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Sydney Opera House Grand Organ

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The Grand Organ

The Sydney Opera House Grand Organ is the world's largest mechanical tracker-action pipe organ.[1][2] It is located in the concert hall of Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, and was designed by Ronald Sharp, who was assisted by Mark Fisher, Myk Fairhurst and Raymond Bridge.[1][3]

It is in six divisions, five manuals plus pedals, and is the largest tracker action organ ever built, with 131 speaking stops served by 200 ranks of pipes consisting of 10,244[3] pipes. It is a neo-baroque organ in style.

The contract for the construction of the organ was awarded in 1969, during the construction of the Opera House, and the organ was completed in 1979, six years after the opening of the building. Since then the electronics have been updated, including a major refit in 2002, but the musical specification is unchanged from that developed by Sharp starting in 1967.

In April 1994 the Sydney Opera House Trust awarded the contract for ongoing maintenance of the organ to Mark Fisher, one of the original staff of Ronald Sharp.[3]

In addition to its mechanical action, the organ can be played remotely by an electronic system, enabling it to be played from a remote console, or a performance or passage can be recorded by a system built into the keyboards and played back by the electronic action. This system is used by visiting organists to select the registration (the combination of stops) that they will use, enabling them to stand in different parts of the hall and hear the results. Its stops are entirely electronically operated and programmed.

Specifications [3]

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Speaking stops

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A five-manual modern organ console finished in light coloured wood. About 60 white drawstops are visible on each side, organised in columns by division.
Manuals and drawstops on the console of the Grand Organ.
Several ranks of metal pipes inside the Grand Organ.
I - Rückpositiv
Prinzipal 8'
Piffaro 8'
Gedackt 8'
Quintadena 8'
Oktav 4'
Nachthorn 4'
Rohrflöte 4'
Nasat 2.2/3'
Oktav 2'
Spitzflöte 2'
Terz 1.3/5'
Quint 1.1/3'
Sifflöte 1.1/3'
Oktav 1'
Quint 2/3'
Oktav 1/2'
Quint 1/3'
Oktav 1/4'
Quint 1/6'
Oktav 1/8'
Sesquialtera II
Ophicleide 16'
Rankett 16'
Ophicleide 8'
Trompete 8'
Dulzian 8'
Glocken 1'
Tremulant
II - Hauptwerk
Prinzipal 16'
Gedackt 16'
Oktav 8'
Gamba 8'
Querflöte 8'
Holzflöte 8'
Rohrflöte 8'
Quint 5.1/3'
Grossnasat 5.1/3'
Oktav 4'
Gamba 4'
Spitzflöte 4'
Grossterz 3.1/5'
Quint 2.2/3'
Nasat 2.2/3'
Oktav 2'
Hohlflöte 2'
Terz 1.3/5'
Piffaro IV-VI
Terzian II
Kornett Mixtur VI
Mixtur VI
Scharff V
Zimbel IV
Kornett VI
Trompete 16'
Trompete 8'
Trompete 4'
Glocken 2'
Tremulant
III - Oberwerk
Holzprinzipal 16'
Quintatön 16'
Prinzipal 8'
Salizional 8'
Schwebung 8'
Spillflöte 8'
Oktav 4'
Salizional 4'
Waldflöte 4'
Querflöte 2'
Rauschpfeife II
Terzian II
Mixtur V-VII
Scharff IV
Terz Zimbel III
Septimen Kornett V
Kopftrompete 16'
Trompete 8'
Oboe 8'
Vox Humana 8'
Schalmei 4'
Tremulant
IV - Brustwerk
Gemshorn 8'
Unda Maris 8'
Offenflöte 8'
Gedackt 8'
Prinzipal 4'
Quintadena 4'
Nasat 2.3/3'
Flachflöte 2'
Terz 1.3/5'
Quint 1.1/3'
Septime 1.1/7'
Schwiegel 1'
None 8/9'
Glöckleinton II
Scharff II
Zimbel I
Musette 16'
Krummhorn 8'
Regal 8'
Trompetenregal 4'
Glocken
Glockenspiel 2/3'
Glockenspiel Reiterate
Kuckuckflöte
Tremulant
V - Kronwerk
Kornett VIII-XII
Trompete 16'
Feldtrompete 8'
Vox Humana 8'
Helltrompete 4'
Ophicleide 16'
Ophicleide 8'
Glocken 2'
Tremulant
Pedal
Prinzipal 32'
Holzprinzipal 16'
Oktav 16'
Violonbass 16'
Subbass 16'
Rohrquint 10.2/3'
Oktav 8'
Violon 8'
Gedackt 8'
Grossterz 6.2/5'
Quint 5.1/3'
Oktav 4'
Blockflöte 4'
Terz 3.1/5'
Quint 2.2/3'
Septime 2.2/7'
Nachthorn 2'
Bauernflöte 1'
Rauschpfeife III
Mixtur V
Scharff VII
Posaune 32'
Posaune 16'
Fagott 16'
Trompete 8'
Dulzian 8'
Trompete 4'
Singend Kornett 2'
Glocken 2+4'
Tremulant

Couplers

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Drawstop couplers
Coupler Action
Oberwerk to Rückpositiv Electric
Rückpositiv to Hauptwerk
Oberwerk to Hauptwerk
Brustwerk to Hauptwerk
Kronwerk to Hauptwerk
Kronwerk to Rückpositiv
Brustwerk to Oberwerk Mechanical
Rückpositiv to Pedal
Hauptwerk to Pedal
Oberwerk to Pedal
Brustwerk to Pedal
Kronwerk to Pedal 4 Electric
Kronwerk to Pedal
Rocking tablet couplers
Coupler Action
Rückpositiv to Rückpositiv 16 Electric
Rückpositiv to Rückpositiv 4
Oberwerk to Oberwerk 16
Oberwerk to Oberwerk 4
Brustwerk to Brustwerk 16
Brustwerk to Brustwerk 4
Kronwerk to Kronwerk 16
Kronwerk to Kronwerk 4
Rückpositiv to Hauptwerk 16
Rückpositiv to Hauptwerk 4
Oberwerk to Hauptwerk 16
Oberwerk to Hauptwerk 4
Kronwerk to Hauptwerk 16
Kronwerk to Hauptwerk 4
Hauptwerk and Pedal Pistons
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Additional pictures of the organ and its components.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Sydney Opera House" (PDF).
  2. ^ "Sydney Opera House: 40 fascinating facts". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d Mark Fisher (2009). "Sydney Opera House Concert Hall Grand Organ Technical Specifications". Organ Historical Trust of Australia. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
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