Marilyn Mason led the University of Michigan’s Historic Tour 46 of Italy and Austria from May 8–21, 2002. The cuisine was especially noteworthy and the weather was perfect. We often said privately among ourselves, “pinch me,” just to see if we were awake or dreaming!
Now, to the organs we saw and heard. For the record, someone did keep track of them: approximately 33 instruments which we heard and played. I am a minister, and love music, but because of the numbers involved I personally lost count after about the fourth day. Nonetheless, several instruments stand out in my mind.
The first organ I would mention was indeed the very first we visited at the church of Santa Maria del Amore Divino, just south of Rome. We took the famous Appian Way to get there. This is a modern church, one of the most interesting I have seen, with an organ built by Karl Schuke of Germany. The organist was Prof. Concezio Panone. He, along with the members of our group, demonstrated the Schuke’s remarkable sound and versatility. It seemed as if the player could especially control the releases and have it not just left to chance. It was truly a wonderful instrument. Prof. Panone met us the next day in Rome and presented each of us with one of his published pieces of music, which I’m sure we will always cherish as well as our memories of him.
The second instrument I would like to mention was located in Pistoia, located just outside Firenze. It was an original 1793 Tronci instrument in the Cathedral of Pistoia where Maestro Umberto Pineschi is the organist. The maestro himself demonstrated the organ for us. The purity of the registers was a great delight. Maestro Pineschi demonstrated the charming nightingale stop, and the organ also has a drum stop which, as he explained, was common among Italian organs of that time. For example, there was a similar organ in his music conservatory in Prato (how marvelous!) which after he finished his playing refused to stop drumming! Used artistically the drum sound adds a very special effect to many compositions.
The original pipes of this historic Tronci organ gleamed but as he explained were never polished just dusted, perhaps indicating the quality of the metal, which was also, of course, reflected in the beauty and purity of the sound.
Kundl, Austria, was the location of the last instrument I would like to mention. The small village church there is home to a modern 21-stop Rieger organ. Its splendid tone was captivating and alluring. Was it the setting that made it so? Was it the acoustical properties of the church that made it so? Or would those same qualities be present anywhere? Of course, we dreamed of it being in our very own church.
The positive news gained from this tour is that good organs and good organ building are alive and well in this world. Each organ we heard was a delight.
—Rev. Ronald Williams (ret.)
(Tour Chaplain)
San Diego, California
Additional information on the organs visited on the tour is provided by Te-Min Ong, who is a postgraduate computer engineering student at Nanyang Technological University and an organist in Singapore.
May 9: visited the 3-manual Schuke in Santuario della Madonna del Divino Amore and met the organist Concezio Panone. Church of the Friezens: a 1-manual, 12-stop organ.
May 10: St. John Lateran has four organs: 1598, 2-manual, Italian stoplist, over main door; 3-manual 19th-century in “Cavaillé-Coll” style with Barker Lever, in a side balcony; we did not see or play at the opposite balcony—reportedly a 3-manual; Italian 1-manual on the ground floor, we did not play. Chiesa dei SS. Biagio e Carlo ai Catinari, Rieger Opus 600, 1897, 25 stops. Church of Santa Barbara dei Librari, 1-manual and pedal, Italian, 8 stops.
III Hinterwerk (under expression)
16’ Lieblich Gedackt
8’ Geigenprincipal
8’ Salicional
8’ Flauto amabile
8’ Unda maris
4’ Fugara
4’ Zartflöte (cylindrical)
22⁄3’ Nassat (conical)
2’ Flautino (conical)
22⁄3’ Harmonia aetherea III
16’ Cor anglais
8’ Trompete
8’ Oboe
4’ Clarine
Tremolo
Pedale
16’ Principal
16’ Subbass
16’ Violonbass
102⁄3’ Quinte
8’ Octavebass
8’ Bassflöte
8’ Violoncello
4’ Choralbass
22⁄3’ Hintersatz IV
16’ Posaune
8’ Trompete
Church of the Friezen
Anonymous builder, 18th century
Manual
Vigesima Sesta
Tromba
Vigesima Seconda
Cornetto
Decima Nona
Traversiere
Decima Quinta
Flauto
Ottava
Principale
Accessory
Tira Tutti
St. John Lateran
Alari 1747, Lower Manual, 54 keys
Principale di 8’
Ottava VIII 4’
Flauto in Ottava
Flauto in Quinta
Flauto in Quintadecima
Cornetto Soprani
Quintadecima
Decimanona
Vigesimaseconda
Vigesimasesta
Vigesimanona
Trombone Bassi
Divided between c' and c#''
