The Origins of Seewen’s Welte-Philharmonie David Rumsey and Christoph E. Hänggi
Background just come out of their development stag- The Welte Company was a German es in 1912, and the Seewen instrument fi rm, fi rst established in 1832 at Vöhren- was defi nitely known to have existed by bach (in the Black Forest) by automata 1920. Internal evidence such as specifi - manufacturer Michael Welte (1807– cation, roll formats, pipe construction, 1880). About 1865 he moved to Freiburg comparison with similar instruments and im Breisgau and registered there as M. known availability led us to moot a dating Welte & Söhne. During the remainder of of about 1913 as most likely. the 19th century, the fi rm expanded con- It is a variant of Welte’s “Grundmodell siderably and became particularly noted V–VI,” having a two-manual and pedal for its orchestrions. In 1904 Edwin Welte console with stop tabs and a roll-mecha- (1876–1958, grandson of the founder) in- nism for automatic playing. From 1920 vented the Vorsetzer, and from that the it is well documented. However, sign- famous Welte-Mignon player-piano was posts to its pre-1920 history turned up developed, appearing on the market in in the course of restoration work during 1905. This rather arcane piano technol- March 2007. In cleaning some normally ogy was adapted to the “Welte-Philhar- unseen wooden beams around the origi- monie-Orgel” (known as the “Philhar- nal windchests, the word “Britanik” was monic” in the USA). By 1909 a recording found inscribed in four places. By late organ had been built for Welte’s studios May 2007, more inscriptions were found, in Freiburg. The Philharmonie was dis- bringing the total to six. played in November 1911 at the Turin The console is not, or not complete- Exhibition in Italy. Welte successfully ly, original. An earlier console would went on to market player organs, cinema naturally have been modifi ed or even organs, cinema player organs and, later, replaced in 1920 or 1937 when the or- when that market contracted during gan was slightly enlarged. The present the 1930s, church organs. They issued console, however, gives the impression punched paper roll recordings dated be- of having re-utilized at least some of the tween 1912 and 1930 of performances earlier components. by the great organists of the day, and sold them with considerable commercial Organs aboard ships success. From 1865–1917 they also ran a During the mid-19th century, begin- branch in New York (M. Welte & Sons) ning with calliopes, keyboard musical under Emil Welte (1841–1923, eldest instruments increasingly came to be son of the founder), but it was closed featured on the river boats, yachts and during World War I as an “alien enter- ocean liners of Europe and North Amer- prise.” Edwin Welte’s sister, Frieda, mar- ica. Jules Verne’s 1869–70 novel Twenty ried Karl Bockisch (1874–1952), who was Thousand Leagues under the Sea con- active in the fi rm from 1893 onwards. He tains a reference to Captain Nemo play- later assumed a leading role and became ing a pipe organ installed on his ship a partner. Michael Welte Nautilus. From fi ction to fact took a little Player organs became status symbols time. Harmoniums and grand pianos of the rich. They were the epitome of were featured in such vessels as the Cu- home entertainment in their day and, nard line’s Campania and Lucania (both along with orchestrions, were manufac- 1893). Campania even had false pipes tured in both Europe and the USA by a arranged, as was sometimes the custom number of specialist fi rms. Welte instru- with harmoniums, to make it look like a ments were installed in homes, palaces, pipe organ. The race for luxurious on- schools, department stores and one was board musical entertainment was gradu- apparently even in a luxurious “house ally intensifi ed. It became a serious pur- of pleasure” (the Atlantic Garden or- suit in the greatest luxury liners of the chestrion). Apart from Europe and the early 20th century. In their catalogue USA, Welte’s market is known to have of c1913–14, Welte identifi ed and illus- extended to Turkey, Russia, China and One of the “Britanik” inscriptions found in the Seewen organ trated a number of piano and organ in- Sumatra. The Sumatran instrument was stallations, including player pianos such broken up and lost in 1985. 1909 cording organ of 1909. Manufacture be- as the Welte-Mignon, aboard yachts and Around 1926 Welte began to be threat- Welte’s first Philharmonie record- gan in earnest. This gave ample time to ships. Their New York branch installed ened by a rapidly growing radio and re- ing organ was built in their Freiburg build Britannic’s organ. Since work on at least one orchestrion, “operated by cording industry. Business declined so studios. the ship was delayed, even more time electric motor,” aboard the Pocahontas, much that in 1932 the fi rm only narrowly March 31: Titanic’s keel was laid. became available. an American river boat. escaped bankruptcy. At this time they But the largest of ships’ organs was were also engaged in a collaboration with 1910 1914 destined to be the Britannic’s organ. the Telefunken Company involving the October 20: Olympic was launched. February 26: Britannic was launched Others, mainly on vessels of the White development of electronic organs, using and her fi tting-out begun. Star Line or Lloyds, but including some analog sampling, glass plates and photo- 1911 July 28: beginning of World War I. private yachts such as Howard Gould’s cells. It was a prophetic development for May 31: Titanic was launched; Olympic August: the ship became subject to steam yacht, “Niagara,” which also fea- that time. The collaboration had to be was delivered to the White Star Line. requisitioning by the Admiralty; work tured a Philharmonie, are well chron- terminated because Edwin Welte’s fi rst November: the Philharmonie was was again “slowed.” icled in these catalogues. The Aeolian wife, Betty Dreyfuss, was Jewish. Had publicly demonstrated at the Turin ex- company was also involved in ships’ or- Welte been successful, they might well hibition and the company’s order book 1915 gans. Documents exist showing that the have eliminated the Hammond organ opened. May: mooring trials were undertaken; Britannic was originally intended to have from the pages of history. November 30: Britannic’s keel was Britannic was on standby for military a player organ from Aeolian. World War II fi nally precipitated the laid. service. Of the White Star Line’s three great total demise of the fi rm. Apart from be- November 13: Britannic was offi cially “Olympic” class ships—Olympic, Titanic ing blacklisted by the Nazis, the Freiburg 1912 requisitioned as a hospital ship and fi tted and Britannic—there is neither evidence premises—all but a few scraps of stock, April 1: Titanic’s trials fi rst were sched- out accordingly. nor suggestion that Olympic ever had an instruments and historical documents— uled. December 11: Britannic sailed to Eng- organ. With the later ships, however, were annihilated by Allied bombing in April 15: Titanic’s sinking. land and entered service on the 23rd. there are different stories to be told. November 1944. The ruined Welte fac- Work ceased on Britannic pending tory was something of a landmark next the Titanic inquiry, after which some 1916 Titanic to the Freiburg railway station until the changes to design were made, mainly November 21: Britannic hit a German On-board entertainment was an im- mid-1950s. No trace of it remains to- safety items. mine and sank off the Greek island of portant item in the inventory of luxu- day—a housing estate replaced it. Welte fi rst made their Philharmonie Kea (Tzia) in the Aegean Sea. ries aboard these ocean liners. Titanic available in a range of specifi c models. had no less than four uprights and one Time lines The Seewen Britannic organ grand piano. In the light of this, oft-re- 1913 Until recently it was unclear exactly peated suggestions that “an organ” was 1902–3 Welte consolidated their organ de- when the organ now preserved at the Mu- planned, built, or even installed aboard Olympic and Titanic were fi rst signs, including modifi cations to their seum für Musikautomaten was originally Titanic, cannot be ignored. There are planned. Orchestrions and other me- 1909 Freiburg recording organ, pos- built. The museum contains a major col- said to be survivors’ reports of an or- chanical musical instruments had long sibly on advice from Edwin Lemare lection dedicated to mechanical musical gan that “played” (Internet Site 1—see been available. (Kurt Binninger, 1987). Variant models instruments and musical automata, and below). The detail is vague and the re- became available in the same year, in- is located at Seewen, Switzerland (http:// port is seriously questioned. If it has any 1908 cluding the largest, as represented by www.landesmuseen.ch/e/seewen/index. credibility at all, then we might extract December 16: Olympic’s keel was the Seewen instrument, whose speci- php). 1912–1920 were the considered from it that “played” might suggest an laid. fi cation well matches the Freiburg re- limits since such instruments had only orchestrion aboard. It does not discredit
24 THE DIAPASON
Mar 08 pp. 24-28.indd 24 2/11/08 10:30:05 AM Welte-Philharmonie aboard the “Niagara,” a luxury yacht belonging to Howard Gould
other reports, although a second instru- was added, jutting out into the stair area. ment aboard is highly unlikely and has Any of these three ships could easily have never been suggested. If an organ was had this modifi cation, but only plans for installed, then it now lies with the wreck Britannic include it. A Philharmonie and all claims of a surviving instrument Grundmodell V–VI could have fi tted “built too late” are completely errant. into this space on any of them. Britannic’s plan with organ shown (provided by Simon Mills) There is an interesting consistency in Orchestrions generally take little more perpetuation of a belief that the Titanic’s ground space than an upright piano. They The two-story space near the stairs used electric actions in “larger organs” organ was not completed in time for typically had about 260 pipes, whereas a offered ideal dimensions for an organ and “where consoles were detached.” the voyage. A number of collections in Philharmonie V–VI could have over 2,000 the original size of Seewen’s. Britannic’s Welte had developed electro-pneumatic North America and Europe possess or- pipes. Orchestrions and salon organs the Philharmonie could easily have been fi n- actions as early as 1885, one of the fi rst chestrions claimed to be “built too late to size of Bruchsal’s (and the other Titanic ished in Freiburg by late 1913 and moved fi rms ever to master this technology. Ar- share the ship’s fate.” Certainly, if there claimants seem to be of commensurate to Belfast, arriving sometime between guments in favor of a fully pneumatic is any element of truth in this, then it size) could have been placed almost any- March and July 1914. We do not know original action also exist. The two main was probably an orchestrion. These were where aboard these ships. These would whether the main staircase was installed manuals of the almost contemporary available for decades before Titanic was not have required identifi cation in ar- before then. The portrayed roll player three-manual organ at Tunbridge Wells conceived. The Deutsches Musikauto- chitects’ plans; detailed accommodation hints at a console and possibly the wind (see Appendix) are pneumatic. Although matenmuseum at Bruchsal in Germany plans show nothing of this kind. apparatus being located underneath, it is unclear until 1937, the Seewen organ has one. It is sometimes claimed that an Even assuming for a moment that the with windchests and pipes on top. The does appear to have always had a hybrid undated letter from Ilse Bockisch (wid- reports of a Welte Titanic organ were apparent width of the roll in the illustra- action. Experts such as Peter Hagmann ow of Karl, his second wife, married in true, which organ was too late? Certainly tion lines up well with the dimensions fully acknowledge this possibility and, 1932) associates it with Titanic. The let- not one of their mass-produced instru- of Welte’s Philharmonie V–VI rolls: the having searched, can fi nd nothing to dis- ter leaves many unanswered questions. ments. Orchestrions, having been in paper was 390mm wide and there were prove it. Suggestions have been made (Internet production for years, should either have fl anges on either side. Another photograph, from 1916, Site 1) that a Philharmonie was originally been in stock or available on very short Welte may well have used a hybrid shows Britannic fi tted out for wartime intended for Titanic. Welte’s Philharmo- notice. This meant that delivery of such pneumatic-electric action. The company service. Explanations accompanying this nie was not offered for sale until some a salon organ should have been easily is reported (Binninger 1987) to have photograph refer to a very basic state of eight months after Titanic’s launch- achievable. It could not be entirely ruled ing. A specifi c model was further out of out that delays in development of the the question until immediately prior to Philharmonie might be the issue here. The Second Decade Titanic’s sea trials. The idea that Welte For what it is worth, Ilse Bockisch’s letter catalogue illustrations (see later) were of describes a failed attempt to deliver “an Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival a Philharmonie organ aboard Titanic is organ” to Titanic at Southampton. Her thus ruled out by the time lines. The ear- letter leaves open too many questions to A Weekend in Celebration of Excellence in Organ Music: liest known illustration is from 1913–14, be trusted as a basis for fi rm conclusions A Gala Concert, ORGAN COMPETITION, Services, and Masterclass well after Titanic’s sinking. If there is in this context. any credibility at all here, then the only We must conclude that Jules Verne’s possibility was an installation after the idea was best going to be realized with High School Division Panel of Judges maiden voyage. Britannic. Most evidence points against an organ Provided by Ahlborn-Galanti Organs, Discussion points First Prize: $2,000 Other prizes awarded or orchestrion ever belonging to Titan- ic. Expert researchers, such as Günter A Welte catalogue of around 1914 has Bäbler and Mark Chirnside, have looked an illustration captioned “Welte-Phil- College/Young Professional* into this matter exhaustively. Both are harmonie-Orgel an Bord eines grossen emphatically of that opinion. engl.[ischen] Dampfers” (“Welte-Phil- harmonie aboard a large English steam- First Prize: $3,500 Other prizes awarded Britannic er”). The vessel is not identifi ed by name. Marilyn By contrast, evidence for an organ in- The illustration is very lifelike, although This includes an appearance on Mason tended for Britannic is overwhelming. some background detail differs from the There is an interesting existing reference known architecture of the ship. Another our 2008-2009 Concert Series to an Aeolian organ with two chests for Welte catalogue from about this time music rolls in the Britannic’s specifi ca- reproduces this but now unequivocally *Through age 26 tion book. There is no evidence that identifi es it as “WELTE-PHILHAR- these plans ever proceeded. Illustrations MONIE-ORGEL auf S. S. Britannic der in Welte’s catalogues are renderings that White Star Line” (“Welte-Philharmonie AUDITION TAPES/CDS: are so accurate that they appear to be or on the White Star Line’s steam ship Bri- have been made from photographs. The tannic”). (See page 26.) The architect’s Due on June 1, 2008 Gerre fi rm variously identifi es them as “Welte- sketch in the Ulster Folk and Transport Hancock Philharmonie aboard a large English Museum and the Welte illustrations show THE COMPETITION: steam ship” and “Welte-Philharmonie identical organ casework. These all clearly aboard S. S. Britannic.” Surviving ar- identify ship, organ, size and placement. September 5-7, 2008 chitects’ sketches, now preserved in the They show the casework fully in place. Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Both captions expressly state that the or- For Information & show exactly the same organ case in the gan was “aboard.” This suggests its pres- stairwell area of Britannic. The ship’s ence behind the case. Since a responsible Application: plans allocate this space as “ORGAN.” and proud fi rm repeated this in at least Frederick Seewen’s organ has “Britanik” inscribed two catalogues, it can leave no doubt that First Church of Christ Hohman in at least six places. the organ was a Philharmonie and that it The dimensions of the original See- probably was installed. No fi nal proof ei- 250 Main Street wen organ have been carefully checked ther way is yet to hand. Wethersfield, CT 06109 against the ship’s plans. It fi ts exactly into Time lines easily allow this. By Febru- PAST JUDGES: Colin Andrews, the space allocated. ary 1914 there was ample time to build Diane Meredith Belcher, Benjamin and transport the organ. By the end of Doby, Paul Fejko, Janette Fishell, www.firstchurch.org/asof Time and space considerations July there was also time to install and re- Paul Jacobs, Marilyn Mason, What was possible? Plans survive for move it. The illustrations appear to have Katharine Pardee, Cherry Rhodes, all three ships showing their main stair- been the property of Welte themselves, 860.529.1575 Ex. 209 well areas. These are virtually identical, so all evidence points to the instrument Catherine Rodland, John Rose, except that on Britannic a rectangular being at least in preparation for, or pro- [email protected] John Walker and John Weaver space identifi ed with the word “ORGAN” cess of, installation by summer 1914.
MARCH, 2008 25
Mar 08 pp. 24-28.indd 25 2/11/08 10:30:23 AM Wolfgang Rehn (Orgelbau Kuhn), Heinrich Weiss, Christoph E. Hänggi, and David Rumsey
organ could logically have been installed mid-1919. A Steinway piano thought to was February 26 to late summer 1914. have been lost with the ship, was found This is far more time than an installa- after government compensation for the tion would have required. Britannic’s ship’s loss had been agreed in 1917. It fi nal requisitioning theoretically allowed was then offered for sale “as Admiralty until November 1915 for de-installation, property,” after which all traces of it dis- although Welte staff could hardly have appear. An organ would have been even remained or returned then. We do not more obvious. We can only assume that yet know if anybody from Welte was in the organ was not part of the compen- Belfast, so we simply cannot say if instal- sation negotiations and therefore was From a Welte catalog about 1914 (provided by the Augustinermuseum, Freiburg) lation was proceeding or completed be- either still or once again in Welte’s pos- fore late July 1914. Welte’s illustrations session in Freiburg in 1919. furnishing—just white-painted metallic specifi cally meant that it had a keyboard. and captions prima facie support the no- walls. Woodwork from the stairwell later The ship’s plans unequivocally identify its tion that it was. From 1920 onwards appeared as collectors’ items. Stored space as “organ.” It is instructive to com- If Karl Bockisch was in Ireland for Around 1920, an organ was sold by items from the ship were publicly auc- pare the design with the Welte-Philhar- the installation, then he may have had Welte to Dr. August Nagel (1882–1943) tioned in Belfast in 1919, and many are monie at the Salomons Centre, Tunbridge to return quickly to Germany with the for his residence. Nagel began a highly still preserved in private ownership. This Wells, England. This has pipes above and imminent outbreak of war. Edwin Welte successful camera manufacturing busi- indicates that the internal outfi tting of console below, fl anked by pillars. The con- was pursuing an extremely busy traveling ness in 1908 that later became the the ship was probably advancing at the sole is on the inside, screened off from the schedule, especially across the Atlantic, “Contessa” brand. He was a great mu- time that possible requisitioning became auditor. It is exactly the arrangement with although he was known to be “in Eng- sic lover and lived in a magnifi cent villa an issue during August 1914. Welte’s organ for Britannic, only decora- land” (which could include Northern in Stuttgart. In 1926 his business went Although the Welte catalogues show the tive details differ and the specifi cations are Ireland) at about this time. In 2005 some to the Zeiss-Ikon concern. In 1928, he roll-playing mechanism, no keyboard is ap- very similar. missing documentation that might clarify founded another camera manufacturing parent. This might lead to a belief that this the fi rm’s travel arrangements came into company that fl ourished in spite of hard instrument was a large orchestrion. How- Installation aboard Britannic 1914 the possession of Gerhard Dangel of the times. This was taken over by Kodak in ever, Welte calls it a Philharmonie. This The overall period during which the Augustiner Museum, Freiburg, but it 1932. No photographs have yet been lo- has so far proven inconclusive. There is cated of the instrument in Nagel’s pos- evidence that the Welte family traveled session. Indeed, the apparent absence on the German steamer, the Kronprinz- of even one photograph of this organ is professional essin Cecilie, in September 1912 (this curious for a camera manufacturer: one ship also had a Welte-Mignon piano reason could be that the organ simply aboard), but no records have yet been was not visible and had no casework to found clarifying the movements of Welte photograph (see later). It seems that the musiciansicianiician employees. Since they were quite itiner- new owner had two small supplemen- pastoral ant, we must assume these records are tary windchests built to accommodate theological now missing. Further clarifi cation as to some additional stops. whether Bockisch or his team were ever Nagel returned the organ to Welte in Ireland seems now dependent on fi nd- in 1935 for reasons that are now un- ing something of this kind or from dives clear. In 1937, after work on it in their to the wreck planned for 2008. Freiburg workshop, Welte sold it on to Master of Welte staff would rapidly have found Dr. Eugen Kersting (1888–1958), own- themselves behind enemy lines by July er of “Radium GmbH,” an electrical 28, 1914. The inscriptions “Britanik” manufacturer. Werner Bosch (1916– and “Salomoons” in the Salomons Cen- 92), German organ builder, worked on Sacred Music tre organ at Tunbridge Wells make it it as a young employee of Welte’s at the clear that Welte identifi ed their clients time. It was installed in the Radium www.luthersem.edu/msm and organs in this way, a practice al- Company’s Concert and Meeting Hall ready established for their pianos and in Wipperfürth, Germany. Changes pneumatic roll player devices. were made at Kersting’s request— mainly two reed ranks added and some “We seek to give musical and theological 1917–19 interesting but small concessions made There is a lack of surviving documen- to organ reform movement principles. flesh and bone to those who are called tation that might indicate the fate of the Once again modifi cations to suit a cli- to serve the church as leaders of the organ between 1914 and 1919. Since ent were a normal part of Welte’s op- people’s song.” Britannic sank in 1916, the organ could eration. The original Wienerfl öte was not be returned to her. After the war, in replaced by a Harmoniefl öte (also by – Dr. Paul Westermeyer, Director the natural course of events, ownership Welte), and somewhat miraculously and other details had to be sorted out. all pipes of both stops have survived. White Star Line—no doubt in some dis- The Wienerfl öte can now be returned array with the loss of two of its three most to its proper (and original “Britannic”) prestigious ships—had no further use confi guration. There was again no sign for it. So the instrument (with or with- of earlier original casework: a simple out casework) would have been available but elegant wooden grille appeared in for sale, presumably around 1919, allow- Wipperfürth. ing for decisions, communications and Towards the end of World War II, in paperwork (and possibly transportation 1945, water damage occurred as a result back from Belfast). of bombing. The instrument survived There were negotiations between this quite well and was offered for sale shipping company, state and insurance through Werner Bosch during the 1960s. brokers that lasted until 1919 when fi - No buyers were forthcoming. In 1961 nal damages were paid and an auction of it was used to make an important LP remaining items took place. The organ, recording, issued in English-speaking being a part of this, would not have been circles as Reger plays Reger. The organ available for sale until all was fi nalized. It was selected as the best available for this probably elucidates the timing of its sale purpose, having a specifi cation capable Armstrong Aspaas Ferguson Rodland Westermeyer in 1920. As far as we can currently ascer- of closely reproducing organists’ regis- tain the organ was not mentioned in the trations on the original Freiburg record- inventory of items for auction in Belfast ing organ.
26 THE DIAPASON
Mar 08 pp. 24-28.indd 26 2/11/08 10:30:44 AM The restored organ in its new environment at Seewen
By 1969, after the meeting room had The fate of the organ’s original been turned into a storeroom and the casework organ had become an encumbrance, Welte’s case designs are not noted for it was to be sold for scrap. Heinrich standardization, although stylistically Weiss-Stauffacher (*1920), who owned they are mostly consistent with their a collection of automatic musical instru- epoch. Cases and organs are sometimes ments that later formed the basis of the sold separately. No surviving organs or Seewen collection, was informed. He photos show other Welte instruments acquired the organ at the last minute with casework in the style of Britannic’s. and, in somewhat dramatic circum- Welte also specialized in installa- Motor and blower awaiting restoration stances, packed and moved it carefully tions in basements, attics and “adjacent to its present home. There, after reno- rooms,” the organs speaking through century and located not far from Welte The organ’s wind supply is designed as vation, its re-inauguration was celebrat- holes in walls or fl oors. This may well in Freiburg. Their records only date a regulated system and virtually never ed on May 30, 1970. have been the reality with Nagel’s resi- back to about the 1960s. From its serial needs the full amount of wind (over-) During its removal to Switzerland, dence and might explain a lot in this con- number, we only know that it was cer- supplied by the blower. Two experts also Bosch’s experience was critical in en- nection—e.g., the suitability of an organ tainly made before then. Both motor and independently estimated that the motor suring its preservation and proper func- on offer without a case and the absence blower are being restored as part of the itself is “probably early 20th century.” tioning. He and Basel organ builder of case photographs. Since the Philhar- historically conscious approach to the Thus, it is just possible that this motor Bernhard Fleig helped Weiss with the monie was totally enclosed in a swell- project. It is interesting to observe that and/or blower could have come down re-installation and subsequently also its box, façade pipes, where they existed, it is rated at 220 volts DC and the ship’s from the original Britannic installation. maintenance. Apart from normal wear were always “dummies.” electric supply came from four 400 kW From about 1885, a growing prefer- and tear, the organ has remained in Was the casework removed with the steam generators, each providing 100 ence for power reticulation using alter- good original condition, with few losses refi t to a hospital ship? The photo of volts DC. Expert opinion informs us that nating current was beginning to overtake or changes. the bare-walled area can but indirectly the voltage difference from running two that of direct current. By 1913–1914, suggest that it was not there. Simon generators in parallel—sensible electri- AC might normally have been the prime The restoration Mills’s Britannic Foundation, now own- cal engineering with two in parallel and choice for such a motor, but the fact Years of investigation into these in- ers of the wreck, believe that whatever two in series—to provide 200 volts is not that the ship’s supply was DC must have struments (and submissions from experts was installed—probably not much—was critical to the operation of this motor. determined a DC motor. This further and organ builders) began in 1998 with simply covered up and left in place. Re- the Seewen organ’s removal and storage ports of Jacques Cousteau’s divers who while the museum prepared for exten- went down there in 1976 could point to INTHROP NIVERSITY The work of the sions. These created much needed ad- the organ case still being present. They W U Æolian-Skinner Organ ditional space, partly to properly accom- identifi ed “an organ” and reported “met- Rock Hill, South Carolina Company under the modate and display the organ. al organ pipes.” The value of these re- The restoration contract was award- ports has been questioned—indeed the leadership of G. Donald Harrison (1889-1956) has garnered much interest ed to Orgelbau Kuhn, Männedorf, in rendering published by Welte in their in the past decade, though the number of instruments remaining in 2006. In early 2007, in the course of catalogues hints at wooden pipes or just unaltered condition from his tenure is lamentably few. Winthrop restoration, the “Britanik” inscriptions simple slats of wood, “pipe look-alikes.” began to show up around the original If the Cousteau report turns out to be University’s Opus 1257 was an windchests. The beams were carefully true, then that could hint that the organ all-new instrument when checked to see if they might have be- was at least partially installed when hos- completed in 1955 and has seen longed to another organ. However, all tilities began. experts—two highly experienced organ An exhibition in Kiel, Germany in mid- only two minor changes since builders, the museum director, its con- 2007 reconstructed the Titanic’s stair- then, showing a respectful servator and the organ consultant—in- well. Given that the three ships’ designs awareness of this instrument’s dependently concluded that the beams were essentially identical here, it was and the organ were part of the same clear that the organ could be installed or value. original instrument. removed with its façade in place. Being The D. B. Johnson Memorial Very few relevant Harland and Wolff a totally enclosed instrument, the façade Organ is located in the resonant (shipbuilders of Belfast, Ireland) and es- was purely decorative. The Britannic sentially no Welte records have survived. Foundation has undertaken more recent Byrnes Auditorium and However, all evidence overwhelmingly dives to the Britannic wreck and is cur- displays all of the hallmarks of points to the Britannic and Seewen or- rently planning another for about mid- Harrison’s style, including a relatively mild Great division without reeds; gans being one and the same instrument, 2008 when currents are favorable. The little changed in its 90 years of existence. area where the organ was to be placed several mixtures with each providing a different texture; a powerful Swell The Britannic’s pipework, windchests, will then be very closely investigated. division with French-inspired reeds; and a general emphasis on tonal clarity console and possibly the action are all Effectively, Britannic’s casework has over density. either fully original or have been only now completely disappeared. It is either, slightly modifi ed, overwhelmingly by as per the Cousteau hint, barnacle-en- We are honoured to have been selected by Winthrop University to carry Welte themselves. The organ’s 1920 and crusted some fathoms under the Aegean out a mechanical restoration of this exceptional instrument. At the 1937 forms are fully valid Welte confi gu- Sea, or it was destroyed, saved in an un- completion of our work in the fall of 2008, every aspect of Æolian- rations, developed out of their Grund- known location, or broken up for use in modell V–VI. In the few cases of missing other organ façades. Skinner’s Opus 1257 will have been examined, documented and or damaged pipework, replacement has conservatively restored without tonal changes. Throughout this project, it been arranged with surviving original The motor and blower is our pleasure to work in close consultation with the instrument’s curator Welte pipework or pipes carefully re- Speculation of wind-raising using constructed to the fi rm’s manufacturing Britannic’s steam power sometimes and Professor of Music Emeritus at Winthrop, Dr. David Lowry. methods and standards. arises (Internet Site 3). The availability The Seewen/Britannic organ is today of electric power, and potential evidence probably the most typical, intact and of a possibly original blower and electric ORGUES LÉTOURNEAU LIMITÉE best preserved of its size and kind. So far action argue very strongly against steam. as is currently known, there is only one In fact, steam was rarely used as motive United States Canada other Philharmonie of comparable size, power for organ blowing. Even then it 1220 L Street NW 16355 avenue Savoie Freiburg manufacture and with tonal was associated more within the period of Suite 100 – No. 200 St-Hyacinthe, Québec resources capable of doing justice to the 1812–85 than the early 20th century. Washington, DC J2T 3N1 full-sized rolls (Tunbridge Wells, see Ap- An old motor and blower has survived 20005-4018 Tel: (450) 774-2698 pendix below). The collection of rolls at with the organ. No dates are evident. Tel: (800) 625-PIPE Fax: (450) 774-3008 Seewen—nearly 1,300 of them—is well The motor is rated at 220 volts DC and Fax: (202) 737-1818 [email protected] in excess of any other existing collection was made by Meidinger of Basel. The [email protected] www.letourneauorgans.com currently known. fi rm was established in the late 19th
MARCH, 2008 27
Mar 08 pp. 24-28.indd 27 2/11/08 10:34:30 AM supports the possibility that the surviv- survivor, its basic specifi cation includes 1921 and 1928 saw the instrument en- David Rumsey: Reger und die Auffüh- ing blowing installation at Seewen could the full Philharmonie Grundmodell V–VI larged to 14 stops by Welte, with one of rungspraxis seiner Zeit—die Welte-Auf- have been that of Britannic. ■ stops, with resources that sometimes dif- their player mechanisms substituted for nahmen u.a. Regers aus der Sammlung des fer slightly from Seewen’s. Apart from that of Aeolian. It was restored in 2003 Museums für Musikautomaten Seewen (So- Appendix lothurn, Schweiz), Referat gelesen an den the Echo-division, the percussion acces- by Orgelbau Klais of Bonn. Associated Internationalen Reger-Tagen, Bruckner- sories in particular show some variance, with it is a collection of about 110 usable Univsersität, Linz, Österreich, Mittwoch Seewen and similar known e.g.,“tubular bells” in place of Seewen’s rolls recorded by Ramin, Straube, Sittard, 13. April 2005. / Reger and the Performance surviving Welte-Philharmonie “Harfe” and “Glocke” registers. The con- Mania, Lemare and Reger—a repertoire Practice of his Era—the Welte recordings, player organs sole was required, as per the contract, to surveying Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, including Reger’s own, from the collec- Full 150-note functioning Welte play- be modeled on English systems—pistons Chopin, Gluck, Händel, Haydn, Liszt, tion at the Museum für Musikautomaten, er mechanisms appear to survive in no rather than fi xed combinations, manual Mozart, Mendelssohn, Reger, Schubert Seewen (Switzerland), paper given at the more than ten organs worldwide. Details compasses reaching to 61 notes instead and Wagner. Five rolls are of popular mu- International Reger Symposium, Bruck- ner University, Linz, Austria, Wednesday are scarce, so only tentative information of 58, stop-knobs rather than rocker-tabs, sic. These appear to duplicate many rolls April 13, 2005. Published in German only can be offered as set out below. In the and the stop nomenclature is entirely in the Seewen collection, as would be ex- in Querstand II (2006/7), house journal of September 2006 issue of Mechanical English. There is no crescendo pedal. pected, bearing in mind the Welte cata- the Anton Bruckner University, Linz, Aus- Music, Durward R. Center published Even so, the general size and layout is re- logue marketing system. The Orgelbau tria. Also available in German or English at an article entitled “Welte Orchestrions / markably similar to Seewen’s. It plays rolls Klais website has details:
28 THE DIAPASON
Mar 08 pp. 24-28.indd 28 2/11/08 10:35:17 AM