1985 Dobson Organ - St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota

Brent Johnson talks with Jamie Bobb and John Ferguson about the Dobson Organ in Tormodsgaard-Baaken Recital Hall on the campus of St. Olaf College in Northfield Minnesota.
Organ Specification www.dobsonorgan...
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[@thomasdastillung4097]

It's hurting to say but this organ is an Amazing tool that cannot offer its true potential in such accoustic conditions.

[@seongjinlim3457]

Professor Jamie Bobb, thank you for your outstanding organ playing. I'm very grateful of your blessed talent.

[@johnferguson8993]

A lovely gentle-toned instrument and it builds up in tone wonderfully.

[@jonb351]

As a novice, I really enjoyed seeing the inner workings. I had no idea they were so complex.

[@cromorno8749]

This isn't a "handy" way invented by Dobson, this was normal in italian romantic organs like: Serassi, De Lorenzi, Bossi, ... he just copied it.

[@kevinvogt5135]

I was in college at St. Olaf when this organ was installed. Good memories! I think it would be even better in a mild well-tempered tuning.

[@josephlauriezaepfel7924]

Hi Kevin! I remember its installation, too, though I am not an organist. Fun to see this feature.

[@martinwright4125]

i've come to respect these lutheran schools---they really do turn out fine music and smart musicians, and that is difficult to accomplish on a massive scale.

[@OWOT-re5jf]

So glad praise band worship hasn't taken over a Lutheran College

[@chetmyers7041]

Antifa is sending "Praise Worship Demonstrators" to St Olaf and they are carrying tambourines, Kazoos, and dish pans.

[@thebog11]

It's not a worship instrument - it's meant for teaching.

[@phillipbaggio7915]

With regard to the organ case having lots of panels that swing open for access to the pipes, that's how my church's organ is. It is a Martin Ott 2-manual tracker organ that is housed in a free-standing case that is very compact, with the Hauptwerk (and I'm assuming the Pedal too) on the upper half in many different "towers" and the Schwellwerk in the lower half (Brustwerk) position. And it looks like there is plenty of space to put ladders around the case to access each of the panels. Also, the bracing piece that holds the case up against the wall serves as a walk-board and a toe rack for the lowest Subbass pipes (probably tubed off).

[@organisthawn09]

A wonderful and exquisite organ built by a god of the organ world. All my favourite organs I’ve ever played have been Dobson’s.

[@TheMotyl]

Thanks YT for recommending this, had fun time watching

[@kajmarcussen1]

Love it!

[@peterfennema3112]

So much shade in the comments. This is a lovely instrument that doesn't try to be all things. First time I've seen an organist pop up on the bench and pull a pipe in one of these videos - hilarious!

[@thebog11]

The acoustic seems a little dry, but the organ sounds great nonetheless. I am a bit confused - the Krummhorn pipe that was on the table had a wooden resonator, but when they go into the case and look at the Positive Division, the Krummhorn is copper. Is this rank a mix of both materials? The Swell reeds seem pretty idiosyncratic. I've never seen a manual Sordun before - only in the pedal. I have seen Schalmeis as the main 8' Swell reed before, and this one seems like a soft trumpet in pipe construction and in sound.

[@edamundson743]

Excellent!

[@bobh5087]

A lovely, gentle and warm-sounding instrument. Only wish you had spent more time demonstrating *all* the stops. And the *Pedal division was completely ignored. How disappointing.* But thanks, all the same. Very interesting. 👍

[@spikeo12]

Great video !

[@denovadiddeldorf8324]

Can't imagine Vierne or other played on this, a University teaching instrument.

[@stephenkunst7550]

I still miss the 2-2/3 12th in these organs.

[@originaltommy]

Would love to play this.

[@EduardQualls]

Are the acoustics in that room really that dead? No echo/reverberation makes it sound dead as a tiny practice-room... (Much improved audio-handling this time, though.)

[@thebog11]

Dead acoustics are actually helpful in teaching, because there's no reverb to cover up mistakes such as imperfect legato or bad touch.

[@markcooke729]

So no pedal organ then? Why ignore the division that underpins the whole instrument

[@johnferguson8993]

Hi Mark, I thought the same but maybe it wouldn't sound well on KZbin. Seems like a well thought-out instrument.

[@markcooke729]

@@johnferguson8993 It would have been interesting to have a run down of the stops at least to get some idea of the capabilities. I understand the difficulties with the organ sounding well on KZbin - the dynamics are immense! LOL It just seems such a waste to go into depth with the other departments and even pipe construction to then omit a complete division.

[@orgue3461]

Maybe they ran out of time? It's free content - consider yourself fortunate. Or go make the videos yourself...

[@stthomasmore4811]

Organists: "Welcome students of acoustics!" Acoustics: " ... ". Students of acoustics: "Uh..."

[@lidsman2221]

Back in St. Olaf.

[@karlrovey]

I really like that positif Gedeckt.

[@cromorno8749]

Remember: positif is French, Gedackt (or Gedeckt) is German, why should we mix thoos two different traditions?

[@thebog11]

@@cromorno8749 American organs will often mix English, French, and German stop names and division names.

[@louisglen1653]

I hope they have an organ for romantic music.

[@OwenLenzmeierOrganist]

The Holtkamp in the College Chapel is certainly capable of playing Romantic music. kzbin.info/www/bejne/m6uWnH6Bgtarhqc&ab_channel=IsaacDrewes

[@88clefsnj]

What is the piece that starts at about 19:20? Can anyone identify it?

[@tomanschuetz]

BWV 650 😊

[@88clefsnj]

@@tomanschuetz Thank you!

[@thebog11]

Does anyone know the last piece that is played?

[@bridgediscovery1011]

Someting by Bach

[@cromorno8749]

@@robinmorace8079 exactly

[@tedphillips2501]

A Gemshorn/celeste is NOT a string stop. American builders seem to have lost the knowledge of how to build a good string stop.

[@cromorno8749]

I agree!

[@OwenLenzmeierOrganist]

You have to remember that this was built in the 1980's, towards the end of the Organ Reform Movement. I have seen many organ builders nowadays who can build a fine string stop. Take for example the new Dobson at Saint Thomas Church in NYC, or the Schantz at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Phoenix. Both of those organs were built in the last 20 years, and they have absolutely GLORIOUS string stops.

[@thebog11]

In the American organbuilding tradition, a Gemshorn is a flute/string hybrid. www.organstops.org/g/Gemshorn.html

[@praestant8]

There are no "flat pitches" in an organ!

[@JohnBoyDeere]

Never, ever blow into a reed pipe with your mouth!!

[@jrzzrj]

Sadly..I have been told that by an organ builder...who himself blew into pipes to demo their sound....

[@JohnBoyDeere]

@@jrzzrj Moisture plays havoc on the reeds as you probably well know? I too have tooted a few reed pipes myself over the years but while no one was around, har! Great instrument too:)

[@JohnBoyDeere]

@Denuta Dardane Oops!

[@HobbyOrganist]

@@JohnBoyDeere Not to mention the dirty LEAD contacting moist lips... He also was handling a polished tin facade pipe with his bare hands instead of gloves- another no no

[@managedbyabc]

I'll give a pass to Dobson on this one as this one of their earlier instruments and the 80's were a confusing time stylistically for organ building. Dobson is definitely now one of this countries leading builders. Great teaching instrument and good for a small chapel, but an anemic sound in a very dead room and probably would be lost in a bigger room. And note to organ builders in any style and any time---16' is not a four letter word. Wink.

[@NorfolkSouthern-xt3xx]

Organ sounds fine,..but I don't like those stop levers! Never seen anything like that. I'm used to seeing drawknobs,or stop tabs!

[@karlrovey]

It's easier to hand register once you're used to it.

[@kevinvogt5135]

Such levers are found on historic Italian organs, and the famous Mooser organ at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Fribourg, Switzerland. Very easy to register by hand.

[@HobbyOrganist]

You see those types of stop levers in Europe on historic organs, thumb pistons, drawknobs and tabs are modern devices, the school wanted an organ that had a traditional historic type tracker action

[@jrzzrj]

👍 sounds ok to me....like to have it in my bedroom...lol

[@agogobell28]

I like the composition of the manuals, but they’re voiced almost too cleanly. There’s not enough jankiness in their speech for my taste, but that’s just my taste...

[@erzahler1930]

Agreed. There doesn't seem to be much crosstalk, or harmonic mixing, between the various stops. The organ must be voiced on very low wind pressures.

[@ericalbany]

A rather dead room, almost too much clarity

[@Ccyawn123]

It should be renamed the Rose Nylund organ in honor of Betty White

[@erzahler1930]

The 10 people who voted this down were just blowing hot air.

[@bryangl1]

In addition to the comments by slpropmgmt which sum up my thoughts although he is being generous - I think the instrument has an unpleasant sound - I am at a loss to understand why a modern organ is built including the limitations of earlier eras; I refer to the lack of a piston action. Yes, have a tracker action by all means (provided the mechanism is well-built), but nothing is achieved by having stops actuated by an identical mechanism, this approach presents the organist with unnecessary impediments. [I think mention was made about inadequate height for a 16' rank, but a stopped wood is totally possible]

[@HobbyOrganist]

I think it sounds fantastic, with loads of power, especially the prin chorus. As far as lack of piston action- it's an all mechanical style tracker organ with manually operated stop levers and the college who commissioned the organ specified what they wanted for this recital organ, and what they had a budget to pay for at the time. Obviously what you see is what they decided to have included and paid for, and what you don't see is what the college decided they DIDNT want. Every organ is built for the space and budget, the space is what it is.

[@tedphillips2501]

A 16' Haskell principal is possible, too.

[@orgue3461]

It has 2 stopped 16' ranks - read the spec. As for your whining about impediments, should all organs have unlimited toys just to make it easy for organists? All are products of their time, technology & budgets - there's no "universal" organ design which does everything every organist wants. Get real, man

[@bryangl1]

@@orgue3461 Every organ is unique, offering it's own range of abilities and sounds which may or may not limit the repertoire it can handle - not a criticism. My referring to "impediments" was in recreating a period instrument, to include aspects that create difficulties for the player simply because of limitations in construction technology of the period is simply ridiculous. As I said, tracker action - great; but to replicate the "stop" controls achieves nothing except an awkwardness for the organist. Modern, better-placed draw-stops can be used in conjunction with the tracker action, but allowing not only more rapid changes, but even a piston action (perhaps suitably concealed as that would clash visually) if desired. So stop trying to add to my words, making unwarranted extrapolations! I've been an organist for many years and enjoy playing very small baroque instruments as much as large concert instruments - each offers its own rewards, but to include totally unnecessary limitations such as the stop controls here . . . As to the sound, I was a bit harsh there, as the problem is simply the very dry acoustic - unavoidable.

[@thebog11]

@@bryangl1 They explain it in the video. The organ was originally meant to be a large two-manual with combination action. They decided to make it three manuals to make French literature easier. The budget was fixed, so the combination action had to be cut. They explain that an added bonus of this is that students learn more literature by serving as registrants for other students.

[@bridgediscovery1011]

Its called a krummhörn

[@SiegfriedPretsch]

What is it with Americans and pronunciation?

[@patmeaden]

Siegfried Pretsch it’s how we pronounce it

[@SiegfriedPretsch]

@@patmeaden pity

[@Mattmanutube]

Totally useless in a real world of serving the needs of a typical congregation. Nothing like an ensemble of anemic baroque reeds to inspire robust hymn singing.

[@johnsilverton639]

Sod Church Congregations. The organ culture needs to break away from Church people and their gross vulgar tastes.

[@user-sx4zj1jt6t]

@@johnsilverton639 "their gross vulgar tastes" you mean the tastes that was the source of inspiration for EVERY single important organ composer to have ever lived?

[@orgue3461]

Listen to the dialogue - it's a teaching tool

[@petermacander5039]

"NO MODERN APPLIANCES" IS A VERY POOR WAY TO TRAIN FUTURE ORGANISTS.

[@patrickmeyer2802]

It's really not. If they learn to rely on them or on a regestrant, if they get a job at a church that has neither, how the hell are they supposed to cope? It's the problem I have with most American organists I meet: they don't know how to hand register, which is a real bugger when you're trying to do anything interesting on a 2/15 organ from 1878.

[@fiskfan1999]

It's important to get a firm grasp on the fundamentals before adventuring out and incorporating bells and whistles. And I love combination actions and french sostenutos as much as everyone else.

[@leetingler619]

In this world of instant success the young have no foundational principles to rely on. An organ like this gives the firm basics to build upon. Much like recording music. If one only listens to recordings through earbuds and does not hear how the original instrument sounds they will never know if they have gotten it right. The same applies here. A proper foundation is key.

[@erzahler1930]

Watch a theatre organist play sometime. They do rely heavily on pre-registered combinations, but most of them will make various registration changes on the fly. It is fascinating to watch!