leaderboard1 -

Ruffatti organ, Notre Dame Seminary, New Orleans

October 17, 2022
Ruffatti organ, Notre Dame Seminary, New Orleans
Ruffatti organ, Notre Dame Seminary, New Orleans

Fratelli Ruffatti has built a new organ for Notre Dame Seminary, New Orleans, Louisiana: two manuals and pedal; 50 speaking stops (including preparations and wired stops); 34 pipe ranks; 1,970 pipes and 12 real bells.

In spite of its relatively moderate size, it is designed to be more flexible than many of its three-manual counterparts. This is made possible primarily by the careful choice of stops and console controls.  A notable feature is the division of the Grand-Orgue into two sections, unenclosed and enclosed. The first contains the principal chorus, based on a 16′ Principal, while the latter includes flutes, a Gemshorn with its Celeste, and a rather powerful reed.  Each section of the Grand-Orgue is equipped with its own set of sub and super couplers and a Unison Off.

The console controls include a Grand-Orgue Enclosed to Expressif Transfer, which can separate the two Grand-Orgue sections in a single motion, canceling the stops drawn on the first manual and transferring them to the second. A further step toward the separation of the two Grand-Orgue sections is their separate set of couplers (at 8′ and 4′) to the Pedal. 

The casework was stipulated to be of classical design, with the largest pipes in the façade. The case is divided into five bays, with the central bay capped by an arch, thus recalling the big central arch dividing the loft from the chapel. The side bays closest to the center have counter arches, which bring more emphasis to the central bay, while the bays to their sides are a natural conclusion to the organ case containing the smaller façade pipes.

Builder’s website: ruffatti.com 
Seminary website: nds.edu 
Cover photo by Steven Blackmon 
Detail photos by Fratelli Ruffatti

The organ is featured on the cover of the October issue of The Diapason
https://www.thediapason.com/content/cover-feature-ruffatti-notre-dame-seminary-new-orleans

Also see a video chronicle of the installation of the organ: 
https://www.thediapason.com/videos/ruffatti-organ-notre-dame-seminary-new-orleans

 

Other organ builder news:

Milnar in Loudon, Tennessee

Schoenstein Opus 179

Rathke Opus 12