It must have been 1975 or so that this great beast (or one very like it) showed up for the Fall Agricultural Fair at Lindsay, Ontario. I wasted two happy days: first listening to the huge repertory and then getting it down on audio cassette. (later lent and disappeared). Here it is again, 40 years later, and it looks good, but RUclips cannot convey the whole-body sound (it could hold its own with a 1970s Marshall stack, when it wanted to). Will anyone admit to selling a CD of this magnificent monument to corrupted endeavour?
You will have seen a different organ to this one, maybe it was a 96-keyless Ruth organ, if the sound was somewhat similar. There are at least 3 LP's if this unique organ, issued on the Chor Musik label, and at least one has been re-issued as a CD. Carl Frei only built one organ with a tracker bar as big as this one. It was built in Waldkirch, in the Black Forest region of Germany. There are several 112-keyless organs around, one with 105 keys, and a number of 90-keyless and 90-key organs. Other organs built or rebuilt by Carl Frei Sr. and Carl Frei Jr. range from 25-notes upwards. Both Father and son died several decades ago; father in 1964 and son a few years after this organ was sold. As far as I know, the 125-keyless organ has never been outside of Northwest Europe. A few people are posting videos now, some of which are rips from the previous copyrighted recordings. If you want to experience a truly big band organ sound, look out for the 110-key Gavioli concert organ at the Sanfillipo residence. I operated that organ on several occasions, after it was rebuilt to its original specification in the 1980's and 1990's. It was sold to the USA, much to the annoyance of many enthusiasts around Europe. You whole body shook with the sound of the organ, especially if you were at the keyframe. Ear defenders are essential. Those things are almost alive. The loudest of them all is arguably the ex-White Brothers 98-key Gavioli organ. which I also operated quite a few times, around central England. It was reduced in keyframe size from 112-keys, over a century ago, and was the largest organ that Gavioli ever built. It was made in Paris, and sold to White Brothers in about 1906, Even with the somewhat smaller scale it still has more pipes than almost any other travelling organ in Europe. It originally had a wooden, valveless wind supply, parts of which are still in situ, but that was replaced by a 3.5 horsepower centrifugal blower. The other contender is the 110/112-key organ [the Gavioliphone] owned by the Preston of Potto family. It is often called 'Old Thunderguts' for very good reasons. Many old organ operators went deaf in one ear, because of the percussion beating next to the keyframe. Those two organs can be heard from over a mile away, and are very much more impressive than the fine Carl Frei organ in this video. Gavioli, Marenghi and Limonaire organs which were sold new in Britain, well over a century ago, were designed to make a loud sound, to attract crowds to the local travelling fairs when they arrived at a venue. Some of them were definitely more loud than musical! Organs sold for use on the Continent were often quieter in output, with more different sound variations, because of having different key/keyless dispositions to the British market ones, as heard with this organ. One other organ with real musical presence, and superb Bass power, is the 89-key Dean organ [built by Mike Dean, in Bristol] which was bought and used in Lincolnshire, England [my home county], in the 1980's. I operated it on many occasions, and could listen to it all day. It rivals a big Gavioli or Marenghi organ in power, and can be very musical at the same time, if used in a suitable setting. Someone once made the mistake of hiring it for use at a village fete, and it was way too loud for them, being clearly audible in the next village! Not for the faint-hearted.
Im Verkehr- und Technikmuseum in Sinsheim und auch in der Zweigstelle in Speyer stehen mehrere dieser Orgeln, die man mit vorher zusammen mit den Museums-Eintrittskarten gekauften "Aktivierungsmünzen" spielen lassen kann.
@ceredigio Yes,it's a Frei arrangement, BRSG is an abbrevation of Breisgau,the district of Germany that Waldkirch is in,the drummers on most German organs work that way.
Ein Wunderwerk und das Licht meiner Kindheit.
Die schönste Orgel, die Karl Frei je gebaut hat. Danke für dieses Genie.
Love this organ!!!!!
It must have been 1975 or so that this great beast (or one very like it) showed up for the Fall Agricultural Fair at Lindsay, Ontario. I wasted two happy days: first listening to the huge repertory and then getting it down on audio cassette. (later lent and disappeared). Here it is again, 40 years later, and it looks good, but RUclips cannot convey the whole-body sound (it could hold its own with a 1970s Marshall stack, when it wanted to). Will anyone admit to selling a CD of this magnificent monument to corrupted endeavour?
You will have seen a different organ to this one, maybe it was a 96-keyless Ruth organ, if the sound was somewhat similar.
There are at least 3 LP's if this unique organ, issued on the Chor Musik label, and at least one has been re-issued as a CD. Carl Frei only built one organ with a tracker bar as big as this one. It was built in Waldkirch, in the Black Forest region of Germany. There are several 112-keyless organs around, one with 105 keys, and a number of 90-keyless and 90-key organs. Other organs built or rebuilt by Carl Frei Sr. and Carl Frei Jr. range from 25-notes upwards. Both Father and son died several decades ago; father in 1964 and son a few years after this organ was sold. As far as I know, the 125-keyless organ has never been outside of Northwest Europe. A few people are posting videos now, some of which are rips from the previous copyrighted recordings.
If you want to experience a truly big band organ sound, look out for the 110-key Gavioli concert organ at the Sanfillipo residence. I operated that organ on several occasions, after it was rebuilt to its original specification in the 1980's and 1990's. It was sold to the USA, much to the annoyance of many enthusiasts around Europe. You whole body shook with the sound of the organ, especially if you were at the keyframe. Ear defenders are essential. Those things are almost alive.
The loudest of them all is arguably the ex-White Brothers 98-key Gavioli organ. which I also operated quite a few times, around central England. It was reduced in keyframe size from 112-keys, over a century ago, and was the largest organ that Gavioli ever built. It was made in Paris, and sold to White Brothers in about 1906, Even with the somewhat smaller scale it still has more pipes than almost any other travelling organ in Europe. It originally had a wooden, valveless wind supply, parts of which are still in situ, but that was replaced by a 3.5 horsepower centrifugal blower. The other contender is the 110/112-key organ [the Gavioliphone] owned by the Preston of Potto family. It is often called 'Old Thunderguts' for very good reasons. Many old organ operators went deaf in one ear, because of the percussion beating next to the keyframe. Those two organs can be heard from over a mile away, and are very much more impressive than the fine Carl Frei organ in this video.
Gavioli, Marenghi and Limonaire organs which were sold new in Britain, well over a century ago, were designed to make a loud sound, to attract crowds to the local travelling fairs when they arrived at a venue. Some of them were definitely more loud than musical! Organs sold for use on the Continent were often quieter in output, with more different sound variations, because of having different key/keyless dispositions to the British market ones, as heard with this organ.
One other organ with real musical presence, and superb Bass power, is the 89-key Dean organ [built by Mike Dean, in Bristol] which was bought and used in Lincolnshire, England [my home county], in the 1980's. I operated it on many occasions, and could listen to it all day. It rivals a big Gavioli or Marenghi organ in power, and can be very musical at the same time, if used in a suitable setting. Someone once made the mistake of hiring it for use at a village fete, and it was way too loud for them, being clearly audible in the next village!
Not for the faint-hearted.
Hi Donald, that must be this one. its now in Switserland ruclips.net/video/DkYJfvxTxEI/видео.html
Einmalig, ich bin begeistert😀🎷🪗🎸
Ich auch klingt einfach gut 😊😊
song?
Zeer goed in orde gemaakt toen door Johnny Verbeek, die net als vader en zoon Frei ook al niet meer onder ons is!
super video! wann gibts den eine neue cd von dieser orgel und ist diese
auch einmal live zu bestaunen?
Im Verkehr- und Technikmuseum in Sinsheim und auch in der Zweigstelle in Speyer stehen mehrere dieser Orgeln, die man mit vorher zusammen mit den Museums-Eintrittskarten gekauften "Aktivierungsmünzen" spielen lassen kann.
@ceredigio Yes,it's a Frei arrangement, BRSG is an abbrevation of Breisgau,the district of Germany that Waldkirch is in,the drummers on most German organs work that way.
0:00 Lunapark March. - Carl Frei.
@ceredigio That is the German spelling,both ways are correct.