Sydney Opera House Grand Organ Explained

The Sydney Opera House Grand Organ is the world's largest mechanical tracker-action pipe organ.[1] [2] It is located in the concert hall of Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, and was designed by Ronald Sharp, who was assisted by Mark Fisher, Myk Fairhurst and Raymond Bridge.

It is in six divisions, five manuals plus pedals, and is the largest tracker action organ ever built, with 131 speaking stops served by 200 ranks of pipes consisting of 10,244[3] pipes. It is a neo-baroque organ in style.

The contract for the construction of the organ was awarded in 1969, during the construction of the Opera House, and the organ was completed in 1979, six years after the opening of the building. Since then the electronics have been updated, including a major refit in 2002, but the musical specification is unchanged from that developed by Sharp starting in 1967.

In April 1994 the Sydney Opera House Trust awarded the contract for ongoing maintenance of the organ to Mark Fisher, one of the original staff of Ronald Sharp.[3]

In addition to its mechanical action, the organ can be played remotely by an electronic system, enabling it to be played from a remote console, or a performance or passage can be recorded by a system built into the keyboards and played back by the electronic action. This system is used by visiting organists to select the registration (the combination of stops) that they will use, enabling them to stand in different parts of the hall and hear the results. Its stops are entirely electronically operated and programmed.

Specifications

Speaking stops

I - Rückpositiv----
Prinzipal8'
Piffaro8'
Gedackt8'
Quintadena8'
Oktav4'
Nachthorn4'
Rohrflöte4'
Nasat2.2/3'
Oktav2'
Spitzflöte2'
Terz1.3/5'
Quint1.1/3'
Sifflöte1.1/3'
Oktav1'
Quint 2/3'
Oktav 1/2'
Quint 1/3'
Oktav 1/4'
Quint 1/6'
Oktav 1/8'
Sesquialtera II
Ophicleide16'
Rankett16'
Ophicleide8'
Trompete8'
Dulzian8'
Glocken1'
Tremulant
II - Hauptwerk----
Prinzipal16'
Gedackt16'
Oktav8'
Gamba8'
Querflöte8'
Holzflöte8'
Rohrflöte8'
Quint 5.1/3'
Grossnasat 5.1/3'
Oktav4'
Gamba4'
Spitzflöte4'
Grossterz 3.1/5'
Quint2.2/3'
Nasat2.2/3'
Oktav2'
Hohlflöte2'
Terz1.3/5'
PiffaroIV-VI
TerzianII
Kornett MixturVI
MixturVI
ScharffV
ZimbelIV
KornettVI
Trompete 16'
Trompete8'
Trompete4'
Glocken 2'
Tremulant
III - Oberwerk----
Holzprinzipal16'
Quintatön16'
Prinzipal8'
Salizional8'
Schwebung8'
Spillflöte8'
Oktav4'
Salizional4'
Waldflöte4'
Querflöte2'
RauschpfeifeII
TerzianII
MixturV-VII
ScharffIV
Terz ZimbelIII
Septimen KornettV
Kopftrompete16'
Trompete8'
Oboe8'
Vox Humana8'
Schalmei4'
Tremulant
IV - Brustwerk----
Gemshorn8'
Unda Maris8'
Offenflöte8'
Gedackt8'
Prinzipal4'
Quintadena4'
Nasat 2.3/3'
Flachflöte2'
Terz 1.3/5'
Quint 1.1/3'
Septime 1.1/7'
Schwiegel1'
None 8/9'
GlöckleintonII
ScharffII
Zimbel I
Musette16'
Krummhorn8'
Regal8'
Trompetenregal4'
Glocken
Glockenspiel 2/3'
Glockenspiel Reiterate
Kuckuckflöte
Tremulant
V - Kronwerk----
KornettVIII-XII
Trompete16'
Feldtrompete 8'
Vox Humana 8'
Helltrompete4'
Ophicleide16'
Ophicleide8'
Glocken2'
Tremulant
Pedal----
Prinzipal32'
Holzprinzipal16'
Oktav16'
Violonbass16'
Subbass16'
Rohrquint10.2/3'
Oktav8'
Violon8'
Gedackt8'
Grossterz 6.2/5'
Quint 5.1/3'
Oktav4'
Blockflöte4'
Terz 3.1/5'
Quint2.2/3'
Septime 2.2/7'
Nachthorn2'
Bauernflöte1'
RauschpfeifeIII
MixturV
ScharffVII
Posaune32'
Posaune16'
Fagott16'
Trompete8'
Dulzian8'
Trompete4'
Singend Kornett2'
Glocken 2+4'
Tremulant

Couplers

Drawstop couplers! Coupler !! Action
Oberwerk to Rückpositiv Electric
Rückpositiv to Hauptwerk
Oberwerk to Hauptwerk
Brustwerk to Hauptwerk
Kronwerk to Hauptwerk
Kronwerk to Rückpositiv
Brustwerk to Oberwerk Mechanical
Rückpositiv to Pedal
Hauptwerk to Pedal
Oberwerk to Pedal
Brustwerk to Pedal
Kronwerk to Pedal 4Electric
Kronwerk to Pedal
Rocking tablet couplers! Coupler !! Action
Rückpositiv to Rückpositiv 16 Electric
Rückpositiv to Rückpositiv 4
Oberwerk to Oberwerk 16
Oberwerk to Oberwerk 4
Brustwerk to Brustwerk 16
Brustwerk to Brustwerk 4
Kronwerk to Kronwerk 16
Kronwerk to Kronwerk 4
Rückpositiv to Hauptwerk 16
Rückpositiv to Hauptwerk 4
Oberwerk to Hauptwerk 16
Oberwerk to Hauptwerk 4
Kronwerk to Hauptwerk 16
Kronwerk to Hauptwerk 4
Hauptwerk and Pedal Pistons

Gallery

Additional pictures of the organ and its components.

References

  1. Web site: Sydney Opera House.
  2. Web site: Sydney Opera House: 40 fascinating facts. Telegraph.co.uk. 2016-01-17.
  3. Web site: Mark Fisher . Sydney Opera House Concert Hall Grand Organ Technical Specifications . 28 March 2020 . markfisherspecs . 2009 . Organ Historical Trust of Australia.

External links