From its 66th year of publication to the year 2000, The Diapason gave the account of an astounding range of events which shaped the musical life of organists in the latter half of the twentieth century. The impact of the historic organ revival shaped events on one hand, while the technology of electronic organs seemed to dominate musical activities on the other. The September, 1975 issue of The Diapason featured a banner headline which read: "Mormons Ban Pipe Organs from New Meetinghouses." The full text of the policy document # 75-4962 of headquarters of the Church of the Latter Day Saints was quoted verbatim.
Just a year before, at the Cleveland AGO convention of 1974, Robert Glasgow presented Tournemire's Sept Chorals-Poemes pour les Sept Paroles du Xrist (Opus 67) on a large Baldwin Organ at St. Michael's Church in Cleveland, Ohio. Only a few blocks away, there stood an new instrument built by John Brombaugh of Middletown, Ohio, which was one of several revolutionary organs built in the twentieth century in the USA. (Others include the Brombaugh at Ashland Baptist, Toledo, and the Fisk organs at Mt. Calvary Baptist, Baltimore, and Harvard Memorial Chapel, Cambridge.)
This organ (which was installed a year later in Grace Episcopal Church in Ellensburg, Washington) was played by Gustav Leonhardt in a presentation of early music at Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland. The organ introduced contemporary organists to a meantone temperament, wedge bellows, decorated casework, facade pipes of nearly pure lead, folding doors, a flat pedalboard and the responsive key action and "flexible wind" of historic instruments. What an impression this organ must have made on visiting organists!
The juxtaposition of electronic organs with the influx of historically inspired organs from Europe seemed to set the stage for the last half of the twentieth century. The Diapason reported a full gamut of activity which featured both harpsichord and organ builders. One notable article was "Harpsichord Music for a Wedding," by Larry Palmer. One can see from these features the tremendous influence of early music on all phases of the organist's endeavors, as well as certain technological developments which seemed at the time to be inevitable.
A recurring theme in the years that closed the 20th century was the competitive impact of American versus European organ building. In 1971, Diapason editor Robert Schuneman recounted studies of American tariff regulations and various protectionist considerations. Then he placed at the feet of American organ builders, an "Artistic Challenge."
All of this seems to us to be a severe challenge to the American builders. We don't agree with the total indictment, but we do agree with the premise that only an artistic instrument will survive in this world. And we do agree that the American consumer product has often, but not always been short on quality. But we also feel that not everyone will agree on what an "artistic instrument" should be. When it comes to quality of work and materials, this is a little easier to define and evaluate.
Nevertheless, the indictment has been made, and we are not the first to state it publicly. We are sure that these words have been said before, and that they will be said again. American organ builders must and can answer to it. To let it be, to ignore it, is to invite its acceptance as truth. Is the poor artistic quality of the American organ the real reason for the upsurge in imported organs? We feel that the answer is part yes and part no. We would invite American organ builders to share these pages with us in responsibly answering the indictment made above.
The index to the issues that followed these benchmark events of the '70s were filled with milestones. The Diapason covered the work of the Organ Clearing House, major restorations of historical organs and celebrations of landmark organs of artistic merit. Articles written in response to the passing of E. Power Biggs and Rudolph von Beckerath seemed to crystallize the elements of the American organ revival in a uniquely positive way. George Taylor's 1977 remembrance of the von Beckerath legacy to American organ builders brought to light the work of his American students and apprentices. Throughout the pages of The Diapason, one could follow the artistic endeavors of an emerging generation of organ builders--the emphasis was on individual achievements of dedicated artisans, as well as factory production of major organ builders. The Diapason became known for its coverage of "The Art of Organ Building," to quote from the title of a 1977 article submitted by Rudolph von Beckerath.
On a personal note, I must thank Will Headlee, one of my former teachers, for donating his extensive collection of Diapason issues to Western Washington University in Bellingham--since they were duplicates in the library, the University graciously passed them on to me. I have watched visiting organ enthusiasts lose all track of time while looking over these back issues of The Diapason. This reportage of contemporary organ building and playing has now become history--and The Diapason Index is a guide that can start an interested and inquisitive reader down the path of discovery of these formative years.
One may search The Diapason Index on the Internet at www.wu-wien.ac.at/earlym-l/organs/diapason.search.html
