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Taylor & Boody Opus 83

Bálint Karosi demonstrates Taylor & Boody Organbuilders Opus 83 organ at Ancilla Domini Chapel, Mother House of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, Unites States Province, Plymouth, Indiana. He narrates and demonstrates every stop on the organ, and also performs Matthias Weckmann’s Magnificat Secundi Toni.

The new organ comprises 36 stops, 52 ranks, 2,486 pipes across two manuals and pedal.

The case of the organ is modeled after 17th- and 18th-century Dutch instruments. It is constructed of white oak and stands 34 feet tall to the top of the center spire. All of the case decoration is reflective of the sanctuary, and especially ornate high altar.  

The façade contains pipes from the Hauptwerk 16′ Principal, down to low F-sharp, as well as the Oberwerk 8′ Principal. Behind it, at impost level, sit the two large windchests of the Hauptwerk division. Located above that, in the center, are the Oberwerk windchests. The Pedal is housed in a separate, two-tiered open case that stands behind the main case.

The specification provides a variety of 16- and 8-foot stops in each division, as well as complete choruses and a plethora of flutes and mutations. The Oberwerk’s high-tin 8′ Principal in façade is modeled after 18th-century examples, and its instrumental speech is the perfect foil to the Hauptwerk’s hammered lead 8′ Octave, whose dark, vocale sounds recall an earlier era. The Hauptwerk is lent gravitas by its full-compass 16′ Principal. The 8′ Holzflöte of the Oberwerk is a tapered wooden stop that sings from its position high atop the organ. 
For information: 
https://www.taylorandboody.com/ https://www.taylorandboody.com/opus_pages/opus_83/organ_photo_gallery.html

The organ is featured on the cover of the January 2024 issue of The Diapason:
https://www.thediapason.com/content/cover-feature-klais-fisk-organ-saint-peters-church-new-york-city

Dr. Bálint Karosi has been Cantor and Director of Music at Saint Peter’s Church in Midtown Manhattan since 2015. After winning the 2008 Bach Prize in Leipzig, he has been in demand as a recitalist and clinician worldwide, known for the interpretation of Bach’s music and his Baroque-style improvisations. His recording portfolio includes three albums by Hungaroton, including his original orchestral works, and thirteen albums of the complete works for organ by J. S. Bach. In August 2023, he joined the faculty of the Organ Department at the University of Michigan, where he teaches organ literature, church music and improvisation. 

For information: https://karosi.org/

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