs and restores historic instruments. Martin Pasi received his first formal experience in organ building during a four year apprenticeship with the Rieger Company in his native Austria...
, Opus 14, 2003 , . Instrument is dual temperament, alternatively Well-Tempered. North German, Italian and French 17th and 18th c. style.
- Cathedral of Quebec (Quebec, QC), Juget-Sinclair, Opus 35, 2010 . 18th c. French style.
- Yale University, Marquand Chapel (New Haven, CT). Taylor & Boody Organbuilders, Opus 55, 2007 . Instrument includes subsemitones. North German and Dutch 17th c. style.
Historic organs
- Yanhuitlan, Temple and Exconvent of Saint Dominic, (Santo Domingo YanhuitlánSanto Domingo YanhuitlánSanto Domingo Yanhuitlán is a village and municipality in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, located northeast of Oaxaca city.It is part of the Nochixtlán District in the southeast of the Mixteca Region.It is 2,140 meters above sea level...
, Oaxaca, Mexico). Anonymous, ca. 1700 . "Rameau" temperament (modified meantone), Colonial Spanish style.
- Cathedral of Our Lady of the AssumptionCathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, OaxacaThe Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption , located in the city of Oaxaca de Juarez, Oaxaca, Mexico, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Antequera, Oaxaca. Its construction began in 1535 and it was consecrated on July 12, 1733...
(Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico). Matías Chávez, 1525/1711 . 1/6 comma meantone, Colonial Spanish style.
- Mexico City Metropolitan CathedralMexico City Metropolitan CathedralThe Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary of Mexico City is the largest and oldest cathedral in the Americas and seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico. It is situated atop the former Aztec sacred precinct near the Templo Mayor on the northern side of the Plaza de la...
(Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico). Epistle Organ by Jorge de Sesma (Spain), 1695; rebuilt by Jose Nassarre (Mexico), 1735; Gospel organ by Jose Nassarre, 1736 . Both instruments in "Chaumont" temperament (modified meantone).
New organs
- Knox College Chapel (Toronto, ON). Wolff & Associés, Opus 33, 1991 . Swedish early 18th c. style.
- Mount Holyoke College (South Hadley, MA). C. B. Fisk Inc., Opus 84, 1985 . 1/5 comma meantone, Italian 17th c. style.
- Stanford University, Memorial ChurchStanford Memorial ChurchStanford Memorial Church is located at the center of the Stanford University campus in Stanford, California, United States. It was built during the American Renaissance by Jane Stanford as a memorial to her husband Leland. Designed by architect Charles A...
(Palo Alto, CA) . C. B. Fisk Inc., Opus 85, 1985 . Modified 1/5 comma meantone (by Fisk, Vogel and Lindley), dual temperament instrument alternatively Well-Tempered. North German, French and Dutch 17th and 18th c. style.
- University of North Texas, Main Auditorium (Denton, TX). Gene Bedient, 1985 . Tuning after Michel Collette. French, late 18th c. style. Formerly installed in St. Mark's Episcopal Church (Grand Rapids, MI).
- Southern Adventist UniversitySouthern Adventist UniversitySouthern Adventist University is a college in Collegedale, Tennessee, owned and operated by the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. U.S. News & World Report categorizes it as a Southern Regional College, and the magazine has consistently ranked it as one of the top-tier schools in...
(Collegedale, TN). John Brombaugh & AssociatesJohn BrombaughJohn Brombaugh is an American master pipe organ builder, known for his historically-oriented tracker action instruments, some of which are capable of playing at different historical pitches.-Personal life and early training:...
, 1986 . 1/5 comma meantone, North German 17th c. style.
- Stanford University, Memorial Chapel (Palo Alto, CA). Paul Fritts & Co. Organ Builders, 1989 , . Originally housed in Jeff Smith residence, moved in 1996. Same tuning as Fisk Organ (1985). Danish 16th c. style.
- University of Calgary, Rozsa Centre (Calgary, AB). Jürgen AhrendJürgen AhrendJürgen Ahrend is a German organ builder famous for restoring instruments such as the Rysum organ and the Arp Schnitger organ in St. Jacobi, Hamburg as well as building original instruments...
Orgelbau, 2006. "Norden" temperament (modified meantone) . North German style.
Historic organs
- St Luke's Church (Smithfield, VA). Chamber organ, 1630, England. . Currently unplayable.
- Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City, NY). Chamber organ, ca. 1680s, Germany.
- Cornell University, Sage Chapel (Ithaca, NY). Chamber organ, Augustus Vicidomini (Naples), 1746 . 1/4 comma meantone.
- University of Arizona (Tempe, AZ). Domenico Traeri, 1742 . Originally from Modena, Italy. Formerly housed in St James Cathedral, Seattle . 1/4 comma meantone.
- University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, CA). Chamber organ, ca. 1750, Germany . 1/4 comma meantone.
- Christ Episcopal Church (Tacoma, WA). Anonymous, 18th century. A 5-stop organ originally from Italy, now owned by Martin Pasi of Pasi Organ Builders (Roy, WA).