Central Synagogue - New York City


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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 Ltée, Op. 3813 (2002) – Gallery
► II/11 Casavant Frères Ltée, Op. 3812 (2001) – Bimah
► III/26 Geo. Kilgen & Son, Op. 5905 (1937) – burned (1998)
► III/45 George 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 illuminated 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.

Central Synagogue following August 1998 fire (photo: NYC Architecture Image website)

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. On August 28, 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 (sacred 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.

Casavant Frères Gallery Organ, Op. 3813 (2002) in Central Synagogue - New York City

Gallery Organ

Casavant Frères Ltée
St. Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada – Opus 3813 (2002)
Electro-pneumatic key action
Movable 4-manual drawknob console
4 manuals, 71 registers, 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

Violonbasse

1 1/3

Fourniture IV ranks

244

Montre

1/2

Cymbale III ranks

183

Bourdon

Bombarde *

—

Violon (fr. Violonbasse)

—

Trompette

Prestant

Clairon

Flûte conique

MIDI

2 2/3

Quinte majeure

* 1-12 from PED Bombarde; 13 up from G.O. Trompette

Doublette

Récit (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed

Bourdon

1 3/5

Tierce harmonique

Diapason

Plein-jeu V ranks

305

Flûte harmonique

Basson

Viole de Gambe

Trompette harmonique

Voix céleste (TC)

Hautbois

Octave

Voix humaine

Flûte octaviante

Clairon harmonique

2 2/3

Nazard harmonique

Tremblant

Octavin

MIDI

Positif (Manual I) – 61 notes, unenclosed

Montre **

Cymbale V ranks

305

Flûte à cheminée

Cromorne

Prestant

Tremblant

Flûte à fuseau

Chimes [enc. in Récit]

Doublette

MIDI

1 1/3

Larigot

Piccolo

** 1-12 common with Flûte à cheminée, plus 12 ind. pipes at 4'

2 2/3

Sesquialtera II ranks

122

Solo (Manual IV) – 61 notes, unenclosed

Trompette-de-fête

Klezmer Clarinette

Trompette Shofar

MIDI

Choeur (floating expressive division located on left gallery side of Bimah)

Montre

Plein jeu III ranks

Prestant

Hautbois

Doublette

Tremblant

Echo (floating non-expressive division located on right gallery side of Bimah)

Flûte à cheminée

Piccolo

Cor de chamois

Tremblant

2 2/3

Nazard

Echo Pédale (located on right gallery side of Bimah)

Bourdon

Flûte à cheminée

Pédale – 32 notes

Résultante

derived

2 2/3

Mixture IV ranks

128

Contrebasse

Contre bombarde

Violonbasse

Bombarde (fr. 32' CB)

—

Soubasse

Basson

RÉC

Octavebasse (fr. C-basse)

—

Trompette (fr. 32' CB)

—

Violon

Baryton

RÉC

Bourdon (fr. Soubbasse)

—

Clairon (fr. 32' CB)

—

Octave

Soprano

RÉC

Flûte

MIDI

10 2/3

Théorbe III ranks ***

—

*** 10 2/3' from PED 16' Contrebasse; 6 2/5' & 4 4/7' from G.O. 16' Violonbasse

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)

Grand Orgue	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (thumb)
Récit	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (thumb)
Positif	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (thumb)
Solo	Pistons 1-2-3 (thumb)
Echo	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5 (thumb)
Choeur	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5 (thumb)
Bimah Organ	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5 (thumb)
Pédale	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb & toe)
Pédale & Pédale Couplers	Pistons 7-8 (thumb)
Bimah & Gallery Organs	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14 (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 Console - Casavant Organ, Op. 3812 (2001) at Central Synagogue - New York City (photo: Shane Murphy)

Bimah Organ Console

Bimah Organ

Casavant Frères Ltée
St. Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada – Opus 3812 (2001)
Electric slider key and stop action
Detached movable 3-manual drawknob console
2 manuals, 11 registers, 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

Montre

Hautbois

Prestant

Tremblant

Doublette

MIDI

Plein Jeu III ranks

183

Echo (Manual II) – 61 notes, unenclosed

Flûte à cheminée

Piccolo

Cor de chamois

Tremblant

2 2/3

Nazard

MIDI

Echo Pédale – 32 notes

Bourdon *

MIDI

Flûte à cheminée

* 1-4 resultant; 5-up ext.

Couplers (Bimah Organ)

Choeur to Pédale 8'

Choeur to Manual III

Echo 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)

Choeur Organ	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5 (thumb)
Echo Organ	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5 (thumb)
Pédale & Pédale Couplers	Pistons 1-2 (thumb & toe)
Entire Bimah Organ	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb)
Bimah & Gallery Organs	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb & toe)
Bimah & Gallery Organs	Pistons 7-8-9-10-11-12 (thumb)
	N.B. The Gallery Organ Generals are fixed for the stops, but adjustable for the couplers
	Cancel – Bimah (thumb)
	Cancel – Gallery (thumb)
	Cancel – General (thumb & toe)

Reversible Pistons

Choeur to Pédale (thumb & toe)

Grand Orgue 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

Geo. Kilgen & Son Organ, Op. 5905 (1937) in Central Synagogue - New York City

Previous organ in present location:

Geo. Kilgen & Son
St. Louis, Mo. – Opus 5905 (1937)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 30 registers, 24 stops, 26 ranks

After more than sixty years of service, the 1872 Jardine organ was replaced in 1937 by an entirely new three-manual electro-pneumatic instrument built by the Kilgen firm of St. Louis. Kilgen retained the original Jardine case that was 34 feet wide and 7 feet tall. The following specifications were recorded by organ curator John Klauder on January 20, 1992. Mr. Klauder noted that the two decorative arches on the sides were 9 feet wide by 20 feet high and each contained (7) 16' non-speaking pipes. The center flat had (36) pipes from 4' to 8' length, and there was a wooden band decorating the front of the pipes. Kilgen did subsequent work or made repairs on this organ, as Op. 5905-A and Op. 5938. The organ included a Shofar stop (possibly Op. 5905-A) built by Kilgen and sold by Julius W. Bakos, local representative for Kilgen. No further information is available for the Shofar stop, such as number of pipes or from which division it was played, but we have shown it in the Choir Organ.

On August 28, 1998, the Kilgen organ and synagogue interior were destroyed by fire.

Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed

Open Diapason

Mixture III ranks

183

Harmonic Flute

Tromba

Gemshorn

French Horn

Octave

Tremulant

Flute (fr. Harm. Fl.)

—

Chimes

Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed

Geigen Principal

Flautino

Stopped Flute

Oboe

Viole d'Gamba

Vox Humana

Voix Celeste

Tremulant

Flute Traversiere

Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed

Open Diapason

Flute d'Amour

Melodia

Clarinet

Dulciana

Tremulant

Unda Maris

Shofar

Pedal Organ – 32 notes

Resultant

—

Flute (fr. 16' Bourdon)

—

Major Bass

Stopped Flute

Bourdon

Flute (fr. 16' Bourdon)

—

Echo Bourdon (ext. SW)

Couplers

Great to Pedal 8', 4'

Swell to Choir 16', 8', 4'

Swell to Pedal 8', 4'

Great 16', Unison Off, 4'

Choir to Pedal 8', 4'

Swell 16', Unison Off, 4'

Swell to Great 16', 8, 4'

Choir 16', Unison Off, 4'

Choir to Great 16', 8', 4'

Adjustable Combinations

Great Organ	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb)
Swell Organ	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb)
Choir Organ	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb)
Entire Organ	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb)

Pedal Movements

Balanced Choir Expression Pedal

Great to Pedal Reversible

Balanced Great Expression Pedal

Sforzando Reversible

Balanced Swell Expression Pedal

Balanced Crescendo Pedal

Original organ at present location: George Jardine & Son New York City (1872) Mechanical action 3 manuals, 41 registers, 39 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)	49	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] (TC)	49	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	61
8	{ Lieblich Gedackt	61	4	Walde Flute [sic]	61
8	Claribella [sic] (bass grooved)	49	2	Flageolet	61
8	Salicional	61	8	{ Cremona (treble)	61
8	Clariance, or Viol d'Amour	61	8	{ Bassoon (bass)	61

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:
     Bakos, Peter G. Electronic correspondence (Sept. 6, 2013) regarding the Shofar stop on the Geo. Kilgen & Son organ, Op. 5905 (1937).
     Casavant Frères Ltée. Factory Specification of Casavant Frères organ, Op. 3812 (2001). Courtesy Stanley Scheer.
     Casavant Frères Ltée. Factory Specification of Casavant Frères organ, Op. 3813 (2002). Courtesy Stanley Scheer.
     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 Account, Part I (The Jacksonian Period to the Progressive Era," The Tracker, Vol. 50, Nos. 3 & 4 (Summer/Fall 2006).
     Klauder, John. Specification (Jan. 20, 1992) of Geo. Kilgen & Son Organ, Op. 5905 (1937). Courtesy Barry Kloda.
     McFadden, Robert D. "Fire Heavily Scars Landmark East Side Synagogue," The New York Times (Aug. 29, 1998).
     New York Architecture Images website: http://www.nyc-architecture.com/UES/UES004.htm
     "The Organ," The New York Weekly Review (Dec. 7, 1872): Specification of Jardine & Son Organ (1872). Courtesy Larry Trupiano.

Illustrations:
     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.

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