Organ-stops and Their Artistic Registration

ORGAN - STOPS AND THEIR ARTISTIC REGISTRATION. NAMES, FORMS, CONSTRUCTION, TONALITIES, AND OFFICES IN SCIENTIFIC COMBINATION by GEORGE ASHDOWN UDSLEY. Originally published in 1921. FOREWORD: An attempt has been made in the present work to furnish the organist, and especially the organ student, with a work of ready ref erence respecting the numerous Stops which have been and now are introduced in the Organ giving, so far as is practicable in a necessarily brief and condensed form, their various names in dif ferent languages, peculiarities of formation, tonal characteristics, and value and office in scientific and artistic combination and artistic registration. It is hoped that the work will be accepted as a text-book in Organ Schools and Conservatories of Music, leading toward, and lending help to, a branch of study of the greatest value and impor tance to the organ student but one which, in too many quarters, has been seriously neglected. That a thorough knowledge of the tonal forces of the Organ and their varied powers in scientific and artistic combination and registration, for the production of special and expressive qualities of both compound, unimitative organ, and imitative orchestral tones, is essential to the accomplished organist, admits of no question. Accordingly, it is highly desirable that the student should leave the organ school with, at least, a foundation laid for that thorough knowledge. It is with the earnest desire to contribute effectively to the laying of that foundation that the present work is placed at the command of both teachers and pupils. In another direction, and one of great importance at the present time, this work, if properly understood, will prove of considerable value namely, in giving reliable advice and assistance in the prepa ration of stop appointments and apportionments for new Organs. It will lead away, if read aright, from the present systemless, in sufficient, and largely retrograde prevailing method of stop appoint ment, toward a logical, scientific, and definite artistic system, in FOREWORD which compound tone production in all its desirable Conns can be carried out in accordance with the natural laws of sound. Care has been taken to render correctly all stop-names in the different languages in which they originated and are employed to-day reference to which will prevent the use of the incorrect names, either wrongly spelt or improperly compounded of words in different languages, which are so commonly found on English and American organ-builders draw-stop knobs or tablets. With such a Glossary as is provided in the present work, there need be no mis takes made or incorrect renderings of stop-names perpetrated in new organ consoles, Certain stop-names introduced by organ-builders have been omitted from the Glossary on account of their absurd or meaning less character. These are names which have no relation to anything connected with either the formation or tonality of the pipes forming the stops. All such meaningless names should be condemned by every organist and lover of the Monarch of all Instruments. GEORGE ASHDOWN UDSLEY, BLOOMFIKLD, NEW JERSEY, JANUARY, 1921.