Crescendo Pedal Order from Diyapason Archives thru 1/22/00
Subject: Re: Crescendo pedal order?
From: <
Quilisma@socal.rr.com <mailto:Quilisma@socal.rr.com>>Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 10:28:55 -0800
Depending on how many levels you have, here's how I normally do it: Most crescendo pedals bring on ALL the 8' couplers as the first stage ... = you may or may not want that. Some folks prefer to have the crescendo WITHIN individual divisions and leave the couplers to the Full Organ button. That = also avoids having whatever you have drawn on the stop-rail suddenly couple together at the beginning of the crescendo. I prefer to have the crescendo go all the way to full organ, as it's = sometime more convenient to hit the crescendo pedal than hunt for the toe stud. softest 16' stop in Pedal softest 8' stop in Swell softest 8' stop in Choir softest 8' stop in Great here you can do one of two things, depending on how "orchestral" you want = the crescendo: next 16' stop in Pedal (if there is one) next 8' stop in Swell next 8' stop in Choir next 8' stop in Great OR Cancel celestes and tremulants softest 4' stop in Swell softest 4' stop in Choir softest 4' stop in Great and so forth, up to as loud as you want to get ... the order of stops is dictated by sound, not necessarily by division, but on most organs with an unenclosed Choir, it would be Swell-Choir-Great; with an enclosed Choir, = it might be Choir-Swell-Great. I leave the sub and super couplers off the crescendo pedal, leaving them = for the full organ button (if at all). On a small romantic organ without a lot = of upperwork, you might need them in the crescendo. You might also consider leaving the high-pitched mixtures (if you have = any) out of the crescendo. It's basically an accompanimental tool, if used very carefully and very sparingly. Cheers, Bud
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Subject: Re: Crescendo pedal order?
From: "bruce cornely" <
rohrschok8@webtv.net <mailto:rohrschok8@webtv.net>>Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 13:34:37 -0500 (EST)
I would recommend programming your Crescendo pedal soft to loud, but not including celestes. Consider what you will be using the crescendo pedal for, and how you would want this gradual build-up to work. Consider, for instance, whether you want the Swell Hautbois or other reeds to come on before a mixture or even a strident 2' principal. My preference is unison and light 4' build-up, then completing the principal chorus with a light reed, and then the mixtures. At this point the addition of the Tutti completes the build-up. It is my preference to have ONLY reeds and possibly mixtures on Tutti, making it somewhat of a ventil for reed chorus. Bear in mind, however, that there is no absolute rule that ALL of the stops on the organ need to be included on the crescendo pedal, although I've seen this throughout my career.
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Subject: re: Crescendo pedal
From: "bruce cornely" <
rohrschok8@webtv.net <mailto:rohrschok8@webtv.net>>Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 13:42:47 -0500 (EST)
Bud's mention of the couplers brought to mind that I used the crescendo pedal as a quick and easy way to couple the manuals together, since Swell to Great was first, then Choir to Great, then the manual to pedal couplers. Something like this can be very handy. I've alwys preferred to have the couplers all activated first so that the crescendo is all done on the Great. Bud is right in classifying the Crescendo pedal as an accompaniment device. It is very helpful if set up with this in mind.
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Subject: Re: Crescendo pedal order?
From: "Bob Scarborough" <
desertbob@rglobal.net <mailto:desertbob@rglobal.net>>Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 14:29:03
At 01:08 PM 1/22/2000 -0500, you wrote: > >I'm looking for "programming" the order of stops in a crescendo pedal. >Logic says to go from the quietest to the loudest in adding stops, but that >may not be common practice.<snip> Well, opinions abound, to be sure, but I've found that crescendo programming should follow a course of good ensemble building, not merely heaping stops top of each other. Eliminated from the lineup should be all c=E9lestes, solo reeds or flutes, or anything else that would spoil a good ensemble. Basically, the first step should draw pp 8' stops on each manual, the next step possibly adding its counterpart 4', then knocking off the pp 8' and adding a more robust 8', and so on, gradually increasing the dynamic of each division, while at the same time gradually adding intermanual couplers to the great, until a near-tutti is obtained at wide-open position. I prefer this, since the organist can call up the true full organ using the sforzando piston or stud. Remember to build ensembles vertically, as well as horizontally. I remember one time dealing with a M=F6ller that someone had programmed to call up the swell c=E9leste and flutes as a first step, and called up a krummhorn as the on the choir!! Special combinations and soft solo voices such as that are better left to a divisional piston, IMHO. In practice, I only think I've used the crescendo on about three different works, one coming to mind as being the Sowerby "Symphony in G". At most other times, the thing just gets in the way and causes unpredictable results should your foot inadvertantly knock the heel of the crescendo shoe, causing the first step or so to come on when you don't need or want it! Happily, many good builders equip the console with a crescendo pedal warning light, to ward off such fuax pas. Why not post a specification of the organ in question, and we can take a stab at mapping out the best crescendo pattern? Also, you need to know how many segments your crescendo pedal is equipped for; I've seen as few as 6 and as many as 40. DeserTBoB
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From: "David Scribner" <
david@blackiris.com <mailto:david@blackiris.com>>Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2000 07:03:56 -0600
At 4:42 PM -0800 1/22/00,
Quilisma@socal.rr.com <mailto:Quilisma@socal.rr.com> wrote: >[SNIP] > >Also, most of y'all are talkin' like the crescendo pedal is a device that = you >apply "classic" principles to ... ain't so! It's a service-playing and >ACCOMPANIMENTAL device, for the most part (except for Reger pieces >that call for >the rollschweller, and even there, most American crescendo pedals can't = be >partially opened and then cancelled by a piston and brought on later like = a >rollschweller). I have to agree with Bud here. Over the years I have found the only use for the crescendo pedal is to help with accompaniments especially some of those that are from the Victorian period and were originally written with an orchestral accompaniment in mind. Over the years I don't really remember ever using the Crescendo pedal in the playing of literature but do remember using it extensively for choir accompaniments. Based on that usage it should be built up from the 8' and 4' stops in each division to a fairly full organ leaving off the "Big Guns" - Mixtures and Reeds on unenclosed divisions. Those can be brought on by the Tutti. And I am also of the opinion that the 8' couplers should be brought on fairly early in the process so there isn't a "bump" when they are added. If Super Couplers are needed to help in the build up they should be added in such a was that they also don't cause a noticeable "bump" in the build-up. The Crescendo should be seamless. About a week ago Stephen Roberts, who was here to do a couple of recitals and a Masterclass, was my house guest. He was doing the Rebuke Sonata as part of his recital and one evening he was discussing the problems with registering it on American organs. The American crescendo pedal is nothing like the German rollschweller, which can be controlled by an assistant via a lever, something I had never know before that discussion. His opinion is that the American crescendo pedal is not usually a good substitute for the rollschweller. Just my $.02 worth. David---------------------------------------------------------
Shirley - In the times that I have programmed the creschendo order for the rebuild/restorations I have done I usually bring on the unison to = great/choir (depending on the instrument's size) then softest to loudest strings, = flutes, principals (not mixtures yet) then the non-unison couplers, soft reeds, mixtures (on great) and then loudest reeds. I save the non-great mixtures for the tutti along with any "party-horn" = type stops and sometimes the sub-unison couplers depending on their effect/availability. hope this helps. Rick M
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