Registration (organ)

Definitions

The organ, the registration answers two complementary definitions.

Generally the registration indicates the whole of the plays which the organist according to the piece chooses that he wants to interpret. It actuates for that the ties of register which generally appear as sliding levers placed on both sides keyboards. Traditionally, in the parts of organ written by the French type-setters of the period baroque, registration is specified for each part.

One also understands by registration art to choose and mix the plays (or registers). Indeed, the characteristic of the organ being to offer a large variety of different stamps (plays) and a considerable number of combinations, in the absence of indications of registration on the partition, or in the case of an improvisation, the organist chooses his registration according to several criteria which concern its art: the tradition, possibilities of the organ, character, style and the time of work, and especially good taste. Certain mixtures are happy and natural, others are less and are unpleasant to it to the ear. They thus should be known all and to control well, which justifies that registration is regarded as Article.

Registration in the French traditional organ

The type-setters of the great century of the Orgue French had little by little defined, by convention, a coding of the registration of the majority of their written parts directly condensed in their titles. So that the registration and even the manner of placing the hands on the keyboards resulted simply with the reading of the title from the part. Here the whole of this code:

Subdivision of the keyboard: to coincide with tessitures of the voices, the keyboard was subdivided in corresponding zones. First octave corresponded to low, second octave with size (what we call today baritone or tenor-low), the remainder of the keyboard called above is subdivided in first top (corresponding to the viola) and second top (corresponding to the soprano). These subdivisions are obviously elastic and overflow the ones on the others according to the needs. Nevertheless, in the French organ, division between low and above is fixed at third C, because it is the note from which the Cornet begins.

Low: indicates a part which uses a play of solo played the left hand and low, accompanied with the right hand by funds. Presents itself in Low form the “of…” (examples: Low of Trumpet, Low of Cromorne). Among the registers of the organ, it happens that certain plays bear a similar name; it is generally about half registers which speak only on the lower half of the keyboard (until the si2) and one finds the Bass viol thus, Basse of Flute, Basse of Bombards, etc Voir Demi register…
Taille: indicates a part which uses a play of played solo with the left hand and the size, accompanied with the right hand by funds. Presents in the form “… in the Face” (examples: Cromorne Cuts of it , Tierce Cuts , Trompette of it Cuts of it).
Above: indicates a part which uses a play of played solo with the right hand and on the top (indifferently viola or soprano), accompanied with the left hand by funds. Presents itself in the form “Above of…” (examples: Above of Horn, Above of Trumpet, Above of Cromorne). Among the registers of the organ, it happens that certain plays bear a similar name; it is generally about half registers which speak only on the higher half of the keyboard (starting from the ut3) and one finds thus Tops of Bombards, Dessus Flute, Dessus of Third, etc Voir Demi register…

Tierce: generally indicates the complete little game of third, namely Bourdon, Prestant, Doublette, Nasard and Tierce.

Third in the face: indicates a part which uses the play of third played in solo with the left hand and the size, accompanied with the right hand by funds (generally bumblebee 8 and flute 4).

Two Tops: indicates a registration requiring, in theory, a Orgue to three keyboard S. the accompaniment is done either with the left hand, or with the pedal, on the funds, and the soli are carried out alternatively (right hand alone) or simultaneously (two hands) out of two tops of separated keyboards, each one having a different registration, preferably contrasted for making well hear the various voices. In the French music the two tops are generally made hear only in the trio. In the Spanish music of organ, they can be treated in quartet.
Big games: is also said in the singular, the Big game , and indicates the most powerful mixture of the traditional organ traditionally made up of the battery of sheers (Bombarde, Trompette, Clairon), Prestant, Doublette, third play of or horn (or both). He is always played keyboard of Grand Organ.
Little game: indicates the reduced version of the Big game, made up with Positive by the Cromorne, one prestant and if necessary a little game of third. It can be also played Grand Organ, the trumpet replacing Cromorne. These combinations also depend on the power of the organ. In theory, if the Big game speaks into 16+8+4, it is implicit to have a Little game into 8+4, but if the Big game is one 8+4, the Small one will be based on a sheer of 8.
Dialog: part making alternate the little game and the big game.
Account: Part making sing a melody on a play soloist, generally while being based on a topic of choral, decorated and varied.
Running away: Canon with the fifth and the octave being able to go up to five votes. Is generally played on the thirds (big game and little game of thirds) with pedal of flutes (16+8) and sometimes on the sheers.
Full Play: Only case, in the French classical music, where one sees developing a true treatment of the harmony without counterpoint and sometimes even without melody. The full plays are generally modulations made up from four to eight parts, constant some times by a cantus firmus exposed to the pedal on the trumpet. The small Full Play is played on the Positive one and the Great Full Play on the Large Organ. In both cases, it is always consisted the whole of the Principaux and the mixture S.
cantus firmus : récitatif of a topic or a melody in values longuesJean Titelouze gives the following definition of it: “ Cantus firmus, monk or layman, vocal or instrumental, can be literal, stopped, dissimulated, migrating, decorated, modulating, deformed, shortened, associated with the process of the parody; it can generate imitations and variations, to be treated out of gun. ” In practice it acts of the topic generally exposed in value long and to low. Although there are other alternatives, it is that one which one meets more.

The mixture of the plays according to Jacques Boyvin

Published in 1690

Registration of the Full Play

For the Full Play, in the full organ where there is a Positif, one draws the keyboards together, and one puts at the Positif the Watch which is or eight feet, or four feet. If it is of four feet, it is used as Prestant; if it is of eight feet, is needed that there is a separated Prestant, one puts at it with the Bourdon, the Doublette, the Supply and the Cymbal. At the Large body one puts the same plays at it and one adds to it the eight feet opened, the Bourdon of sixteen feet and the Watch of sixteen feet if it there of A.

Registration of the Runnings away

The serious Runnings away are only touched on the Trompette accompanied by its bottom which is the Bourdon and the Prestant, with the Cromorne with the Positif one draws the keyboards. Or one can only touch them on the Positif putting at it the Cromorne with his bottom which is the Bourdon and the four feet.

Registration of the Quartet

The Quartet which is a running away of movement of which the parts are more acting and more singing that the running away, one puts the left hand on the Grand Organ at which one puts the play of Tierce which is composed thus Bourdon, Prestant, Nasard, Quarte, and Tierce, the right hand on the Positif, where one puts the Cromorne with his bottom, like above and trembling it soft. Or one can still touch the Quartet as follows: the low one and the top on the Third of the Large Organ with its ordinary mixture, and the mediants parts which are the size and high-against, on the Cromorne of the Positif with its bottom. This manner is more beautiful and more difficult unless one is not helped of one drew or footboard.

One can still touch the Quartet as follows: having one drew you will put at the Large body, Bourdon of eight feet, Prestant and Nasard; with the Positif the Tierce cuts some, knowledge, Bourdon, Prestant Nasard, Doublette, Tierce and Larigot, and the two other parts of the right hand on the Trompette of account, but it is necessary for that an organ has four keyboards. This manner is extremely beautiful, but it is necessary that the four parts sing also well, particularly size which is the Tierce Positif, which grips better, and approaches the most ear. But there are almost only those which are able to compose these kinds of parts which can carry out them. This is why I very little put some in my book, as well as of the Dialogs of account about which we will speak hereafter.

Registration of the Duet

The Duet is touched on both Tierce S, at Small the Tierce, one puts at it Bourdon, Prestant, Nasard, and Tierce. At the Large body, one puts at it the same thing and one adds to it the Bourdon of sixteen feet and the Quad of Nasard or, for lack of Quad, one puts the Doublette at it.

Registration of the Accounts

The accounts are touched variously, their accompaniment with the Large body is always the Bourdon and the Prestant; for the Cromorne, its accompaniment with the Large body is the eight feet open only. One touches accounts on small the Tierce as with the Duet, or of course the Nasard without Tierce, with the bottom. Or of course the Trumpet of account, or of course the Cromorne only or of course the separate Horn. For the Concert of Flûte one draws the keyboards, and one puts at the Large body eight feet, Bourdon, and Flûte, with the Positif Bourdon and Flûte and trembling it soft.

Registration of the Trios

For the trios with two tops, one puts in top the gross Tierce as at the Duet except which one should not of sixteen feet, with the Positif the Cromorne only, one puts at it trembling it soft. The other trios are touched on the Cromorne with its bottom, the separate Horn and the pedal of Flûte S, or with the footboard, or drew, putting on the Large body, Bourdon, Prestant and Nasard.

Registration of the plays of sheer

With the human Voice or Levels it, one needs only the Bourdon and the Flûte as well in top as in bottom; and trembling it soft.

Registration of Low

For the Low ones, one more commonly touches them on the Cromorne of the Positif, than on the Trompette, with which one puts Prestant or Montre, Nasard, Doublette, Tierce and Larigot, as with the Tierce in the face, except the Bourdon because the Bourdon being with the union of the Cromorne slows down it, and speeds do not appear so much.

If one wants to touch the Low ones on the Trompette, it is necessary to put at it with the Prestant and the Nasard. Some ones instead of the Nasard put the Bourdon at it, but the Bourdon slows down. One touches also low Trompette with trembling with lost wind. For at the time them are accompanied as with the Dialog of which I will treat hereafter, except one does not draw the keyboards and with the Positif, one puts at it for accompaniment the Bourdon and the Larigot.

Registration of the Dialogs

For the small Dialogs, with the Positive , the Cromorne with the bottom like above, with the Large body the Trumpet, the Bugle and the Horn with the bottom; One draws the keyboards, one does not put at it trembling.

With the Great Dialog the same thing like top, but one adds to the Large body, Nasard, Quarte and Tierce, Cromorne even if it there of A. With the Positif one there assistant the Nasard. Some put the Tierce at it. It is necessary for it trembling it for lost wind. One touches them with four Choruses, the third Chorus is the separate Horn and the fourth is the Horn of Echo.

Registration on an organ of two keyboards

Those which do not have that two keyboards will not only leave make use extremely well of the Dialogs of accounts. No matter what they usually touch on three keyboards, they will take with the Large body the accompaniment on the ordinary bottom and will touch immediately without changing keyboard on the Cromorne or small the Tierce, and when with the trio or the two parts unite, that is touched on the same play and the low one with drew or the pedal from Flûte.

Registration on an organ of only one keyboard

Those which do not have that an organ has a keyboard will make in the same way because sets of changes, like the Tierce, the Nasard, sets of sheers like the Trompette the human voice, and others are cut there. They will also be useful on only one keyboard of all kinds of Dialogs because the song is well followed there, and is supported enough by itself.

Half register

In the Spanish organ as in the Italian organ of the period baroque, and common cause, the invoice had instituted the division of the keyboard and the half registers or half plays. The majority of the instruments of this time have one keyboard divided between low and above. These two half keyboards correspond in the instrument to two independent diagrids, a little as if the organ had in fact two keyboards (short and juxtaposed). The origin of this practice was simply financial: it allowed with a saving in means of having an instrument able to offer a large variety of stamps at a bearable cost for the small parishes. Instead of having ten plays on all the extent of a keyboard, one has a score of half plays left again on each half of the keyboard, thus multiplying by ten the possibilities of combinations.

This manner of building the organ involved a manner of composing and of playing which finally led to a tradition.

In the Spanish organistic literature, the parts bear explicit names which, as in the French organ, indicate the manner of playing them:

“Obra of mano derecha of medio registro” : part to be exploited right hand a half play.
“Medio registro Viola of firstly tono” : part of the first tone to be exploited the half register of top.
“Tiento partido of mano derecha of batalla of octavo tono” : imagination on the eighth tone, with the trumpet of battle to the right hand.

Registration in the German traditional organ

Blockwerk : Together Principal , Change S and Mixture S used in polyphony either to accompany the liturgical songs, or to answer them. This mixture goes back to the origins of the organ German baroque.
Plenum : Together funds and mixtures, used for the counterpoint and the polyphony. The German mixtures being acuter than the French mixtures, they offer more flexibility for the type-setter by supporting virtuosity and clearness of each voice of a counterpoint. There exist traditionally two types of plenum:

the Plenum of 8 : at the handbooks coupled or not, one puts funds 8,4,2 (and the plays of 1 foot if they exist) as well as the mixtures. The funds concerned are the Principal ones, the Bumblebees and the Flutes. One does not put the gambas nor the salicionals. One little also to limit the plenum to only principal and mixtures (one joined the principle of the blockwerk then). At the pedal one puts the funds of 16 and drew them. In a running away one traditionally puts a soft sheer of 16 to give more support to low; one generally chooses Sordun, Ranquette or Dulciane. Except if the plenum of the handbooks is powerful, one avoids the bassoon or the bombards.
the Plenum of 16 : at the handbooks coupled or not, one puts the funds (except the gambas) 16,8,4,2,1 as well as the mixtures and will sesquialtera it. At the pedal one puts funds 32 and 16 and drew them, as well as a soft sheer of 16. The plenum of 16 is disadvised if there is not a basic play of 32 with low. If necessary, one can also put a soft sheer of 32 (Sordun or Ranquette).

Plenum by the sheers : It is about a powerful mixture, intended for parts of great behavior like the toccatas. It consists in drawing the funds, the sheers and the mixtures, the couplings and drew them. The pedal must always sound an octave in lower part of the handbooks: 8 feet with the handbooks implies 16 feet with the pedal, and 16 feet with the handbooks implies 32 feet with the pedal.

These traditional formulas are ideal to play the large parts of Buxtehude or Bach. The organist will adapt them according to the instrument and of the complexity (many simultaneous voices) of work to be interpreted.

Registration in the romantic and symphonic organ

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