Just as I haven't a favourite composer (they change by the day, week, or month) I couldn't possibly name one favourite orgelbauer. My short list of potential builders would include Mander, Noack, Marcussen, Aeolian-Skinner, Taylor & Boody, Rieger, Pasi, Fisk, Goulding & Wood, & cet.
(In addition to the Taylor & Boody mentioned by CHG above, there is a splendid one at St Meinrad's Archabbey. Getting to play it is reason enough in itself to go there for one of the many retreat offerings in addition to Fr Columba's chant weeks.)
That would be fun: perhaps we could arrange a time with G&W for colloquium folks to stop by, so that they won't have people knocking on their door at various times during the week.
I'd definitely be interested in this. I'm hoping to catch up with Dana Marsh at sometime, too, since he is a Hancock pupil as well and of course the Christ Church program (and the organs) is/are excellent.
In my town there is a five rank Andover tracker that is utterly intimate and extremely sensitive. You must be exact, or you will bumble around like an elephant running through trees.
...but certainly not the best one in that chapel! ;-)
Hmmmm, do you mean the Aeolian? ... or the Brombaugh? The latter is ideal for Renaissance and early Baroque music. The former is the last Aeolian built before the merger with Skinner, and it is ponderously massive with much "orchestral" variety.
Salieri: if you like it, you'd like St. Paul's Cathedral in Pittsburgh better. They are basically "twin" von Beckeraths. Nicer room, bigger organ, sanctuary doesn't look like something out of a Halloween set. I never will forget how disappointed I was after climbing all those steps and seeing the interior of the Oratory!
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