Fact check: Macys does not pay a single penny to keep the wanamaker organ maintained. The cost of maintenance is covered by donations and other trusts and the organ operates completely independently from Macys. Macys also doesn’t own the Wanamaker building, they have a lease for the grand court and the first 3 floors of the building. The rest is office space. Some good news is that the organ (and the eagle) and grand court are all protected against demolition and renovation. Any changes must go through the city council. Also the city council is in charge of deciding what to do with the space that Macys once occupied (there are rumors of apartments but there will probably be some kind of shopping). The city council and the owner of the building both recognize the importance the organ has in Philadelphia and wish to keep the organ. While there are still many uncertainties about the future I do think the future looks bright for the organ as far as access.
"y have a lease for the grand court and the first 3 floors of the building. The rest is office space. Some good news is that the organ (and the eagle) and grand court are all protected against demolition and renovation." Famous last words Ive seen violated numerous times, demolition by neglect is one, and another was when a designated landmark collegiate style Public School in NY City was allowed to deteriorate to the point where bricks and more fell on the sidewalk and the city ordered an emergency demolition. So how did a designated landmark get demolished like that? very easy!! the city, who owned the school, simply exempted themselves from the landmark law!
None of that is "good news"! I seriously doubt the organ will be allowed to play anymore if commercial spaces are going into the great hall, especially if there will be apartments involved.
Thankfully, the organ, and of course the entire building, will not be affected in any way whatsoever. As others have commented, the current tenants of the building are simply moving out. There is no financial danger to the instrument, it is privately funded. Macy’s never had anything to do with the organ. Quite the opposite in fact, over the years, they campaigned to have fewer organ performances as they affected sales! This change of tenant could potentially improve both access to and performances with the organ. This isn’t sad news, it’s likely to be very good news! Also, theater organs came into their own AFTER the silent era. The true stars of the genre emerged long after the talkies arrived. Silent film accompaniment was a very short period of theatre organ history. The rise of TV caused their demise. People no longer sought a full evening’s entertainment at the local movie palace. 5,000 seat cinemas were chopped up into multiplexes, the organs were removed etc.
@@FraserGartshore there’s also a wonderful 2 manual Wurlitzer at Wanamakers in a separate ball room that’s good fun (I’ve played it several times and it’s in perfect condition)
Interesting take, Fraser! I hope it continues to be played, but I find it hard to imagine a new tenant that would enable frequent organ recitals. Maybe I’m wrong about that. There is still some uncertainty though.
@@OrganNLoutalks (I took the time to call personally) with the building’s owners have revealed that the organ will continue to be heard after Macy’s closure, there’s even talk of continued daily performances.
Everyone needs to realize that the instrument is in better condition than it’s ever been, It’s played regularly, the media locally is already talking about what’s going to happen to the building and specifically what’s going to happen to the organ, and it’s quite safe … This is nothing new for this instrument… It’s 110 years old and there have been different tenants in that building over the years The “friends“ are well established and well organized Everything's fine … Everyone chill …
The organ was built for the Worlds Fair in St Louis in 1904. It was moved to and expanded in the Wanamaker Department Store but not for making a profit. It was intended to be a benefit to the community and a cultural contribution for the public, being played twice a day in a public concert at noon and at 5 pm.. It has been maintained by the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ and does not "belong" to Macy's as such. but is a Philadelphia treasure that should be preserved and continued.
They are still offering daily playing of the organ till the store closes.The organ is cared for by a group called friends of the Wanamaker organ. The building is a national landmark and Grand Court and organ are protected thankfully. The building is also home to a fully functioning 1929 Wurlitzer theater organ located on the 3rd floor in the Greek Hall, the original organ in the Greek Hall was an Austin pipe organ.
Wow, thanks for that info. Have been to the store and been an organist for decades but never heard about those instruments. What's the Greek Hall, what's it for?
there are 2 halls on the 3rd floor the Greek and Egyptian hall, both originally had Austin pipe organs in them. The original Wanamaker's department store has a full piano sales and showroom in the Egyptian hall, the Greek Hall was used for concerts and events. Both Austin's were removed between the 30s and 50s one was donated to a local church, the wurlitzer was added much later. Today the Egyptian Hall is home to the Dickens Christmas village and the Greek Hall was used for concerts, exhibits and movie screening but stopped when when covid started.
The Group will continue to care for the Organ, Macy's is just a tenant of the building not the owner and it's not the first time the store has changed hands.
It’s not really in danger of going away. The space is protected because it’s on the National Register of Historic Places. Private donations have pretty much kept the Wanamaker organ going. The world’s largest is the Midmer-Losch in Atlantic City and had garnered lots of interest and is used regularly. Boardwalk Hall is an amazing structure, which houses the organ.
@ Hi Titus! Thanks for your response! I’m originally from the Philadelphia area and the culture there will strongly advocate for the maintenance and continued regular use of the organ. The Curtis Institute, which teaches master classes in organ, regularly sends interns to Wanamaker’s, as well as many of the large pipe organs that are in churches clustered around the city. Thanks for your expert comments!
The Atlantic City organ is only partially playable (like 60%) compared to this organ which is mostly playable (like 98%). The organ was damaged by the 1944 hurricane and too fell to expensive restoration costs. The right stage chamber got most of the work because it houses the 64 foot Diaphone and the Grand Ophicleide. The Echo and Fanfare chambers remain a mess with smashed up pipes
"The space is protected because it’s on the National Register of Historic Places. " Sorry to say, but that is not accurate, being on that register is NOT any kind of protection, Ive seen many time this to be true when registered buildings were demolished anyway. Turns out the landmark LAW also means nothing when a building is completely neglected and becomes unsafe. NYC demolished a historic LANDMARKED Pubic School in the Bronx a few years ago, it was adorned with over 100 hand-pressed terracotta gargoyles and figures and other elements, the city let it deteriorate to the point bricks started falling on the sidewalk, then they declared it a safety hazzard and ordered an emergency demolition. So how did that happen? The city it turns out- exempted itself from the landmark law!
FYI-The Wannamaker organ is the largest "operating" organ in the world-the world's largest organ in the world is in Atlantic City in the old convention center...
You might want to revise that qualification to “fully operating” since the Atlantic City organ does work, but not every division is fully functional yet. The restoration project continues.
The organ and eagle are listed objects so they cannot be destroyed. That location has been home to different stores over time. The space will simply have a different tenant.
The survival and use of organs, whether church, civic, concert (or other), is actually down to the drive and enthusiasm of the person or people responsible and interested in it. I can think of so many examples in the UK where this has been the case; Leeds Town Hall is perhaps a very relevant example, a flourishing weekly recital following and now a new £1.8m organ is waiting to be installed, yet, look, eg, at Middlesbrough Town Hall and the organ is unplayable!
As an alum of the Curtis summer organ intensive, I was one of the lucky student who got to perform on this instrument. The organ is privately funded apart from Macy’s, and the building is on the register of historic places. Just because Macy’s closes, it doesn’t mean the organ and the grand court will close to the public. Even so I do hope I’m not one of the last organists to play the Wanamaker organ.
Organs could be financially viable, if we could have unalived an entire cohort of Silent, Greatest and Baby Boomer generations of organists and organ builders before their vanity, pride and greed had destroyed the instrument as a sustainable instrument. If acoustic piano manufacturing had done what pipe organ manufacturing did by not taking advantage of cheaper labour costs abroad, acoustic pianos would be a not much better off. If, pardon the term, sh!tty organists hadn’t spent their careers chasing adulation of other organists instead of pleasing the public, there would be a robust organ community! Look at Anna Lapwood!! She is the future of what the organ could be. All organists should emulate her and we might be able to rescue the instrument. GenX organbuilder and organist here, so trust me I’ve analyzed where the blame comes from and it’s not Virgil Fox, but rather lofty twits like E Power Biggs. Look at the lost opportunity at Notre Dame opening. The world is watching and they play a bunch of atonal modern garbage designed to impress other organists! A horrible manner with which to evangelize for the pipe organ.
I fail to see how atonal modern garbage “music” impresses even other organists, or anybody who appreciates music! Who in their right mind listens to such?
My current favorite organist is Paul Fey! So why blame us boomers for all the ills of everything possible. Do not blame us! Not much of anything that anyone is blaming the boomers for is our fault, remember this. Whatever opportunities that now exist for everyone from X to Z are there because of our actions to make them possible. Plus everypne should remember that our parents’ generation were quite happy to sacrifice us, our best and brightest to a bloody, unnecessary, and misguided war against Vietnam and its people who were fighting to run their own country. Our elder generation sent us off to be slaughtered for the sake of a meme promulgated by the military industrial complex as “the domino effect,” that that war was necessary to stop the spread of communism. One question is this: what could we have done if the Vietnam war and the other ones after it had never happened? What could we have done for ourselves and our children had we not pissed away the trillions of dollars needlessly spent? I can assure you that the boomer generation had nothing to do with this godawful waste of dollars that only served to begin generating the wealth of the wealthiest few. So with respect to the magnificent Wanamaker organ, perhaps an organization with the wherewithal to keep the organ in optimal condition and making it available to student organists, organ builders, and organ aficionados, making sure that the free daily concerts concerts continue.
@@Geoplanetjane yes, I’m sure from the comfort of a home you paid a low price for it looks as though I’m being uncharitable. Postmodernism cut its teeth with the boomers who embraced it with zeal. Nothing good in the arts ever came out of postmodernism. It said that beauty or transcendence were irrelevant in creating art and everything was relativistic. Jackson pollock comes to mind, so does the new school and messaiean, tonally painting with the organ. What utter garbage. Paul Fey is also a great organist and composer. He understands tonality and melody need to be based upon pleasing ideas
Your viewers who have never been to Philadelphia might enjoy listening to the RUclips video of the Macy's flashmob performance of the Hallelujah chorus, which took place right there in the department store!
75 year old here raised in Abington, PA now living in Honolulu. I can remember my Mom taking my sister and me to hear the John Wanamaker organ from when I was just 5 years old. Standing there holding a vanilla soft ice cream cone my Mom bought me from one floor below and then we’d come u to the main and just stand there listening.
My mother's first church job was at a Methodist church that had a former theater organ. She said that there was a lot of it that was really not suitable for church use, but it was fun to mess around with when practicing.
It seems space could be made into MULTIPLE RESTAURANT areas in former store area all in hearing range. I say multiple as it could have different types like Italian, French, Chinese, SteakHouse etc. This would tend to make it a COMMERCIAL $UC$$E$ by catering to different tasts.
Well, the department store likely pays the heating and power bill. But as a retail sales platform, the building seems to have passed its prime. What to do? What to do? But believe it or not, most Americans are indifferent to large pipe organs. Many of us are more impressed by the mechanics and machinery than the music. I'm a church going Christian and I note that churches with reasonably sized pipe organs do spent a lot of money to maintain them and even re-build them from time to time. But new churches tend to have electronic organs and mostly just for the looks. From a music view, stacked keyboards can had the same effect at a fraction of the cost.
Largest organ, Boardwalk Hall. Not fully functional yet, but well on its way and sounding better all the time. The Wanamaker was once in the same situation.
There are many options for the Wanamaker organ. The building can be made into a concert hall, a museum, and historical site, or even a restaurant featuring the organ! There are grants and trusts. The city could get the grants, etc. A go fund me page? Patreon? An enterprising company such as 8Dio or Cineamples could take advantage of the situation and make a digital record of the instrument as a VST (Virtual Studio Technology) sound file when the store is closed. VST libraries often sell to Hollywood composers and some are very expensive, but studios come up with the cash for them. A VST library could sell quite well right now, as pipe organs are a big interest in the composing community, ever since Hans Zimmer's "Interstellar" score. Some smart folks made a VST of the organ in the Royal Albert Hall in England. You could put three or four of them inside Wanamaker's instrument! Or, how about a Hauptwerk VPO (virtual pipe organ) sample for all the serious organists out there? Could make some big bucks. How about a rich patron, say from the conservative 1%? I hate to say it, but a word from Donald Trump would fix everything (not a fan, but the man has tremendous influence!). It can be said that the Wanamaker Organ is "made in the USA", so it could be tied to conservative ideals and have conservative sponsorship. Just play Lee Greenwood''s "God Bless the USA" on it. Better still, get him to sing the song to the organ accompaniment and tell Trump he can sell gold-pressed DVDs of it for $1,000 each! Trump would go nuts for it! The MAGAs will love it! Or, Elon Musk could sneeze and there'd be enough money to support the organ for a century and Elon would never notice it! And there are other mega billionaires who are flying high right now. They have the money, after all. Get them to INVEST it in the America they claim to love by saving its historical treasures. If anything screams MAGA (Make America Great Again) it is the organ that was built during America's greatest profitable period, by a man who was in the 1% of his time. Wanamaker was an industrial capitalist big time. Totally American. John Wanamaker was LOADED with cash, which is why he was able to buy such a huge instrument in the first place.
Major cities in the U.K., like Manchester, have great concert organs. NYC does not have a single one.We would be glad to have this one. It could be housed in one of the serveral large armories. But it rightfully belong to Philadelphia.The tuning of such large organs is a huge undertaking. Hopefully AI can be employed in the future.
This video is filled with speculation. Nothing has happened yet. There is no indication that we will never hear the organ again. Maybe we will hear it. Maybe it will be purchased and moved again! This is isn’t its first home. We need to wait and see what happens before we draw conclusions. Is the closing of Macy’s sad? Yes. People will lose their jobs. Instruments should be played. The public should have a free outlet for music. But to draw all these conclusions is inviting all kinds of undue worry. Let’s see what happens next.
one good thing about this organ is that most of the restoration and expensive work has been done with in the last 20 year till the present. so up keep cost should be fairly low considering the size of the instrument. this organ and Atlantic city have examples of very unique pipework and voicing.
@NJFordPops08005 - 67% of the auditorium organ. Left and right stage organs are said to be still completely disabled. So in all, of this once largest organ in the world, only half is currently playable.
The Macy's is closing but the building and organ are protected. There will probably be another be another business that buys it and then recitals will consider. I think the organ is mostly being funded my the friends of the Wanamaker organ and other donations.
@@OrganNLou With the store closing there may be a time that it will be silent but It is in the middle of downtown Philly its only a matter of time before someone else buys it and starts having recitals again.
Philadelphia city needs to turn Wanamaker’s the old Macy’s into their city offices and preserve the organ for the community to enjoy! That way they can maintain the building and the organ for the community!!!
@@GilmerJohn Concerts would be played at noon and 5:00 p.m., just as they are now. In all honesty, governmental offices in the building would be fine, obviously with the former retail space converted into offices.
Macy’s has done a lot for this organ through the years and now it’s time for people around the world to step up and do their part. Macy’s is obviously struggling with the store I don’t know if we need to go fund me or what to help them subsidize.
Organs, previously cherished and regarded with civic pride, are under threat everywhere. In the UK for instance, Bradford is 2025 'city of culture' but its Willis civic pipe organ in St George's Hall has not been playable for decades. You may think this utterly laughable. Eight miles away in Halifax, the Victoria Hall organ is under threat from .. a council that is being urged to develop an unsuitable venue into something that, physically, it is not. Leeds Town Hall organ has been away at the builders for a year or so but there are reportedly problems at the Town Hall at the present time preventing the completion of the work there. Newcastle City Hall organ is unplayable but the council seems reluctant to reinstate it. The almost complete collapse of music education in state secondary schools has been starving towns and cities of their natural musical constituency, producing a musically illiterate population. Getting this into perspective, the cost involved in reviving any one of these organs to basic playing standard (nothing else) is about the same as replacing a set of traffic lights and repainting the tarmac at a four-way road junction, including the provision of protective pedestrian and cycling signals - they can cost about £400,000 with all the bells and whistles and the roadworks needed. At least the Wanamaker organ is assured of continuance unless the building collapses or is somehow destroyed.
It’s very cool space. Been a couple of times. Very unique. It’s protected. My guess is that the building may be on the verge of a renovation and renaissance. The retail space overlooking the space can be enclosed, a kind of mall could be built. A food and restaurant venue could go in, office space surrounding the public space could go in. A university could take the space surrounding the public space. There is a lot that could happen. I think an improvement may be in the future where you can still hear the organ. If the organ moves? Maybe but I feel that it’s a draw to whatever goes in that building. Philly has a sense of its uniqueness. A random lady interviewed on the street who’s brought her kids and grandkids put it well. She said it’s a rose in the neighborhood. So there is a lot of hope that so many see the value
I wish people would not speak authoritatively about topics about which they are unaware. As others stated, Macy’s does not fund the organ. So the financial cost of maintaining the organ is completely irrelevant. Now is the private donors decide not to support it as a result of the Macys closure, that’s another matter.
Interesting comment about the largest organs not always fully operational. When Piet Kee visited the Sydney Town Hall organ, he noted that the famous 64' rank was unavailable, which made me wonder how many other instruments are similarly affected. Listening to recordings or attending recitals, we would never know in the normal course of events just how much money, time and expertise is involved in keeping the organ we listen to in good playable condition.
These large organs are getting very old which means major maintenance is needed to keep them in good shape. Wood rots, leather cracks, and metal rusts... and to refurbish 10000 pipes or more (33000+ pipes for the Atlantic City), think about much money and time it takes. Oh, and don't forget that the building itself also needs renovation as well.
Cher Titus: The "Methuen Memorial Music Hall" (built 1908/opened 1909) in Massachusetts here, houses a magnificent instrument, an E.F. Walker & Co. from year 1863.(!) I suggest Googie-ing the above for the Hall's website, as well as the Wikipedia link. Those will serve as indication as to how such an historical instrument can be conserved. THE BUILDING WAS B-U-I-L-T FOR THE OLD INSTRUMENT and is a public charge I believe, in which the city of Methuen takes great pride. It is used constantly. Is it not conceivable that the equivalent might be in the future for the Macy's instrument, IF ever having to be removed? I predict you'll LOVE seeing it in its beautiful environment and reading all about it. ALL the best to you, dear Titus !! PS E.P. Biggs recorded at leas on album there for Columbia Records. The thing has a magnificent SOUND in a great SPACE. (Four-seconds!)
This is sad, but this isn't the world's largest. You just mentioned the Boardwalk Auditorium one. Wasn't it already counted as having more pipes at least, with its 33K?
@@johansoderberg9579: Yeah, I agree, but it's also nice to know that over the years they raise more funds here and there to continue restoring it more and more.
The Midmer-Losh at Boardwalk Hall is the largest as "officially" recorded as the largest due to its number of pipes. The last count, which is not proven to be 100% accurate, was 33,112. It is operating at around 67% now. The Wanamaker has more ranks, but the Midmer-Losh has more pipes, weight, square footage, an additional manual (and separate manual console). This is not to say that it is more significant, but it is certainly bigger. It's on its way back to glory, too!
@@tethyl: Why "officially" in quotation marks? You think it's actually _not official_ despite it being generally recognized as official? Yeah, it's amazing to see an organ with SEVEN manuals, isn't it? Holy COW! And of course it's bigger, because the number of pipes outRANKS 😉 the number of ranks, anyway. The full count of similar parts means more than just whatever number of times someone decided to divide the device and label those sections.
The theater organs were not expensive to the theaters. They did not make money for the theater. They were a substitute for an orchestra to play music against a silent film STOP TALKING ABOUT THE COST OF MAINTAINING ORGANS. MACY DID NOT PAY A PENNY TOWARDS THE UPKEEP KEEP GOING - YOU ARE DOING A NICE JOB OF DISCOURIGING THE MAINTENANCE OF PIPE ORGANS.
@@j.werner The people who were rebuilding the organ over several years were funded by Friends of the Wanamaker Organ a 501C-3 non profit organization funded my donations. I made parts for them
If it is a burden, it will be delt with, no register of historic significance will stop when things come down to what is profitable or not. It happens all over, something like willfully neglecting something untill it is beyond salvage, or a convenient fire. Hopefully this doesn't happen, but it would not be surprising if it does.
"Conservation", "Arts funding" etc are concepts which vary in definition from country to country. I first heard about the Wanamaker organ in 1980s - well before the Internet or any recordings - because of its historical conection with Marcel Dupre, specifically the improvisation of what became his "Symphonie-Passion". The tendency of organ experts to ignore such historical facts at the expense of reductionist lists of stops etc is very strange in comparison with e.g. pianos where the faintest connection with Beethoven or Chopin magnifies the value of an instrument enormously. After our eternal enemy the priests, organists are often the organ's worst enemies.
The underlying problem is, who owns the Organ? I have a feeling it would be Owner of the Wanamaker Building. Also, it’s literally constructed in the architecture. It was bought and restructured for the newly constructed building we see today. So the issue would be, who will be the next owner and of the Wanamaker Building and what will their plans be? The Wanamaker Building is a repository for not only the Organ, but several other Function Rooms. The Tea Room has been completely restored and updated as if it had never been touched. The 24 chandelier’ that hang around the perimeter of the Tea Room are sterling silver. The central chandelier was an additional gift of the Wanamaker Family I believe installed in the late 1950’s early 1960’s(?). The Building is a Temple to one of Americas great pioneers. He came from a very poor family who made their money in making salmon bricks……used in constructing the interior walls of all those Father, Son, and Holy Ghost row homes in grater Philadelphia. The outer brick was a high fire brick which was made at a real brick factory. Salmon bricks were made from the muddy clay ground of Grey’s Ferry. Many families made these salmon bricks for their daily living. The Wanamaker’s lived in area of Philadelphia called Grey’s Ferry. The Wanamaker Building should become National Monument for many reasons that can’t list here without boring the reader. One most definitely is the Daniel Burnham designed it. He also designed Suffrages department store in London and the Marshall Fields Store in Chicago. JW’s only orders to Burnham was to make the outside plain and inside Palatial. The Organ front cabinetry was also designed by Daniel Burnham.
I suppose Wanamaker installed a musical organ 🎹 in his department store 🏬 in the days before Muzak & recorded music was popular to drone out incidental noises 🔇 so this instruments was superseded by technology
I'd kill for the privilege to listen to an organ concert while shopping. I hate how the world has gone from most people having an organ or piano in their home to it being hard to find someone who plays any instrument while most people have restricted their musical tastes to low quality but the organ has definitely gotten way too big. I write my pieces with a humble instrument that doesn't require electricity, more than one operator or a large space in mind since an organ that takes up as much space as a piano and has a low maintenance cost is super sustainable and substantially cheaper to maintain than what people are paying for subscription services for media they can never own and can go away at any moment while the music you write for the organ is yours, doesn't require perpetual financial transactions, it will live beyond your lifetime and you can continue to play it in the middle of nowhere.
I was proud as an organ student like 60 yrs ago played the Wnamaker Organ. I cannot believe this Grand Organ could be scrapped. I have asked President Trump to ask his donors to hekp relocate and keep this oran intact. This Organ must not be lost. Macy;s shame shame on you
@@tambrosia9316 can't blame Macy's, they were just a tenant of the building. They didn't maintain or fund the organ, all you need is another department store or business to move in and people can continue to see and hear the organ. Problem is with high taxes, rent, theft and online shipping big department store are becoming a thing of the past
Well, isn't he the foremost authority on all things pipe organ! He's "never actually been there" but wants one to believe he knows all there is to know about the Wanamaker instrument. Rubbish!😂
Macy’s leases the space (a fraction of the original John Wanamaker store) and occupies the Grand Court and first three floors. I think you’re putting the cart before the horse stating we won’t hear the organ any longer. The Grand Court, itself, is protected by a city historical commission. There are many possible creative retail options for the space that I’m sure the owners were considering before this news hit. Also, your financing model isn’t fact based - check your facts. And too big? You’ve never heard it. You’ve never been in the very grand space it occupies. You need some more information before you opine.
I have always been disappointed with the sound of the Wanamaker organ. A pipe organ uses the space and structure surrounding the pipes as a virtual soundboard. The Grand Court of the Wanamaker store has open galleries from top to bottom. These open spaces surrounding the court dampen the sound as it escapes outside of the court. I am sure it would be very impressive if it were installed in a more acoustically beneficial structure. As it is now, regardless of its size, it is not that special.
@@peporgan I suppose if they were to block off the surrounding openings with some acoustically resonant material there might be an improvement but one could never tell beforehand. The height of the grand court is similar to that of a cathedral, so there is that.
@@j.werner For the sake of Wanamaker! Have a little humor! Of course it wouldn't work.....but I still hope they can somehow put something in that building that will bring in a new audience for the instrument. It is a fantastic space and instrument. I'm so thankful it is "protected,"--if anything really can be these days!
@@ojotut Having worked on the Curator's staff, I understand the complexities of rehabilitating that building for another use. In all honesty, it's a real white elephant. Parking simply doesn't exist, and the subways aren't as safe as they used to be. Sorry to take a serious tone. I'd like to see the Organ survive, but the future will certainly be dicey.
Babe, take this video down. You are spreading misinformation. The organ is a historical landmark and it’s been confirmed the concerts will continue after Macy’s leaves the Wanamaker building.
Kinda crazy.. June 2024 I visited the USA for the first time in my life. Visited Kingda Ka, worlds largest rollercoaster, and visited the Wanamaker organ. Kingda Ka closed 4 months later and they're going to implode it next month. Now they're closing the Wanamaker organ. Maybe I shouldn't visit important places anymore 😅
The underlying problem is, who owns the Organ? I have a feeling it would be the Owner of the Wanamaker Building. Also, it’s literally constructed in the architecture. It was bought and restructured for the newly constructed building we see today. So the issue would be, who will be the next owner and of the Wanamaker Building and what will their plans be? The Wanamaker Building is a repository for not only the Organ, but several other Function Rooms. The Tea Room has been completely restored and updated as if it had never been touched. The 24 chandelier’ that hang around the perimeter of the Tea Room are sterling silver. The central chandelier was an additional gift of the Wanamaker Family I believe installed in the late 1950’s early 1960’s(?). The Building is a Temple to one of Americas great pioneers. He came from a very poor family who made their money in making salmon bricks……used in constructing the interior walls of all those Father, Son, and Holy Ghost row homes in grater Philadelphia. The outer brick was a high fire brick which was made at a real brick factory. Salmon bricks were made from the muddy clay ground of Grey’s Ferry. Many families made these salmon bricks for their daily living. The Wanamaker’s lived in area of Philadelphia called Grey’s Ferry. The Wanamaker Building should become National Monument for many reasons that can’t list here without boring the reader. One most definitely is the Daniel Burnham designed it. He also designed Suffrages department store in London and the Marshall Fields Store in Chicago. JW’s only orders to Burnham was to make the outside plain and inside Palatial. The Organ front cabinetry was also designed by Daniel Burnham. Edit: The present Own of Wanamaker Building has been an exemplary Steward. I cannot imagine what someone could do in the future that would put the building in Jeopardy. A solution will be imagined and made real. Playing my contemporary music may make it a more popular venue. Kieth Chapman always played a panashé of Works ranging from the Romantic composers to the American Song Book…the likes of Gershwin, to Rodgers & Hammerstein & Hart. Shopping and having to listen to semi church music (Bach) wasn’t a tune one could be inspired by to buy an $80.oo RL sweat shirt. 😅
Fact check: Macys does not pay a single penny to keep the wanamaker organ maintained. The cost of maintenance is covered by donations and other trusts and the organ operates completely independently from Macys. Macys also doesn’t own the Wanamaker building, they have a lease for the grand court and the first 3 floors of the building. The rest is office space. Some good news is that the organ (and the eagle) and grand court are all protected against demolition and renovation. Any changes must go through the city council. Also the city council is in charge of deciding what to do with the space that Macys once occupied (there are rumors of apartments but there will probably be some kind of shopping). The city council and the owner of the building both recognize the importance the organ has in Philadelphia and wish to keep the organ. While there are still many uncertainties about the future I do think the future looks bright for the organ as far as access.
"y have a lease for the grand court and the first 3 floors of the building. The rest is office space. Some good news is that the organ (and the eagle) and grand court are all protected against demolition and renovation."
Famous last words Ive seen violated numerous times, demolition by neglect is one, and another was when a designated landmark collegiate style Public School in NY City was allowed to deteriorate to the point where bricks and more fell on the sidewalk and the city ordered an emergency demolition. So how did a designated landmark get demolished like that? very easy!! the city, who owned the school, simply exempted themselves from the landmark law!
Don't depend on politicians !😂, if someone offer the highest price for that space , they sell out 😮, then what will happen to the organ ?😮❤
None of that is "good news"! I seriously doubt the organ will be allowed to play anymore if commercial spaces are going into the great hall, especially if there will be apartments involved.
The Wanamaker Organ's curator and assistant curator were actual employees of Macy's Parade Studio.
@@OrganNLou any apartments could be leased to organists!
Thankfully, the organ, and of course the entire building, will not be affected in any way whatsoever. As others have commented, the current tenants of the building are simply moving out. There is no financial danger to the instrument, it is privately funded. Macy’s never had anything to do with the organ. Quite the opposite in fact, over the years, they campaigned to have fewer organ performances as they affected sales! This change of tenant could potentially improve both access to and performances with the organ. This isn’t sad news, it’s likely to be very good news!
Also, theater organs came into their own AFTER the silent era. The true stars of the genre emerged long after the talkies arrived. Silent film accompaniment was a very short period of theatre organ history. The rise of TV caused their demise. People no longer sought a full evening’s entertainment at the local movie palace. 5,000 seat cinemas were chopped up into multiplexes, the organs were removed etc.
Yes it will sit and be protected (what good is that?).
@@FraserGartshore there’s also a wonderful 2 manual Wurlitzer at Wanamakers in a separate ball room that’s good fun (I’ve played it several times and it’s in perfect condition)
Interesting take, Fraser!
I hope it continues to be played, but I find it hard to imagine a new tenant that would enable frequent organ recitals. Maybe I’m wrong about that. There is still some uncertainty though.
@@OrganNLoutalks (I took the time to call personally) with the building’s owners have revealed that the organ will continue to be heard after Macy’s closure, there’s even talk of continued daily performances.
Everyone needs to realize that the instrument is in better condition than it’s ever been, It’s played regularly, the media locally is already talking about what’s going to happen to the building and specifically what’s going to happen to the organ, and it’s quite safe …
This is nothing new for this instrument… It’s 110 years old and there have been different tenants in that building over the years
The “friends“ are well established and well organized
Everything's fine … Everyone chill …
The organ was built for the Worlds Fair in St Louis in 1904. It was moved to and expanded in the Wanamaker Department Store but not for making a profit. It was intended to be a benefit to the community and a cultural contribution for the public, being played twice a day in a public concert at noon and at 5 pm.. It has been maintained by the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ and does not "belong" to Macy's as such. but is a Philadelphia treasure that should be preserved and continued.
They are still offering daily playing of the organ till the store closes.The organ is cared for by a group called friends of the Wanamaker organ. The building is a national landmark and Grand Court and organ are protected thankfully. The building is also home to a fully functioning 1929 Wurlitzer theater organ located on the 3rd floor in the Greek Hall, the original organ in the Greek Hall was an Austin pipe organ.
Organist Dylan Shaw gave me a tour and I got to play the 1929 Wurlitzer. It’s so amazing
Wow, thanks for that info. Have been to the store and been an organist for decades but never heard about those instruments. What's the Greek Hall, what's it for?
there are 2 halls on the 3rd floor the Greek and Egyptian hall, both originally had Austin pipe organs in them. The original Wanamaker's department store has a full piano sales and showroom in the Egyptian hall, the Greek Hall was used for concerts and events. Both Austin's were removed between the 30s and 50s one was donated to a local church, the wurlitzer was added much later. Today the Egyptian Hall is home to the Dickens Christmas village and the Greek Hall was used for concerts, exhibits and movie screening but stopped when when covid started.
Protection doesnt mean it will be played! If the organ sits silently for many years if will fall into disrepair.
The Group will continue to care for the Organ, Macy's is just a tenant of the building not the owner and it's not the first time the store has changed hands.
It’s not really in danger of going away. The space is protected because it’s on the National Register of Historic Places. Private donations have pretty much kept the Wanamaker organ going. The world’s largest is the Midmer-Losch in Atlantic City and had garnered lots of interest and is used regularly. Boardwalk Hall is an amazing structure, which houses the organ.
It is protected, but will the same level of audience attendance and recital frequency continue?
@ Hi Titus! Thanks for your response! I’m originally from the Philadelphia area and the culture there will strongly advocate for the maintenance and continued regular use of the organ. The Curtis Institute, which teaches master classes in organ, regularly sends interns to Wanamaker’s, as well as many of the large pipe organs that are in churches clustered around the city. Thanks for your expert comments!
The Atlantic City organ is only partially playable (like 60%) compared to this organ which is mostly playable (like 98%). The organ was damaged by the 1944 hurricane and too fell to expensive restoration costs. The right stage chamber got most of the work because it houses the 64 foot Diaphone and the Grand Ophicleide. The Echo and Fanfare chambers remain a mess with smashed up pipes
@ There is a very diligent effort to restore the rest of the instrument. Both organs are national treasures and very different in so many ways.
"The space is protected because it’s on the National Register of Historic Places. "
Sorry to say, but that is not accurate, being on that register is NOT any kind of protection, Ive seen many time this to be true when registered buildings were demolished anyway.
Turns out the landmark LAW also means nothing when a building is completely neglected and becomes unsafe. NYC demolished a historic LANDMARKED Pubic School in the Bronx a few years ago, it was adorned with over 100 hand-pressed terracotta gargoyles and figures and other elements, the city let it deteriorate to the point bricks started falling on the sidewalk, then they declared it a safety hazzard and ordered an emergency demolition.
So how did that happen?
The city it turns out- exempted itself from the landmark law!
FYI-The Wannamaker organ is the largest "operating" organ in the world-the world's largest organ in the world is in Atlantic City in the old convention center...
That has been touted as "the largest..." but at any given time there's only a percentage operational. Time takes a toll on everything and everybody.
You might want to revise that qualification to “fully operating” since the Atlantic City organ does work, but not every division is fully functional yet. The restoration project continues.
Perhaps they could turn it into a concert hall for the organ.
The organ and eagle are listed objects so they cannot be destroyed. That location has been home to different stores over time. The space will simply have a different tenant.
The survival and use of organs, whether church, civic, concert (or other), is actually down to the drive and enthusiasm of the person or people responsible and interested in it. I can think of so many examples in the UK where this has been the case; Leeds Town Hall is perhaps a very relevant example, a flourishing weekly recital following and now a new £1.8m organ is waiting to be installed, yet, look, eg, at Middlesbrough Town Hall and the organ is unplayable!
As an alum of the Curtis summer organ intensive, I was one of the lucky student who got to perform on this instrument. The organ is privately funded apart from Macy’s, and the building is on the register of historic places. Just because Macy’s closes, it doesn’t mean the organ and the grand court will close to the public. Even so I do hope I’m not one of the last organists to play the Wanamaker organ.
That Macy’s organ is a work of art , it breaks my heart 💔
All will be well !
Organs could be financially viable, if we could have unalived an entire cohort of Silent, Greatest and Baby Boomer generations of organists and organ builders before their vanity, pride and greed had destroyed the instrument as a sustainable instrument. If acoustic piano manufacturing had done what pipe organ manufacturing did by not taking advantage of cheaper labour costs abroad, acoustic pianos would be a not much better off. If, pardon the term, sh!tty organists hadn’t spent their careers chasing adulation of other organists instead of pleasing the public, there would be a robust organ community! Look at Anna Lapwood!! She is the future of what the organ could be. All organists should emulate her and we might be able to rescue the instrument. GenX organbuilder and organist here, so trust me I’ve analyzed where the blame comes from and it’s not Virgil Fox, but rather lofty twits like E Power Biggs. Look at the lost opportunity at Notre Dame opening. The world is watching and they play a bunch of atonal modern garbage designed to impress other organists! A horrible manner with which to evangelize for the pipe organ.
I fail to see how atonal modern garbage “music” impresses even other organists, or anybody who appreciates music! Who in their right mind listens to such?
My current favorite organist is Paul Fey! So why blame us boomers for all the ills of everything possible. Do not blame us! Not much of anything that anyone is blaming the boomers for is our fault, remember this. Whatever opportunities that now exist for everyone from X to Z are there because of our actions to make them possible. Plus everypne should remember that our parents’ generation were quite happy to sacrifice us, our best and brightest to a bloody, unnecessary, and misguided war against Vietnam and its people who were fighting to run their own country. Our elder generation sent us off to be slaughtered for the sake of a meme promulgated by the military industrial complex as “the domino effect,” that that war was necessary to stop the spread of communism. One question is this: what could we have done if the Vietnam war and the other ones after it had never happened? What could we have done for ourselves and our children had we not pissed away the trillions of dollars needlessly spent? I can assure you that the boomer generation had nothing to do with this godawful waste of dollars that only served to begin generating the wealth of the wealthiest few.
So with respect to the magnificent Wanamaker organ, perhaps an organization with the wherewithal to keep the organ in optimal condition and making it available to student organists, organ builders, and organ aficionados, making sure that the free daily concerts concerts continue.
@@Geoplanetjane yes, I’m sure from the comfort of a home you paid a low price for it looks as though I’m being uncharitable. Postmodernism cut its teeth with the boomers who embraced it with zeal. Nothing good in the arts ever came out of postmodernism. It said that beauty or transcendence were irrelevant in creating art and everything was relativistic. Jackson pollock comes to mind, so does the new school and messaiean, tonally painting with the organ. What utter garbage. Paul Fey is also a great organist and composer. He understands tonality and melody need to be based upon pleasing ideas
Your viewers who have never been to Philadelphia might enjoy listening to the RUclips video of the Macy's flashmob performance of the Hallelujah chorus, which took place right there in the department store!
75 year old here raised in Abington, PA now living in Honolulu. I can remember my Mom taking my sister and me to hear the John Wanamaker organ from when I was just 5 years old. Standing there holding a vanilla soft ice cream cone my Mom bought me from one floor below and then we’d come u to the main and just stand there listening.
My mother's first church job was at a Methodist church that had a former theater organ. She said that there was a lot of it that was really not suitable for church use, but it was fun to mess around with when practicing.
Many years ago I was shopping at Wanamaker’s when the daily organ recital began. Customers stopped, listened, then applauded at the end. What a loss!
It will not be a loss thankfully bc of it's historical place in the organ world !
@ I hope so!
It seems space could be
made into MULTIPLE
RESTAURANT areas in
former store area all in
hearing range.
I say multiple as it could
have different types like
Italian, French, Chinese,
SteakHouse etc. This
would tend to make it a
COMMERCIAL $UC$$E$
by catering to different
tasts.
My wife divorced me and then gave away my full-sized Allen church organ with all 7 speakers.
How sad!
I am just shocked that Macy's is closing that Philadelphia store with that amazing organ! 😔
Well, the department store likely pays the heating and power bill. But as a retail sales platform, the building seems to have passed its prime.
What to do? What to do? But believe it or not, most Americans are indifferent to large pipe organs. Many of us are more impressed by the mechanics and machinery than the music. I'm a church going Christian and I note that churches with reasonably sized pipe organs do spent a lot of money to maintain them and even re-build them from time to time. But new churches tend to have electronic organs and mostly just for the looks. From a music view, stacked keyboards can had the same effect at a fraction of the cost.
The largest organ is the Boardwalk. Functioning, the Wanamaker
Largest organ, Boardwalk Hall. Not fully functional yet, but well on its way and sounding better all the time. The Wanamaker was once in the same situation.
@@ethanlamoureux5306 The goal is 100% functional by 2030, if not sooner. See their website.
@@ethanlamoureux5306 Yes the largest pipe organ is in New Jersey not Pennsylvania. 😅
The building and the organ are safe. They're considered historical and are not going anywhere.
There are many options for the Wanamaker organ. The building can be made into a concert hall, a museum, and historical site, or even a restaurant featuring the organ! There are grants and trusts. The city could get the grants, etc. A go fund me page? Patreon?
An enterprising company such as 8Dio or Cineamples could take advantage of the situation and make a digital record of the instrument as a VST (Virtual Studio Technology) sound file when the store is closed. VST libraries often sell to Hollywood composers and some are very expensive, but studios come up with the cash for them. A VST library could sell quite well right now, as pipe organs are a big interest in the composing community, ever since Hans Zimmer's "Interstellar" score. Some smart folks made a VST of the organ in the Royal Albert Hall in England. You could put three or four of them inside Wanamaker's instrument!
Or, how about a Hauptwerk VPO (virtual pipe organ) sample for all the serious organists out there? Could make some big bucks.
How about a rich patron, say from the conservative 1%?
I hate to say it, but a word from Donald Trump would fix everything (not a fan, but the man has tremendous influence!).
It can be said that the Wanamaker Organ is "made in the USA", so it could be tied to conservative ideals and have conservative sponsorship. Just play Lee Greenwood''s "God Bless the USA" on it.
Better still, get him to sing the song to the organ accompaniment and tell Trump he can sell gold-pressed DVDs of it for $1,000 each! Trump would go nuts for it! The MAGAs will love it!
Or, Elon Musk could sneeze and there'd be enough money to support the organ for a century and Elon would never notice it!
And there are other mega billionaires who are flying high right now. They have the money, after all.
Get them to INVEST it in the America they claim to love by saving its historical treasures.
If anything screams MAGA (Make America Great Again) it is the organ that was built during America's greatest profitable period, by a man who was in the 1% of his time. Wanamaker was an industrial capitalist big time. Totally American.
John Wanamaker was LOADED with cash, which is why he was able to buy such a huge instrument in the first place.
Major cities in the U.K., like Manchester, have great concert organs. NYC does not have a single one.We would be glad to have this one. It could be housed in one of the serveral large armories. But it rightfully belong to Philadelphia.The tuning of such large organs is a huge undertaking. Hopefully AI can be employed in the future.
This video is filled with speculation. Nothing has happened yet. There is no indication that we will never hear the organ again. Maybe we will hear it. Maybe it will be purchased and moved again! This is isn’t its first home. We need to wait and see what happens before we draw conclusions. Is the closing of Macy’s sad? Yes. People will lose their jobs. Instruments should be played. The public should have a free outlet for music. But to draw all these conclusions is inviting all kinds of undue worry. Let’s see what happens next.
one good thing about this organ is that most of the restoration and expensive work has been done with in the last 20 year till the present. so up keep cost should be fairly low considering the size of the instrument. this organ and Atlantic city have examples of very unique pipework and voicing.
I thought the world's largest was the Auditorium Organ in Atlantic City.
Yes, read a comment on that above. Obviously just about half of it is playable, though.
@@johansoderberg9579 The goal is 100% by 2030.
@ 67% as of this past summer. 🙂
@NJFordPops08005 - 67% of the auditorium organ. Left and right stage organs are said to be still completely disabled. So in all, of this once largest organ in the world, only half is currently playable.
The Macy's is closing but the building and organ are protected. There will probably be another be another business that buys it and then recitals will consider. I think the organ is mostly being funded my the friends of the Wanamaker organ and other donations.
Whats the good in that if it sits silently, not being played or maintained?
@@OrganNLou With the store closing there may be a time that it will be silent but It is in the middle of downtown Philly its only a matter of time before someone else buys it and starts having recitals again.
The only trouble is finding a truck big enough to move the console and the pipes to a new location.
Does it have a 64' stop? Is there a pipe 64' long or would it be wrapped round?
@@MrBulky992 This is a question for Pep Organ ruclips.net/video/yVqgJ29hYCg/видео.html&lc=Ugx4tlqtA6CXioVEORd4AaABAg.ADEac4xep3XADEcKHmw4Yx
Philadelphia city needs to turn Wanamaker’s the old Macy’s into their city offices and preserve the organ for the community to enjoy! That way they can maintain the building and the organ for the community!!!
Of all the comments I've read, yours is the most logical. If governmental offices were moved into the building, it would be a GREAT idea!
@@j.werner -- Really? Would like like to go over your paperwork for an expensive permit during a recital?
@@GilmerJohn Concerts would be played at noon and 5:00 p.m., just as they are now. In all honesty, governmental offices in the building would be fine, obviously with the former retail space converted into offices.
@@j.werner -- Well, you have just given us in incentive to visit that city again.
I didn't listen to the whole video. I'm tired of complaining without research.
Macy’s has done a lot for this organ through the years and now it’s time for people around the world to step up and do their part. Macy’s is obviously struggling with the store I don’t know if we need to go fund me or what to help them subsidize.
You know what Macy’s biggest problem is? Politicians! Who appoint judges who allow SHOPLIFTING!
A sad reality to face, indeed. Be well in 2025.
Organs, previously cherished and regarded with civic pride, are under threat everywhere. In the UK for instance, Bradford is 2025 'city of culture' but its Willis civic pipe organ in St George's Hall has not been playable for decades. You may think this utterly laughable. Eight miles away in Halifax, the Victoria Hall organ is under threat from .. a council that is being urged to develop an unsuitable venue into something that, physically, it is not. Leeds Town Hall organ has been away at the builders for a year or so but there are reportedly problems at the Town Hall at the present time preventing the completion of the work there. Newcastle City Hall organ is unplayable but the council seems reluctant to reinstate it. The almost complete collapse of music education in state secondary schools has been starving towns and cities of their natural musical constituency, producing a musically illiterate population. Getting this into perspective, the cost involved in reviving any one of these organs to basic playing standard (nothing else) is about the same as replacing a set of traffic lights and repainting the tarmac at a four-way road junction, including the provision of protective pedestrian and cycling signals - they can cost about £400,000 with all the bells and whistles and the roadworks needed. At least the Wanamaker organ is assured of continuance unless the building collapses or is somehow destroyed.
No wonder there isn't any new video recital updated in the Wanamaker youtube channel.
Macy’s pays nothing for the presence or use of the Wanamaker organ!
The curator and assistant curator were employees of Macy's Parade Studio. So, yes, Macy's paid plenty for the Organ.
Can they not move it to a concert hall? Update, it's HUGE!!. That'd be a challenge to say the least!
It’s very cool space. Been a couple of times. Very unique. It’s protected. My guess is that the building may be on the verge of a renovation and renaissance. The retail space overlooking the space can be enclosed, a kind of mall could be built. A food and restaurant venue could go in, office space surrounding the public space could go in. A university could take the space surrounding the public space. There is a lot that could happen. I think an improvement may be in the future where you can still hear the organ. If the organ moves? Maybe but I feel that it’s a draw to whatever goes in that building. Philly has a sense of its uniqueness. A random lady interviewed on the street who’s brought her kids and grandkids put it well. She said it’s a rose in the neighborhood. So there is a lot of hope that so many see the value
You're on point with everything you wrote!
I wish people would not speak authoritatively about topics about which they are unaware. As others stated, Macy’s does not fund the organ. So the financial cost of maintaining the organ is completely irrelevant. Now is the private donors decide not to support it as a result of the Macys closure, that’s another matter.
Interesting comment about the largest organs not always fully operational. When Piet Kee visited the Sydney Town Hall organ, he noted that the famous 64' rank was unavailable, which made me wonder how many other instruments are similarly affected. Listening to recordings or attending recitals, we would never know in the normal course of events just how much money, time and expertise is involved in keeping the organ we listen to in good playable condition.
These large organs are getting very old which means major maintenance is needed to keep them in good shape. Wood rots, leather cracks, and metal rusts... and to refurbish 10000 pipes or more (33000+ pipes for the Atlantic City), think about much money and time it takes. Oh, and don't forget that the building itself also needs renovation as well.
Cher Titus:
The "Methuen Memorial Music Hall" (built 1908/opened 1909) in Massachusetts here, houses a magnificent instrument, an E.F. Walker & Co. from year 1863.(!)
I suggest Googie-ing the above for the Hall's website, as well as the Wikipedia link.
Those will serve as indication as to how such an historical instrument can be conserved.
THE BUILDING WAS B-U-I-L-T FOR THE OLD INSTRUMENT and is a public charge I believe, in which the city of Methuen takes great pride. It is used constantly.
Is it not conceivable that the equivalent might be in the future for the Macy's instrument, IF ever having to be removed?
I predict you'll LOVE seeing it in its beautiful environment and reading all about it.
ALL the best to you, dear Titus !!
PS E.P. Biggs recorded at leas on album there for Columbia Records. The thing has a magnificent SOUND in a great SPACE. (Four-seconds!)
Location is THE problem. The Wanamaker Building has no real parking.
Thank you Titus. This is another good reason/example of why to encourage sampling of all of the great organs of the world, digitally, on Hauptwerk.
It's certainly a good thought towards the preservation of sound.
@@peporganshall we sample the Sydney Town Hall? That would be a popular sample set and as you say, preserve the sound.
@@peporgan Fortunately, there are recordings of the Wanamaker organ reaching back to the late 1920s.
This is sad, but this isn't the world's largest. You just mentioned the Boardwalk Auditorium one. Wasn't it already counted as having more pipes at least, with its 33K?
But apparently not playable to more than about 50%. Very sad what happened to it recently.
@@johansoderberg9579: Yeah, I agree, but it's also nice to know that over the years they raise more funds here and there to continue restoring it more and more.
@@johansoderberg9579 It's over 60% now and increasing as restoration work continues
The Midmer-Losh at Boardwalk Hall is the largest as "officially" recorded as the largest due to its number of pipes. The last count, which is not proven to be 100% accurate, was 33,112. It is operating at around 67% now. The Wanamaker has more ranks, but the Midmer-Losh has more pipes, weight, square footage, an additional manual (and separate manual console). This is not to say that it is more significant, but it is certainly bigger. It's on its way back to glory, too!
@@tethyl: Why "officially" in quotation marks? You think it's actually _not official_ despite it being generally recognized as official? Yeah, it's amazing to see an organ with SEVEN manuals, isn't it? Holy COW! And of course it's bigger, because the number of pipes outRANKS 😉 the number of ranks, anyway. The full count of similar parts means more than just whatever number of times someone decided to divide the device and label those sections.
What about an airport or metro station? These organs should be placed in large public places.
That would be very cool!
If you said largest fully functional organ I would agree with you. However, I believe the Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Organ in Atlantic City is larger.
Boardwalk Hall is the largest in regards to pipes and manuals but wanamakers is the largest by ranks
Ohh THAT worlds largest organ. For a second there I was worried you were talking about me.
Bruh...
Tacky; very tacky.
As a university music professor once asserted: "It's not the size of the organ . . . it's the quality of the tune!"
The theater organs were not expensive to the theaters. They did not make money for the theater. They were a substitute for an orchestra to play music against a silent film
STOP TALKING ABOUT THE COST OF MAINTAINING ORGANS. MACY DID NOT PAY A PENNY TOWARDS THE UPKEEP KEEP GOING - YOU ARE DOING A NICE JOB OF DISCOURIGING THE MAINTENANCE OF PIPE ORGANS.
You are wrong. The curator and assistant curator were both employees of Macy's Parade Studio.
@@j.werner The people who were rebuilding the organ over several years were funded by Friends of the Wanamaker Organ a 501C-3 non profit organization funded my donations. I made parts for them
If it is a burden, it will be delt with, no register of historic significance will stop when things come down to what is profitable or not. It happens all over, something like willfully neglecting something untill it is beyond salvage, or a convenient fire. Hopefully this doesn't happen, but it would not be surprising if it does.
Good food for thought. I really appreciate your wise commentaries
"Conservation", "Arts funding" etc are concepts which vary in definition from country to country.
I first heard about the Wanamaker organ in 1980s - well before the Internet or any recordings - because of its historical conection with Marcel Dupre, specifically the improvisation of what became his "Symphonie-Passion". The tendency of organ experts to ignore such historical facts at the expense of reductionist lists of stops etc is very strange in comparison with e.g. pianos where the faintest connection with Beethoven or Chopin magnifies the value of an instrument enormously. After our eternal enemy the priests, organists are often the organ's worst enemies.
The underlying problem is, who owns the Organ? I have a feeling it would be Owner of the Wanamaker Building. Also, it’s literally constructed in the architecture. It was bought and restructured for the newly constructed building we see today.
So the issue would be, who will be the next owner and of the Wanamaker Building and what will their plans be? The Wanamaker Building is a repository for not only the Organ, but several other Function Rooms. The Tea Room has been completely restored and updated as if it had never been touched. The 24 chandelier’ that hang around the perimeter of the Tea Room are sterling silver. The central chandelier was an additional gift of the Wanamaker Family I believe installed in the late 1950’s early 1960’s(?). The Building is a Temple to one of Americas great pioneers. He came from a very poor family who made their money in making salmon bricks……used in constructing the interior walls of all those Father, Son, and Holy Ghost row homes in grater Philadelphia. The outer brick was a high fire brick which was made at a real brick factory. Salmon bricks were made from the muddy clay ground of Grey’s Ferry. Many families made these salmon bricks for their daily living. The Wanamaker’s lived in area of Philadelphia called Grey’s Ferry. The Wanamaker Building should become National Monument for many reasons that can’t list here without boring the reader. One most definitely is the Daniel Burnham designed it. He also designed Suffrages department store in London and the Marshall Fields Store in Chicago. JW’s only orders to Burnham was to make the outside plain and inside Palatial. The Organ front cabinetry was also designed by Daniel Burnham.
I suppose Wanamaker installed a musical organ 🎹 in his department store 🏬 in the days before Muzak & recorded music was popular to drone out incidental noises 🔇 so this instruments was superseded by technology
I'd kill for the privilege to listen to an organ concert while shopping. I hate how the world has gone from most people having an organ or piano in their home to it being hard to find someone who plays any instrument while most people have restricted their musical tastes to low quality but the organ has definitely gotten way too big.
I write my pieces with a humble instrument that doesn't require electricity, more than one operator or a large space in mind since an organ that takes up as much space as a piano and has a low maintenance cost is super sustainable and substantially cheaper to maintain than what people are paying for subscription services for media they can never own and can go away at any moment while the music you write for the organ is yours, doesn't require perpetual financial transactions, it will live beyond your lifetime and you can continue to play it in the middle of nowhere.
I imagine someone will eventually buy this building with the organ and we'll have access again. But for now, yeah, sad.
sad news indeed for opening of 2025!😨
That’s so sad!
I was proud as an organ student like 60 yrs ago played the Wnamaker Organ.
I cannot believe this Grand Organ could be scrapped.
I have asked President Trump to ask his donors to hekp relocate and keep this oran intact.
This Organ must not be lost.
Macy;s shame shame on you
You think Trump gives a rat's about pipe organs? He probably doesn't know what one is.
@@tambrosia9316 can't blame Macy's, they were just a tenant of the building. They didn't maintain or fund the organ, all you need is another department store or business to move in and people can continue to see and hear the organ. Problem is with high taxes, rent, theft and online shipping big department store are becoming a thing of the past
Once the store is closed I would worry about Vandals getting inside and damaging the organ.💔🙏
The building will not be closing. Macy’s is only one tenant in the building and does not own nor occupy the entire facility.
Well, isn't he the foremost authority on all things pipe organ! He's "never actually been there" but wants one to believe he knows all there is to know about the Wanamaker instrument. Rubbish!😂
That’s very upsetting news , that organ is priceless, the largest pipe organ in the world is in The board walk in Atlantic City
Very sad news. I hope there is a way to save it.
Macy’s leases the space (a fraction of the original John Wanamaker store) and occupies the Grand Court and first three floors. I think you’re putting the cart before the horse stating we won’t hear the organ any longer. The Grand Court, itself, is protected by a city historical commission. There are many possible creative retail options for the space that I’m sure the owners were considering before this news hit. Also, your financing model isn’t fact based - check your facts. And too big? You’ve never heard it. You’ve never been in the very grand space it occupies. You need some more information before you opine.
Just hope Walmart doesn't move in
This is a tragedy my friend
It's the second largest, not the largest
It's the largest fully functional pipe organ in the world.
I have always been disappointed with the sound of the Wanamaker organ. A pipe organ uses the space and structure surrounding the pipes as a virtual soundboard. The Grand Court of the Wanamaker store has open galleries from top to bottom. These open spaces surrounding the court dampen the sound as it escapes outside of the court. I am sure it would be very impressive if it were installed in a more acoustically beneficial structure. As it is now, regardless of its size, it is not that special.
Are there ways it could be improved in the venue?
@@peporgan I suppose if they were to block off the surrounding openings with some acoustically resonant material there might be an improvement but one could never tell beforehand. The height of the grand court is similar to that of a cathedral, so there is that.
Does this lucky fellow have the world's largest organ? Is it in "The Guiness Book of World Records" or "Ripley's Believe It or Not?"
It is recognised in Guinness
It needs an organ-transplant...
They could turn it into a Wal-Mart--that would certainly be a new audience for the organ!
Where would shoppers park? The underground parking garage charges about $25 per hour, certainly not something a Walmart shopper would pay.
@@j.werner For the sake of Wanamaker! Have a little humor! Of course it wouldn't work.....but I still hope they can somehow put something in that building that will bring in a new audience for the instrument. It is a fantastic space and instrument. I'm so thankful it is "protected,"--if anything really can be these days!
@@ojotut Having worked on the Curator's staff, I understand the complexities of rehabilitating that building for another use. In all honesty, it's a real white elephant. Parking simply doesn't exist, and the subways aren't as safe as they used to be. Sorry to take a serious tone. I'd like to see the Organ survive, but the future will certainly be dicey.
I thought ac had that honor
@@psmh4 The Wanamaker is the largest still fully functional, Boardwalk Hall is bigger but only 50-60% playable.
Well, perhaps, if the building were turned into a church, the organ would still be played.
Oh no, that's sad, wow, I wonder who will take the organ away, that's got to go in a good place, 🙀🇨🇦💝💖💞
The Vatican St. Peter's needs a large organ to fill up the huge basilica. Hope the Pope will consider buying over.
Babe, take this video down. You are spreading misinformation. The organ is a historical landmark and it’s been confirmed the concerts will continue after Macy’s leaves the Wanamaker building.
Do you have a source to confirm the continuation of concerts?
So much misinformation in this video. This guy has no idea what he is talking about
This is terrible!
There is no point in having so very many ranks of pipes in one instrument. So much duplication of tone and loudness.
ruclips.net/video/ph4zAw4U4KE/видео.htmlsi=KYEaQN6kL42_x0q1
It’s sad that you are so ill informed and otherwise so enthusiastic. You’re making statements that are not true.
Such as?
Kinda crazy.. June 2024 I visited the USA for the first time in my life. Visited Kingda Ka, worlds largest rollercoaster, and visited the Wanamaker organ. Kingda Ka closed 4 months later and they're going to implode it next month. Now they're closing the Wanamaker organ. Maybe I shouldn't visit important places anymore 😅
Well I hope that Wannamakers department 🏬 store makes a comeback.
The underlying problem is, who owns the Organ? I have a feeling it would be the Owner of the Wanamaker Building. Also, it’s literally constructed in the architecture. It was bought and restructured for the newly constructed building we see today.
So the issue would be, who will be the next owner and of the Wanamaker Building and what will their plans be? The Wanamaker Building is a repository for not only the Organ, but several other Function Rooms. The Tea Room has been completely restored and updated as if it had never been touched. The 24 chandelier’ that hang around the perimeter of the Tea Room are sterling silver. The central chandelier was an additional gift of the Wanamaker Family I believe installed in the late 1950’s early 1960’s(?). The Building is a Temple to one of Americas great pioneers. He came from a very poor family who made their money in making salmon bricks……used in constructing the interior walls of all those Father, Son, and Holy Ghost row homes in grater Philadelphia. The outer brick was a high fire brick which was made at a real brick factory. Salmon bricks were made from the muddy clay ground of Grey’s Ferry. Many families made these salmon bricks for their daily living. The Wanamaker’s lived in area of Philadelphia called Grey’s Ferry. The Wanamaker Building should become National Monument for many reasons that can’t list here without boring the reader. One most definitely is the Daniel Burnham designed it. He also designed Suffrages department store in London and the Marshall Fields Store in Chicago. JW’s only orders to Burnham was to make the outside plain and inside Palatial. The Organ front cabinetry was also designed by Daniel Burnham.
Edit:
The present Own of Wanamaker Building has been an exemplary Steward. I cannot imagine what someone could do in the future that would put the building in Jeopardy. A solution will be imagined and made real. Playing my contemporary music may make it a more popular venue. Kieth Chapman always played a panashé of Works ranging from the Romantic composers to the American Song Book…the likes of Gershwin, to Rodgers & Hammerstein & Hart.
Shopping and having to listen to semi church music (Bach) wasn’t a tune one could be inspired by to buy an $80.oo RL sweat shirt. 😅
Most importantly, the current owner of the Wanamaker building is not Macy’s.