Click on most images to enlarge Central Synagogue (Reform Jewish) 652 Lexington Avenue at 55th Street New York, N.Y. 10022 http://www.centralsynagogue.org Organ Specifications: 652 Lexington Avenue (since 1872): ► IV/63 Casavant Frères, Op. 3813 (2002) – Gallery ► II/11 Casavant Frères, Op. 3812 (2001) – Bimah ► III/25 Geo. Kilgen & Son, Op. 5905 (1937) – burned (1998) ► III/45 Geo. Jardine & Son (1872) Ludlow Street (1846-1872): • unknown Central Synagogue, today one of the nation's leading Reform congregations, began as Congregation Ahawath Chesed, founded in 1846 by German-speaking Bohemian immigrants on Ludlow Street in the Lower East Side. By 1870, the membership of Ahawath Chesed had prospered and grown, and a decision was made to move farther uptown. Henry Fernbach, New York's first prominent Jewish architect, was commissioned to design the new synagogue, which was built in 1872 and seated more than 1,400 individuals. Fernbach created an elaborate and intricate interior with Moorish designs whose contours were stenciled onto the sanctuary walls and then hand painted. For the sanctuary floor, a space of nearly 4,000 square feet, Fernbach ordered more than 20,000 encaustic tiles from England and alternated that pattern with bands of brown quarry tile. The sanctuary was lit with gas-fired chandeliers that hung from arches beneath the galleries, as well as by 12 double-story stained-glass windows. The exterior, an interpretation of the Tabac-Schul (Dohány Street) Synagogue in Budapest, features decorative stone with three entrance portals and two side-aisle entrances, surmounted by a great rose window and twin 122-foot gilded-copper onion domes each topped with a five pointed star. The cost of the original project was $300,000. In 1886, the building was damaged by a fire, during which most of the original decorative stencilings were lost. In 1898, Shaar Hashomayim, a German-speaking congregation which had been established on Attorney Street in 1846, merged into Ahawath Chesed. The combined congregations became known as Central Synagogue in 1915.   Modernist Interior, ca. 1949   In 1946, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Ahawath Chesed congregation, Central Synagogue was subject to a $300,000 Modernist-inspired restoration. Architect Ely Jacques Kahn, who abhorred historicism, significantly altered the 1886 Moorish-revival wall decorations, replaced stained-glass windows with windows of abstract design and removed the chandeliers, substituting Art Deco sconces as light sources. In 1995, the synagogue's building committee elected to launch a five-year restoration plan to improve seating, acoustics, functionality, and to install air conditioning. In August 1998, three days before the air conditioning was to be turned on, Central Synagogue nearly burned to the ground. The fire destroyed most of the building, including the roof. Fortunately the ark, and the torahs (scared scrolls) were saved. The congregation committees were almost unanimous in electing to recover the original 1872 interior and exterior design. They were also free to fantasize and request significant changes that would reflect changes in contemporary worship. One request was a sanctuary floor plan that would accommodate both the large, formal services of the high holidays, and the more intimate, informal sabbath sessions of the summer months. Following a $40 million historical restoration by Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates, the building was reopened with great fanfare on September 9, 2001, two days before the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. Central Synagogue is the oldest synagogue building in New York still in use by the congregation which built it. In 1966, Central Synagogue was designated by the New York City Landmarks and Preservation Commission, and in 1975 was named as a National Historic Landmark.               Gallery Organ Casavant Frères, Limitée St. Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada – Opus 3813 (2002) Electro-pneumatic key action Detached movable 4-manual drawknob console 4 manuals, 46 stops, 63 ranks The Gabe M. Wiener Memorial Organ at Central Synagogue was built by Casavant Frères of Québec, Canada in 2001 and 2002. It replaces a 1937 Kilgen organ that was destroyed in the fire that damaged the synagogue in August 1998. There are actually two organs: The Bimah Organ (Opus 3812), installed in time for the rededication of the synagogue in September 2001, and the Gallery Organ (Opus 3813), dedicated in April 2002. The Gallery Organ is visible and controlled by a movable four-manual console that can also play the Bimah Organ. The Gallery Organ contains two imitative stops created specifically for Central Synagogue: a Trompette Shofar, that replicates the sound of the traditional shofar, used for services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur; and a Klezmer Clarinette, that reproduces the sound of a klezmer clarinet with great brilliance and clarity, believed to be the first such organ stop in the world.   Gallery Organ Console   The organ was designed by Pierre Dionne, President of Casavant Frères, and Jacquelin Rochette, Associate Tonal Director, in conjunction with George B. Stauffer and Shelly Palmer, who served as organ consultants for Central Synagogue. A special Reverberation Enhancement System helps to create an acoustical environment favorable to a concert organ. It incorporates four small microphones hung from the ceiling to pick up sound generated within the room, process it, and feed that sound back into the sanctuary as additional reverberation.                 Grand Orgue (Manual II) – 61 notes, unenclosed 16   Violonbasse 61 1 1/3   Fourniture IV ranks 244 8   Montre 61 1/2   Cymbale III ranks 183 8   Bourdon 61 16   Bombarde * — 8   Violon [ext.] 12 8   Trompette 61 4   Prestant 61 4   Clairon 61 4   Flûte conique 61   MIDI 2 2/3   Quinte majeure 61     * 1-12 from PED Bombarde; 13 up from G.O. Trompette 2   Doublette 61                     Récit (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   Bourdon 61 1 3/5   Tierce harmonique 61 8   Diapason 61 2   Plein-jeu V ranks 305 8   Flûte harmonique 61 16   Basson 61 8   Viole de Gambe 61 8   Trompette harmonique 61 8   Voix céleste [TC] 49 8   Hautbois 61 4   Octave 61 8   Voix humaine 61 4   Flûte octaviante 61 4   Clairon harmonique 61 2 2/3   Nazard harmonique 61     Tremblant 2   Octavin 61   MIDI                 Positif (Manual I) – 61 notes, unenclosed 8   Montre ** 61 1   Cymbale V ranks 305 8   Flûte à cheminée 61 8   Cromorne 61 4   Prestant 61   Tremblant 4   Flûte à fuseau 61   Chimes [enc. in Récit] 2   Doublette 61     MIDI 1 1/3   Larigot 61     ** 1-12 common with Flûte à cheminée, plus 12 ind. pipes at 4' 1   Piccolo 61     2 2/3   Sesquialtera II ranks 122                         Solo (Manual IV) – 61 notes, unenclosed 8   Trompette-de-fête 61 8   Klezmer Clarinette 61 8   Trompette Shofar 61   MIDI                 Choeur (floating expressive division located on left gallery side of Bimah) 8   Montre 1   Plein jeu III ranks 4   Prestant 8   Hautbois 2   Doublette   Tremblant                 Echo (floating non-expressive division located on right gallery side of Bimah) 8   Flûte à cheminée 2   Piccolo   4   Cor de chamois   Tremblant   2 2/3   Nazard                       Echo Pédale (located on right gallery side of Bimah) 16   Bourdon           8   Flûte à cheminée                         Pédale – 32 notes 32   Basse résultante derived 2 2/3   Mixture IV ranks 128 32   Contrebasse 32 32   Contre-Bombarde [ext.] 12 16   Violonbasse GO 16   Bombarde 32 16   Soubasse 32 16   Basson RÉC 8   Octavebasse [ext.] 12 8   Trompette [ext.] 12 8   Violon GO 8   Baryton RÉC 8   Bourdon [ext.] 12 4   Clairon [ext.] 12 4   Octave 32 4   Soprano RÉC 4   Flûte 32   MIDI 10 2/3   Théorbe III ranks derived                         Couplers (Gallery Organ)     Grand Orgue to Pédale 8'   Récit to Positif 16', 8', 4'     Récit to Pédale 8', 4'   Solo to Positif 8'     Positif to Pédale 8', 4'   Pédale to Positif 8'     Solo to Pédale 8'   Positif to Récit 8'     Récit to Grand Orgue 16', 8', 4'   Solo to Récit 8'     Positif to Grand Organ 8'   Grand Orgue / Positif Reverse     Solo to Grand Orgue 16', 8'   Récit / Solo Reverse                 Couplers (Bimah Organ)     Choeur to Pédale 8'   Echo on Positif 8'     Echo to Pédale 8', 4'   Choeur on Récit 8'     Choeur on Grand Orgue 8'   Echo on Récit 8'     Echo on Grand Orgue 8'   Choeur on Solo 8'     Choeur on Positif 8'   Echo on Solo 8'                 Adjustable Combinations (128 levels of memory)     Pistons No. 1-8 affecting Grand Orgue (thumb)     Pistons No. 1-8 affecting Récit (thumb)     Pistons No. 1-8 affecting Positif (thumb)     Pistons No. 1-3 affecting Solo (thumb)     Pistons No. 1-5 affecting Echo (thumb)     Pistons No. 1-5 affecting Choeur (thumb)     Pistons No. 1-5 affecting Entire Bimah Organ     Pistons No. 1-6 affecting Pédale (thumb & toe)     Pistons No. 7-8 affecting Pédale & Pédale couplers (thumb)     Pistons No. 1-14 affecting Bimah & Gallery Organs (thumb & toe)     Divisional Cancels in name plates     Cancel – Bimah thumb     Cancel – Gallery thumb     Cancel – General thumb & toe                 Reversible Pistons     Grand Orgue to Pédale (thumb & toe)   Récit to Positif (thumb)     Récit to Pédale (thumb & toe)   Resultant 32' (toe)     Positif to Pédale (thumb & toe)   Contre Bombarde 32' (toe)     Solo to Pédale (thumb)   Clochettes (toe)     Récit to Grand Orgue (thumb)   Full Organ – Bimah (thumb & toe)     Positif to Grand Orgue (thumb)   Full Organ – Gallery (thumb & toe)     Solo to Grand Orgue (thumb)   Tutti – both organs (thumb & toe)                 Key Cheek Buttons (with indicator lights)     Bimah Organ Only (also toe)   Both Organs On (also toe)     Gallery Organ Only (also toe)   Signal                 Balanced Pedals     Crescendo (4 modes, programmable)       Récit Expression                       Accessories     Wind-on indicator light – Bimah Organ   Tutti indicator light     Wind-on indicator light – Gallery Organ   MIDI IN/OUT with control panel     Digital (numeric) crescendo indicator   Clochettes (10 bells)     Full Organ indicator light – Bimah Organ   Transposer (+ - 7 semi-tones)     Full Organ indicator light – Gallery Organ   Chimes volume control (inside organ)               Bimah Organ Console Bimah Organ Casavant Frères, Limitée St. Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada – Opus 3812 (2001) Electric slider key and stop action Detached movable 3-manual drawknob console 2 manuals, 9 stops, 11 ranks                 The Bimah Organ is installed in chambers on both sides of the Bimah on the side gallery level behind grill cloth. A movable three-manual drawknob console that can also play the gallery organ has a walnut shell and bench, with interior of oak.                 Chœur (Manual I) – 61 notes, unenclosed 8   Montre 61 8   Hautbois 61 4   Prestant 61   Tremblant 2   Doublette 61   MIDI 1   Plein Jeu III ranks 183                       Echo (Manual II) – 61 notes, unenclosed 8   Flûte à cheminée 61 2   Piccolo 61 4   Cor de chamois 61   Tremblant 2 2/3   Nazard 61   MIDI                 Echo Pédale – 32 notes 16   Bourdon * 8     MIDI   8   Flûte à cheminée EC     * 1-4 resultant; 5 up ext.                 Couplers (Bimah Organ)     Choeur to Pédale 8'   Choeur to Manual III     Choeur to Pédale 8', 4'   Choeur Unison Off     Echo to Choeur 16', 8', 4'   Echo 16', 4', Unison Off     Echto to Manual III 8'               Couplers (Gallery Organ)     Pédale to Pédale 8'   Grand Orgue to Echo 8'     Grand Orgue to Pédale 8'   Récit to Echo 16', 8', 4'     Récit to Pédale 8', 4'   Positif to Echo 8'     Positif to Pédale 8', 4'   Solo to Echo 8'     Solo to Pédale 8'   Grand Orgue to Manual III 8'     Grand Orgue to Choeur 8'   Récit to Manual III 8'     Recit to Choeur 16', 8', 4'   Positif to Manual III 8'     Positif to Choeur 8'   Solo to Manual III 8'     Solo to Choeur 8'               Adjustable Combinations (128 levels of memory)     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5 affecting Choeur Organ (thumb)     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5 affecting Echo Organ (thumb)     Pistons No. 1-2 affecting Pédale Organ & couplers (thumb & toe)     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5-6 affecting Entire Bimah Organ (thumb & toe)     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5-6 affecting Entire Bimah & Gallery Organs (thumb & toe)     Pistons No. 7-8-9-10-11-12 affecting Entire Bimah & Gallery Organs (thumb only)     N.B. The Gallery Organ Generals are fixed for the stops, but adjustable for the couplers     Cancel – Bimah       Cancel – Gallery       Cancel – General             Reversible Pistons     Choeur to Pédale (thumb & toe)   Grand to Choeur (thumb)     Echo to Pédale (thumb & toe)   Récit to Choeur (thumb)     Grand Orgue to Pédale (thumb & toe)   Positif to Choeur (thumb)     Récit to Pédale (thumb & toe)   Full Organ – Bimah (thumb)     Positif to Pédale (thumb and toe)   Full Organ – Gallery (thumb & toe)     Echo to Choeur (thumb)   Tutti (thumb & toe           Key Cheek Buttons (all with indicator lights)     Bimah Organ Only (also toe)   Both Organs On (also toe)     Gallery Organ Only (also toe)   Signal           Balanced Pedals     Crescendo (4 modes, programmable)         Récit Expression               Accessories     Wind-on indicator light – Bimah Organ         Wind-on indicator light – Gallery Organ         Digital (numeric) crescendo indicator         Full Organ – Bimah Organ indicator light         Full Organ – Gallery Organ indicator light         Tutti indicator light         Transposer (+ - 7 semi-tones)         MIDI IN/OUT with control panel                   Previous organ: Geo. Kilgen & Son St. Louis, Mo. – Opus 5905 (1937) Electro-pneumatic action 3 manuals, 25 stops, 1,552 pipes After more than sixty years of service, the Jardine organ was replaced in 1937 by an entirely new three-manual instrument built by the Kilgen firm of St. Louis. The electro-pneumatic instrument was installed behind the original Jardine case. Both the organ and the synagogue interior were destroyed by fire in August 1998. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.               Original organ at present location: Jardine & Son New York City (1872) Mechanical action 3 manuals, 41 stops, 45 ranks For their new synagogue, an impressive organ was built by the Jardine firm of New York City. Jardine installed the three-manual organ in a Moorish-style case located in the east gallery. An article in the December 7, 1872 issue of The New York Weekly Review described the new organ: "The foundation stops are grand and solid, rich, deep, sonorous, and fill to its utmost the needs of the building, rolling almost as a solid body even to its furthermost ends. It is in its fine Diapasons that this organ excels and in the crowning merits of its manufacture. The mixtures are brilliant, and the fancy stops varied and beautiful in character, and are introduced with great care and most successfully. Some of the stops are of unsurpassed beauty, and from their positive indviduality are not only admirable in solos, but in combinations, where their characters stand out and are not absorbed one into another. They do, indeed, form combinations as positive as beautiful, and far more varied than can be provided by a full orchestra. This noble instrument has successfully assessed its grand and brilliant powers, and took its rank by general consent among the finest organs in the country."                 Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes 16   Double Open Diapason 61 4   Night Horn 61 8   Grand Open Diapason 61 3   Twelfth 61 8   Stopped Diapason 61 2   Fifteenth 61 8   Gamba 61   Grand Mixture 3, 4 & 5 ranks 244 8   Melodia [bass grooved] 61 8   Trumpet 61 6   Gross Quint 61 4   Clarion 61 4   Principal 61                     Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, "balanced expression" 16   Bourdon 61 2   Piccolo 61 8   Open Diapason 61   Cornet of 3 ranks 183 8   Stopped Diapason 61 8   Cornopean 61 8   Dulciana 61 8   Hautbois 61 8   Vox Celleste (sic) 61 8   Vox Humana 61 4   Principal 61   Tremolo 4   Echo Flute 61                     Choir or Solo Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes 8 { Stopped Diapason 61 4 Violino [sic] 61 8 { Lieblich Gedackt 4 Walde Flute [sic] 61 8   Claribella [sic] [bass grooved] 61 2 Flageolet 61 8   Salicional 61 8 { Cremona 61 8   Clariance, or Viol d'Amour 61 8 { Bassoon                 Pedal Organ – 30 notes 16   Double Open Diapason 30 8   Violoncello 30 16   Double Stopped Diapason 30 4   Octave 30 12   Grand Quint 30 16   Trombone 30                 Coupling Stops (operated by pistons knobs)     Swell to Great   Swell to Pedals     Swell to Choir   Great to Pedals     Choir to Great   Choir to Pedals         Bellows Warning                 Pedal Movements     Forte Pedal to Great         Piano Pedal to Great         Forte Pedal to Swell           Piano Pedal to Swell           Balanced Swell Pedal                     Sources:      Casavant Frères, Limitée website: http://www.casavant.ca/      Central Synagogue website: http://www.centralsynagogue.org      Dolkart, Andrew S. and Matthew A. Postal. Guide to New York City Landmarks (Third Edition). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2004.      Glück, Sebastian. "The American Synagogue Organ: A Brief Acoount," Part I (The Jacksonian Period to the Progressive Era," The Tracker, Vol. 50, Nos. 3 & 4, Summer/Fall 2006.      Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.      New York Architecture Images website: http://www.nyc-architecture.com/UES/UES004.htm      "The Organ," The New York Weekly Review (Dec. 7, 1872): Specifications of Jardine & Son Organ (1872); courtesy Larry Trupiano.      Scheer, Stanley. Factory Specifications of Casavant Frères Organ, Op. 3812 (2001).      Scheer, Stanley. Factory Specifications of Casavant Frères Organ, Op. 3813 (2002). Photos:      Central Synagogue website: http://www.centralsynagogue.org      Murphy, Shane: consoles of Casavant Frères Organs, Op. 3813 (2001) and Op. 3812 (2000).      New York Architecture Images website: exterior; interior   | NYC AGO Home Page | Back to NYC Organs List |