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Loew's Valencia Theatre
165-11 Jamaica Avenue at 165th Street
Jamaica (Queens), N.Y. 11432
The 3,440-seat Loew's Valencia Theatre opened on January 12th, 1929, and was the first of five "Wonder Theatres" in the Loew's chain. Architect John Eberson based his design on Spanish architecture motifs, creating a Latin illusion through extensive use of wrought iron railings, ornate tile work, sculpture and murals. Its romantic, brick and glazed terra-cotta facade was inspired by Spanish and Mexican architecture of the Baroque or "Churrigueresque" period, with detail including elaborate ornamental terra-cotta pilasters, cherub heads, half-shells, volutes, floral swags, curvilinear gables and decorative finials.
Loew's operated the Valencia until 1977, when the company donated the theatre to a Pentecostal church, the Tabernacle of Prayer for All People. Although the interior has been repainted in brighter colors and a huge chandelier now hangs from the "atmospheric" sky, the church has maintained the building's exterior with few changes. |
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Ben Hall at the Valencia's Wonder Morton console, as relocated to Peter Schaeble's residence on L.I. |
Robert-Morton Organ Co.
Van Nuys, Calif. (1928)
Electro-pneumatic action
4 manuals, 23 ranks
The Loew's chain purchased five identical (except for console ornamentation) "Wonder Mortons" for their deluxe New York area houses: the Paradise Theatre (1929) in the Bronx; the Kings Theatre (1929) in Brooklyn; the Valencia Theatre (1928) in Jamaica, Queens; the Jersey Theatre (1929) in Jersey City, N.J.; and the 175th Street Theatre (1930) in Manhattan. The so-called "Wonder Mortons" were essentially larger versions of the four 4/20s built for Loew's houses in St. Louis, Mo.; Columbus, Oh.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; and Providence, R.I.
The four-manual Wonder Morton console in the Valencia was installed on a separate lift at the far left side of the orchestra pit. In 1966, the late Peter Schaeble purchased the organ from the Valencia Theatre and had it installed in his Long Island residence. After Schaeble's death in 1996, Jasper Sanfilippo acquired and stored the organ with the idea of installing it in the carousel building on his property in Barrington Hills, Ill., but those plans did not materialize. At some point, the organ was sold to the Balboa Theatre Foundation and installed in the restored Balboa Theatre in San Diego, Calif. |
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Pedal – 32 notes
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32 |
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Resultant Bass |
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8 |
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Gamba |
16 |
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Tuba Profunda |
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8 |
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Viola Celeste |
16 |
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Oboe Horn |
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8 |
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Violin |
16 |
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Diaphone |
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8 |
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Celeste Violin |
16 |
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Solo Tibia Clausa |
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Bass Drum |
16 |
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Bourdon |
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Tympani |
16 |
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Gamba |
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Cymbal |
8 |
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Tuba Mirabilis |
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Snare Drums |
8 |
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English Horn |
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8 |
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Oboe Horn |
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Pedal 2nd Touch |
8 |
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Saxophone |
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Chimes |
8 |
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Diaphone Diapason |
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Bass Drum |
8 |
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Horn Diapason |
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Tympani |
8 |
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Tibia Plena |
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Cymbal |
8 |
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Solo Tibia Clausa |
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Crash Cymbal |
8 |
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Flute |
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Snare Drums |
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Accompaniment (Manual I) – 61 notes
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16 |
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Violin [TC] |
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2 2/3 |
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Twelfth |
16 |
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Celeste Violin [TC] |
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2 |
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Piccolo |
8 |
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Tuba Mirabilis |
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2 |
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Fifteenth |
8 |
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English Horn |
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Harp Marimba |
8 |
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Oboe Horn |
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Chrysoglott |
8 |
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French Horn |
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Xylophone |
8 |
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Saxophone |
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Snare Drums |
8 |
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Diaphonic Diapason |
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Wood Drums |
8 |
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Horn Diapason |
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Tom Tom |
8 |
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Solo Tibia Clausa |
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Tambourine |
8 |
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Foundation Tibia Clausa |
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Castanets |
8 |
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Flute |
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Chinese Gong |
8 |
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Gamba |
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16 |
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Accompaniment |
8 |
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Viola Celeste |
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8 |
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Accompaniment |
8 |
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Salicional |
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8 |
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Great |
8 |
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Concert Violin |
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8 |
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Solo |
8 |
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Celeste Violin |
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8 |
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Kinura |
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Accomp. 2nd Touch |
8 |
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Clarinet |
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8 |
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Tuba Mirabilis |
8 |
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Foundation Vox Humana |
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8 |
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English Horn |
4 |
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Tuba Mirabilis |
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8 |
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Diaphonic Diapason |
4 |
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Diaphonic Diapason |
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8 |
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Horn Diapason |
4 |
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Solo Tibia Clausa |
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8 |
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Solo Tibia Clausa |
4 |
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Flute |
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8 |
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Foundation Tibia Clausa |
4 |
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Gamba |
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4 |
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Tibia Plena |
4 |
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Viola Celeste |
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Chimes |
4 |
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Concert Violin |
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Triangle |
4 |
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Celeste Violin |
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Bird Whistle |
4 |
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Foundation Vox Humana |
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Great (Manual II) – 61 notes
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16 |
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Tuba Profunda |
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4 |
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Tuba Mirabilis |
16 |
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Oboe Horn |
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4 |
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Oboe Horn |
16 |
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Saxophone [TC] |
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4 |
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Diaphonic Diapason |
16 |
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Diaphone |
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4 |
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Horn Diapason |
16 |
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Tibia Plena [TC] |
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4 |
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Tibia Plena |
16 |
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Solo Tibia Clausa |
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4 |
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Solo Tibia Clausa |
16 |
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Bourdon |
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4 |
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Foundation Tibia Clausa |
16 |
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Gamba |
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4 |
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Flute |
16 |
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Concert Viol [TC] |
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4 |
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Gamba |
16 |
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Celeste Violin [TC] |
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4 |
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Viola Celeste |
16 |
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Foundation Vox Humana [TC] |
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4 |
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Concert Violin |
8 |
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Tuba Mirabilis |
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4 |
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Celeste Violin |
8 |
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English Horn |
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4 |
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Foundation Vox Humana |
8 |
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Oboe Horn |
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2 2/3 |
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Twelfth |
8 |
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Trumpet |
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2 |
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Piccolo |
8 |
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French Horn |
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2 |
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Fifteenth |
8 |
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Saxophone |
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1 3/5 |
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Tierce |
8 |
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Diaphonic Diapason |
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Harp Marimba |
8 |
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Horn Diapason |
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Chrysoglott |
8 |
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Tibia Plena |
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Glockenspiel |
8 |
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Solo Tibia Clausa |
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Orchestra Bells |
8 |
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Foundation Tibia Clausa |
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Xylophone |
8 |
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Flute |
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Chimes |
8 |
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Gamba |
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4 |
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Great |
8 |
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Viola Celeste |
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8 |
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Salicional |
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Great 2nd Touch |
8 |
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Concert Violin |
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16 |
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Tuba Profunda |
8 |
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Celeste Violin |
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16 |
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Oboe Horn |
8 |
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Kinura |
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16 |
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Diaphone |
8 |
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Clarinet |
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16 |
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Tibia Plena [TC] |
8 |
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Krumet |
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16 |
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Gamba |
8 |
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Foundation Vox Humana |
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Orchestral (Manual III) – 61 notes
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8 |
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Tuba Mirabilis |
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4 |
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Solo Tibia Clausa |
8 |
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English Horn |
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4 |
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Foundation Tibia Clausa |
8 |
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Oboe Horn |
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4 |
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Flute |
8 |
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Trumpet |
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4 |
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Concert Violin |
8 |
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French Horn |
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4 |
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Celeste Violin |
8 |
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Saxophone |
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2 |
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Piccolo |
8 |
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Diaphonic Diapason |
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2 |
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Violin |
8 |
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Horn Diapason |
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Harp Marimba |
8 |
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Solo Tibia Clausa |
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Chrysoglott |
8 |
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Flute |
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Glockenspiel |
8 |
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Salicional |
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Orchestra Bells |
8 |
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Concert Violin |
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Xylophone |
8 |
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Celeste Violin |
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Chimes |
8 |
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Kinura |
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16 |
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Orchestral |
8 |
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Clarinet |
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4 |
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Orchestral |
8 |
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Krumet |
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8 |
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Great |
4 |
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Tuba Mirabilis |
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Solo (Manual IV) – 61 notes
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8 |
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Tuba Mirabilis |
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8 |
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Kinura |
8 |
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English Horn |
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8 |
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Clarinet |
8 |
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Oboe Horn |
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8 |
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Krumet |
8 |
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Trumpet |
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8 |
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Solo Vox Humana |
8 |
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French Horn |
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4 |
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Tibia Plena |
8 |
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Saxophone |
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Harp Marimba |
8 |
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Diaphonic Diapason |
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Chrysoglott |
8 |
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Horn Diapason |
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Glockenspiel |
8 |
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Tibia Plena |
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Orchestra Bells |
8 |
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Solo Tibia Clausa |
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Xylophone |
8 |
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Foundation Tibia Clausa |
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Chimes |
8 |
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Flute |
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16 |
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Solo |
8 |
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Gamba |
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4 |
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Solo |
8 |
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Viola Celeste |
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16 |
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Great |
8 |
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Concert Violin |
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8 |
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Great |
8 |
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Celeste Violin |
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4 |
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Great |
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Tremolos
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Effect Buttons
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Left |
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Grand Crash |
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Tibia Plena |
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Cymbal |
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Foundation Tibia Clausa |
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Triangle |
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Foundation Vox Humana |
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Bird |
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Right |
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Sleigh Bells |
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Right Reeds |
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Telephone |
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Tuba Mirabilis |
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Door Bell |
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English Horn |
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Steamboat |
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Solo Tibia Clausa |
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Fire Gong |
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Solo Vox Humana |
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Bell Low |
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Bell High |
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Stop Key Colors
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Toe Levers
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Reeds and diapasons: red |
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Sforzando: |
1st touch stops |
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2nd touch percussions |
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Tibias, flutes, strings and couplers: white |
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Tremolos: black |
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Surf |
Traps: amber |
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Wind |
Tuned percussions: brown |
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Thunder |
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Aeroplane |
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Horse Hoof |
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Stop Analysis |
Foundation Chamber |
16 |
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Tuba Mirabilis |
73 pipes |
16 |
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Flute |
97 pipes |
16 |
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Oboe Horn |
85 pipes |
8 |
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Gamba |
73 pipes |
8 |
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Salicional |
73 pipes |
8 |
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Viola Celeste |
85 pipes |
8 |
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Tibia Clausa |
49 pipes |
8 |
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Horn Diapason |
61 pipes |
8 |
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French Horn |
61 pipes |
8 |
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Clarinet |
61 pipes |
8 |
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Krumet |
61 pipes |
8 |
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Vox Humana |
73 pipes |
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Solo Chamber |
16 |
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Diaphonic Diapason |
73 pipes |
16 |
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Tibia Clausa |
97 pipes |
8 |
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Tibia Plena |
73 pipes |
8 |
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Concert Violin |
85 pipes |
8 |
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Violin Celeste |
73 pipes |
8 |
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Violin Celeste II |
73 pipes |
8 |
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English Horn |
61 pipes |
8 |
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Trumpet |
61 pipes |
8 |
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Saxophone |
61 pipes |
8 |
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Kinura |
61 pipes |
8 |
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Vox Humana |
73 pipes |
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Sources:
Cinema Treasures web site: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/903
Junchen, David. Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. II. Pasadena: Showcase Publications, 1989.
Theatre Historical Society of America: http://www.historictheatres.org
Illustrations:
Cinema Treasures web site. Loew's Valencia Theatre vertical sign.
Junchen, David. Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. II. Ben Hall at the Wonder Morton console in Peter Schaeble's residence.
Theatre Historical Society of America. Interior. |
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