Typical Italian pedal clavier of the old style. Keys are at a 45-degree angle and very short. The broad rail at the foot of them I dubbed the "heel-board," because the heels rest naturally on it. Raising the heel slightly allows easy access to the sharps.
The row of hitchdowns over the pedals invoke various stops, and the three large wooden spoons on the right are the Gran Cassa, the ventil or "free combination" (every stop is on the ventil system), and the "tiratutti" or full ripieno. The springs used in the action made a few stops want to pop out of place and shut themselves off!
These organs are about manual virtuosity and intellectuality, with a healthy dose of popular appeal. The pedals are a neat "trick," only about as integral to the total concept as the other "toys" and special effects. They are permanently coupled to the bottom octave, and there is one woolly 16' pedal stop besides.
These organs, built in the later 19th century, are clearly part of the great Italian tradition of organ building. Their stoplists are quite similar to those of the golden age of the Antegnatis. Stoplists of only a decade later resemble those of any American or German builder. I am delighted that I was able to work with organs that practiced the historic Italian approach: the fully-separated ripieno, the very soft voicing of the principals (they are the common bass for the flute stops!), and the like. Even in the twilight of the tradition, they are first-class musical instruments. I rejoice in their careful and ongoing restoration and re-appraisal. |
