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The Organ
Although it is mentioned in the
bible, the modern organ is not the same instrument as the biblical instrument,
but an ancient kind of Panpipes.
It is the biggest instrument, and the most
complicated one in terms of sound production.
The organist plays it by beating the keyboards; yet the organ is a wind
instrument, for air passes through its many pipes thus producing sounds.
The longer the pipe - the lower the sound pitch.
Each set of pipes (tubes) is built differently, and so produces a different
kind of sound (clarinet-like
sounds, trumpet-like
sounds etc.) and is called a register. Special mechanisms assist the player
to shift registers and diversify his playing with different sorts of sounds.
The air pushed into the pipes is
now electrically generated, but in the past humans used to operate a bellows
to create the stream of air required to make the organ sounds. Organs were
commonplace mainly in large churches (cathedrals for example),
since the price of building an organ was extremely high, and it later required
regular maintenance.
Throughout history, there were
portable organs (the portative organ)
and fixed church organs (the "positive").
In the 20th century, the electric organ
was born, and became very popular in pop music.
Among the famous works for organ
- the D minor Toccata and Fugue
by Bach,
who was one of the best organists of his time,
and wrote hundreds of pieces for this instrument; the work of Handel,
with his organ concerti;
the organ sonatas by
Mendelssohn;
and the fantasia Liszt
wrote on the letters of Bach's name (translated
into the notes B-A-C-H).
There were two Kinds of
Historical Organs:
Positive Organ
Stood in front of player
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The portative Organ
Helded in player's hands
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There are modern kinds of Organs today:
Electric
Organ
Compact Electric Organ
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Composers
Bach
Handel
Mendelssohn
Liszt
History
"The well designed
organ"
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