Worlds Largest Theater Organ Plays Nutcracker: Waltz of the Flowers

Brett Vallant plays organ at Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa Arizona, world's largest theater organ

[@marknesselhaus4376]

Wonderful performance but it would have been nice if the audience could have just stopped talking and listen for a change. I have seen a video of the inner workings of this organ and it is amazing to say the least.

[@dlzott]

Agreed, they need an emcee to alert the crowd that a performance is coming. Would love to have an opportunity to get a better audio recording

[@southernguy35]

@@dlzott , see I'm not the only one who noticed that.

[@dlzott]

@southernguy35 I spoke with the artist, Brett Valliant, yesterday, we have an interview set up for Friday to discuss the performance and get his thoughts on all the comments from the video, do you have anything you would like me to ask him?

[@marknesselhaus4376]

@@dlzott No real questions but Mr. Valliant has multi-tasking down to a fine art keeping the stops under control without missing a beat.

[@southernguy35]

@@dlzott , I did look it up and without going back to the specs, that appears to be a model 260 and there were around 61-64 of them made. It has a respectable number pipes. --I'm going to assume this has "second touch." Ask him if it does and if he uses this feature. Second touch is if you press the key down a bit harder, it activates additional sound perhaps from another pipe. --Without knowing how many songs he played that day, it's subjective, but how long did it take him to prepare for each song--that is--presets, deciding what stops he wanted to use? --I'm going to have to assume that this was electronically/computer upgraded. In years past, there would be a whole room dedicated to the relay switches. These days, there's a box on the wall that does it all. I assume it's computerized as such and probably could be programed to play by its self? --What's his thoughts on rising up out of the pit on this. I know another woman who's an organist at a local church. They installed a mechanical riser rising her off the floor several feet. She did not like it. We have one of the largest classical pipe organs in the south east here in the Macon City Auditorium. It's a true pipe organ as might be used in a large church and theatre organ. It's said that before AC and before the windows were sealed, you could hear it several blocks away. But, it doesn't work. The console needs repair and our glorious idiot of a mayor sold off the blower motors which they don't make anymore. There has been talk to restore it but at a cost of a million plus, that's been put on hold. It is a very large organ. What he say is the largest and most grand pipe organ that he's played?

[@russellmckane7863]

I did, the applause was enthusiastic from about half the audience. Such a shame. The organist was terrific.

[@dlzott]

I spoke with Brett tonight. We will be doing a Q&A on Friday, I will let him know and get his thoughts on this and other comments! Stay tuned for the follow up video!

[@worrywart1311]

He should play in a funeral home, the audience would be quieter.

[@southernguy35]

I knew a woman who played church organ and before the service they would naturally talk. Service hadn't started but still yet, it was more of coming to church to catch up on the local gossip and who was two-timing whom. One Sunday, she decided to slowly raise the volume until it was fairly loud. Then she just STOPPED the music. For about 20-30 seconds the people continued their now loud conversation before realizing they'd been had.

[@dlzott]

I have an interview with him tomorrow, I will ask him about other venues he has played and where his favorite place and what type of crowd he enjoys the most.

[@dlzott]

@southernguy35 😆 that is one of my favorite moves for a chatty crowd at a wedding. If I'm trying to gain their attention it's a great technique then I drop some Emcee skills on them "whose ready to celebrate tonight" and do some call and respond

[@jameslapham4326]

I'd love to have heard this without the background din of the diners. Great sound anyway!

[@dlzott]

Check out my interview with Brett posted today!

[@dlzott]

Interview with Brett is done editing and uploading now!

[@russellmckane7863]

I'd be interested in what he has to say. I'll bet he's a gracious person.

[@dlzott]

Do you have any questions you would like me ask him?

[@drrocketman7794]

Ah, yes, Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa, Arizona

[@dlzott]

Awesome place, have you been?

[@drrocketman7794]

@dlzott Yes! One of my favorite places in Phoenix

[@helenhebert7127]

Would like to have seen one of his practice sessions without a rude audience instead

[@dlzott]

I don't blame the audience, there was no direction given but I do understand the sentiment

[@dlzott]

If you watch to the end they give an awesome round of applause!!

[@southernguy35]

@@dlzott , I blame the audience. They obviously don't time this. If they'd do it once an hour and stop service before the performance, you'd have a difference. People want the experience but then they don't experience it.

[@southernguy35]

It would be nice if people could just shut up and listen to it.

[@dlzott]

Saturday before Christmas and everyone has to catch up and chit chat, I guess some family's have alot to talk about😆

[@dlzott]

Did you watch to the end, the audience gave an awesome round of applause!

[@southernguy35]

@@dlzott , I did not. The sound of glasses clinking and all the chatter was like at some rowdy cocktail bar. I could not torture myself to continue to try to pick out the music from that. It was a nice thought but they either need to change how they're using it or consign it to the corner as a novelty. Either that or he could open all the stops, open the shutters and blast them with real sound. I tried to enjoy the video but about the time I could focus on what I was seeing, you switched to something else. According to what source you see, this is the world's second largest theatre pipe organ. There are competitions for the largest usually being the most pipes. It is possible this was the largest at one time. If you watch Wanamaker organ in the department store, the noise is more like a concert crowd. But, it depends on where they had the mics.

[@dlzott]

@southernguy35 I wish I had more time to mic the joint and do a proper video but I'm just here on vacation. The competition for largest theater organ is vague at best. Could they mean largest by volume of air, or number of keys, I'm not sure. I am doing an interview with Brett on Friday I will ask him about this portion of the record and if he has played on any of the other organs that are known to be in the running

[@southernguy35]

@@dlzott, it's not like it once was but the title for biggest, best, etc. is subjective. I think there was a longstanding battle between a church or two (maybe it was LA and one in Switzerland) over the largest church organ. One would get the bragging rights only lo have the other add a few more pipes to take the title back. The pipe organ was the largest and most complex machine that man ever built up until the 19th century or so it's said. As you know with a pipe organ, you just don't hear it, you feel it. Little computer speakers don't do these instruments justice and some of the sounds are a low enough pitch that you are going to hear it and feel it. You may ask him what his favorite organs were to play and there will be a few that comes to mind. That is a fair sized organ. In the 1920s, it was a matter of civic pride to have such a large beast available. The largest organ in the world is in Atlantic City and is being restored last I heard. It was in the decline already and when someone was putting in vents for AC, they cut the mass of wires silencing it for many years. That organ is a fascinating piece of history. There was a congressman or senator who found this to be his baby. The contract was so written that he could expand it. Couple that with it's the great depression, tax revenues aren't coming in so the city didn't really pay in a timely manner (if at all) and that organ company was bankrupted by building that organ. The computerization is what's really amazing for these things with a box the size of a large circuit breaker being able to control the whole thing. You might want to ask him if he's had any of his performances recorded by the software that controls the organ. It's basically a CD/DVD and could be the tempo and everything else that the performer did, pushed or used. In such a case, the computer operates the organ but the keys do not move. One of the first things you might toss at this guy is a name: Virgil Thomson. He's long dead but I recall when the CSO had commissioned a pipe organ. I do believe that he played in that first concert and it was Camille Saint-Saëns little piece that was chosen. At that time, you could write the CSO and send them mayba a dollar and they would send you the program with the specs of the organ. At the time, I was in college and my teacher was the premier piano/organ instructor around. He played organ at his church and it's said he had two Baldwin grand pianos put together at at his mansion in a near by town. Mansion might be the wrong word but when it's granite, large rooms with 12 to 16 foot ceilings with basement and three stories about it, that's a mansion to me. I sent off for this program and the specs. He spent half the piano lesson going over the stops like it was some juicy porn centerfold. Sometimes lighthearted questions lead to more serious conversation in such a situation. In my opinion, if you're going to go out and spend tons of money on a stereo system including a couple of grand on an amp and much more on speakers, bring your own music: PIPE ORGAN MUSIC. I've found that they have that special room and it sounds great with movies and then they'll play rap music. Nothing against rap but I don't listen to it. I listen to rock and classical. The point is that you should listen to how well it can reproduce what you're going to be playing and not what they want you to hear with the boom, boom, boom. The point of telling you this is going to make an organist laugh and you may get some info you can use. In my opinion, pipe organ music is the hardest thing you can play for a speaker as far as stressing it out and clipping it to the point of no return. If it can play the deep and high sounds, it's a winner. If the salesman runs off and refuses to play it, you now know why. I don't know how much you know about organs or pipe organs but they probably reached their zenith with the great depression. It takes a skilled musician to pull of a piece on a particular organ to it's best sound quality because you have to know the piece, the abilities of the organ and match it to whether or not the organist can pull it off. I don't know if you want to touch on Camaron Carpenter, but he's basically the Liberace of the organ world. He does some good work but is well, rather flashy. Some other things I might touch base on would be songs that just are begging to be put to the test at a theatre organ. "The Addams Family" theme song to me is one that is simply begging to be arranged for a threatre organ. See if he agrees.

[@alanash5870]

How many pipes are there with this organ?

[@dlzott]

Their website says 6,000

[@marknesselhaus4376]

@@dlzott Plus the many drums, bells and other sound making devices way up high and out of sight 🙂

[@dlzott]

@marknesselhaus4376 1000+ keys and switches. Pretty neat idea and you can get a pizza too!

[@johndododoe1411]

Too many amusement park distractions around this and doesn't even look like there's a theater anymore (if ever) . Did someone build this place just to set a pointless record?

[@dlzott]

I'm not sure. Yes all those "amusement park distractions" are actually instruments and lights under the control of the musician so they are not just distractions but part of the show.

[@Gardens_of_Vanha_Talo_Soumi]

disruptive crowd ruined this spectacular organ recital

[@dlzott]

Should that have been the title of the video instead?

[@dlzott]

I'm doing an interview with Brett on Friday, any questions you have for him?

[@Gardens_of_Vanha_Talo_Soumi]

Just tell him, thanks! Namely for the persistence to carry on despite all the disruption - maybe he should squawk out some horrendous sounds to get their attention. @@dlzott

[@mikeguthrie5432]

Crappy sound! Too much noise from the audience.

[@dlzott]

Be sure to go to a show live! I did an interview with Brett yesterday and will upload it tonight. He has some insights about when is best to visit organ stop

[@lindapindabelinda3570]

World’s rudest audience. Have they never been to a performance before?

[@dlzott]

The price of admission at this venue is pizza and beer, I have performed at many such places, obv I'm not as talented as Brett but I feel his pain on this one!

[@thealchemist9025]

Terrible audio don’t waste your time.

[@dlzott]

Go see the show next time in phoenix

[@southernguy35]

@@dlzott , I'd rather not. We have the problem of so many people invading our country that I don't think it'd be safe.

[@brucebauer8133]

This video should be removed for copyright violation! It was obviously filmed without permission at Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa, Arizona. Of course the audience is noisy, they're eating dinner. Official videos from this establishment are available for purchase at the gift shop.

[@dlzott]

😮

[@dlzott]

Are you a representative of this organization?

[@TheNaturalust]

Yeah all we need is more copyright police and people with too much time and bees in their bonnet to remind us of this! Jeezus!

[@dlzott]

To be fair to Bruce Organ stop pizza should be getting the ad revenue from this video. Unfortunately I do not have enough watch time or subscribers to monetize anything so as it stands youtube is currently collecting ad revenue for this video (I think, BTW did you get hit with an ad for this?) Currently I'm getting 22,000 views a year on my collection of videos and not seeing one dime. When I started this channel I used to get small amounts monthly, like $100, but youtube took that away from me in 2018 and has been keeping it for themselves because of the reasons listed above

[@southernguy35]

@@dlzott , more and more people are running ad blockers on youtube which is a dying platform to start with. When YT came out with No, no, no adblockers, they really shot themselves in the foot. They're notorious for being of a one-direction platform and all YT company cars can only turn left.