Radio City Music Hall - New York City
   
  Radio City Music Hall - New York City
 

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Radio City Music Hall

1260 Avenue of the Americas at 50th Street
New York, N.Y. 10020
http://www.radiocity.com




When Radio City Music Hall was planned in the early 1930s, S.L. Roxy Rothafel, chief of architecture and construction for the hall and its sister Center Theater (at Sixth and 49th), planned to install the largest theater organ ever built. He was best acquainted with the Kimball Organ Co., having given this firm the contract for three organs at the great theater bearing his name on Seventh Avenue, so Kimball was contacted to bid on a large organ for the Music Hall. Legend has it that the Rockefeller board of trustees felt that the most prestigious theater in the country should have an organ built by the country's top theater organ company, so the contract was eventually awarded to the Wurlitzer Company of North Tonowanda, N.Y. Strange as it may seem, the Kimball specification was retained, even though the organ was built by Wurlitzer; this may have been the influence of Roxy, but what really transpired is unknown today. Although Kimball built many theater organs, they never built the pure, thoroughbred theater organ that Wurlitzer did, and their organs often retained a concert nature. A typical theater organ's Great division would contain every available stop except the loudest reeds, but Radio City's 19-rank Great (house right) resembles Kimball's concert organs, being based on an independent principal chorus with pitches from 16' to mixtures. The Orchestral division (also house right) of 23 ranks, contains a secondary principal chorus, reeds 16' and 8', and a string chorus, resembling a concert Swell division. The Solo division (house left) of 13 ranks houses the most powerful stops, including a tuba and diaphonic diapason on 25" wind, a posthorn on 15", a tibia clausa extending to 32', and a large-scale wooden bombarde 32'. The Solo also contains the tuned percussions and traps. Another unusual feature is the inclusion of an independent 16' contra bass (56 pipes) in the pedal, again following Kimball's notion of a concert organ.

The organ is played by two identical four-manual consoles which are completely independent of each other and can sustain separate registrations, unlike the more usual installation in which a second console was a slave to the first. Its 58 ranks and 4,178 pipes are installed in eight chambers divided on either side of the stage. A recent rebuilding included solid-state control systems throughout and the ability to locate either or both consoles at any point on the stage, the orchestra pit elevator, or the original alcove positions. A complete MIDI interface has been installed. (Based on an article by RCMH organist, the late David Messineo.)
           

Stage Right Console - Radio City Music Hall, NYC

  

Stage Left Console - Radio City Music Hall, NYC
Stage Right Console  

Stage Left Console
Wurlitzer Organ Company
North Tonawanda, N.Y. – Opus 2179 (1932)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 identical consoles, 4 manuals, 58 ranks
           
Pedal – 32 notes
64
   Gravissima (resultant from 32' Tibia Clausa)
4
   Super Octave (Contra Bass)
32
   Bombarde
4
   Tibia Minor
32
   Sub Bass
4
   Open Flute
16
   English Post Horn
4
   'Cello
16
   Tuba Profunda
4
   'Cello Celeste
16
   Trombone
4
   Violins (3 ranks)
16
   Diaphone     Mixture (3 ranks) [derived, Muted Diap.]
16
   Wald Horn
16
   Grand Piano
16
   Contra Bass
8
   Grand Piano
16
   Contra Tibia Clausa
8
   Cathedral Chimes
16
   Violone     Thunder Drum, stroke
16
   Violin Diapason
 
   Thunder Drum, roll
16
   Muted Diapason     Bass Drum, band
16
   Contra Viola     Bass Drum, orchestra
16
   French Horn     Cymbals
16
   English Horn

  Snare Drum, band roll
16
   Bourdon (Tibia Minor)

  Snare Drum, orchestra roll
16
   Lieblich Gedeckt

  Accompaniment to Pedal
10 2/3
   Tuba Quint (Tuba Sonora)

  Great to Pedal
10 2/3
   Quint

  Orchestral Unison to Pedal
8
   Tuba Mirabilis     Orchestral Octave to Pedal
8
   English Post Horn      
8
   Tuba Sonora Pedal Second Touch
8
   Tromba
32
   Bombarde
8
   Diapason (Diaphonic Diapason)
16
   Sub Bass
8
   Octave (Contra Bass)
10 2/3
   Tuba Quint
8
   Wald Horn
8
   Cathedral Chimes
8
   Tibia Clausa

  Thunder Drum, stroke
8
   Violin 'Cello

  Thunder Drum, roll
8
   'Cello Celeste

  Bass Drum, band
8
   Violin Diapason

  Tympani
8
   Tibia Minor

  Cymbals
8
   Muted Diapason

  Persian Cymbals
8
   Violins (3 ranks)     Chinese Gong
8
   Concert Flute     Triangle
8
   Lieblich Gedeckt     Grand Crash
4
   Cornet (Tuba Sonora)     Solo Unison to Pedal
4
   Tromba Clarion     Solo Octave to Pedal
           
Accompaniment (Manual I) – 61 notes
16
   Wald Horn     Snare Drum, band tap
16
   Bass Clarinet [TC]     Snare Drum, band roll
16
   Contra Viola     Snare Drum, orchestra tap
16
   Lieblich Gedeckt     Snare Drum, orchestra roll
16
   Double Dulciana [TC]     Tambourine
8
   Tuba Sonora     Castanets
8
   Tromba     Chinese Block, tap
8
   Violin Diapason     Chinese Block, roll
8
   Wald Horn

  Tom-Tom
8
   Tibia Clausa

  Shuffle
8
   Tibia Minor

  Octave
8
   Muted Diapason 

  Orchestral Unison to Accompaniment
8
   Orchestral Oboe 

  Orchestral Octave to Accompaniment
8
   Clarinet 

   
8
   French Horn  Accompaniment Second Touch
8
   Kinura 
8
   Melophone 
8
   English Horn 
8
   English Post Horn 
8
   Viola 
8
   Tuba Sonora 
8
   Violins (2 ranks)
8
   Tromba 
8
   Concert Flute 
8
   Diapason 
8
   Lieblich Gedeckt 
8
   Tibia Clausa 
8
   Dulciana 
8
   Basset Horn 
8
   Unda Maris 
8
   Clarinet 
8
   Vox Humana 
8
   Saxophone 
8
   Vox Humana (2 ranks)
8
   'Cellos (2 ranks)
4
   Clarion 
8
   English Horn 
4
   Muted Octave 
8
   Cathedral Chimes 
4
   Octave Viola 
2
   Glockenspiel 
4
   Violins (2 ranks)     Snare Drum, band roll  
4
   Traverse Flute (Concert Flute)
 
   Snare Drum, orchestra roll
4
   Flute d'Amour (Gedeckt)

  Chinese Block, roll
4
   Dulciana

  Triangle
4
   Unda Maris

  Bird
4
   Vox Humana

  Orchestral to Accompaniment
4
   Vox Humana (2 ranks)     Solo to Accompaniment
2 2/3
   Nazard (Gedeckt)      
2
   Piccolo (Concert Flute) Accompaniment Pizzicato
2
   Flautina
8
   English Post Horn
2
   Dolcetin (Dulciana)
8
   Tuba Sonora
1 3/5
   Tierce (Gedeckt)
8
   Melophone
8
   Grand Piano
8
   Tibia Clausa
4
   Grand Piano
8
   Saxophone
8
   Marimba
8
   'Cellos (2 ranks)
8
   Marimba Harp     Orchestral to Accompaniment
4
   Xylophone     Solo to Accompaniment
2
   Glockenspiel      
8
   Harp      
4
   Celesta      
           
Great (Manual II) – 61 notes
32
   Double Lieblich Gedeckt [TC]
2
   Glockenspiel
16
   Trombone
8
   Harp
16
   Muted Diapason
4
   Celesta
16
   Lieblich Gedeckt
 
   Snare Drum, band tap
8
   Trumpet     Snare Drum, band roll
8
   Tuba Sonora     Snare Drum, orchestra roll
8
   Tromba     Octave
8
   Diapason     Accompaniment Sub to Great
8
   Melophone     Accompaniment Unison to Great
8
   Open Diapason (1st)     Accompaniment Octave to Great
8
   Open Diapason (2nd)

  Orchestral Sub to Great
8
   Violin Diapason

  Orchestral Unison to Great
8
   Tibia Clausa     Orchestral Octave to Great
8
   Tibia Minor     Solo Unison to Great
8
   Muted Diapason     Solo Octave to Great
8
   French Horn      
8
   Viola Great Second Touch
8
   Concert Flute
16
   English Post Horn
8
   Lieblich Gedeckt
16
   Tuba Profunda
8
   Dulciana
16
   Contra Tibia Clausa
8
   Unda Maris
16
   Basset Horn [TC]
8
   Vox Humana
16
   Bass Clarinet [TC]
8
   Vox Humana (2 ranks)
16
   English Horn
4
   Tromba Clarion
8
   Tuba Mirabilis
4
   Octave
8
   English Post Horn
4
   Muted Octave
8
   Tuba Sonora
4
   Tibia Minor
8
   Diapason
4
   Traverse Flute (Concert Flute)
4
   Tibia Flute
4
   Flute d'Amour (Gedeckt)
4
   Harmonic Flute
2 2/3–2
   12th & 15th (2 ranks)     Snare Drum, band roll
2
   Super Octave (Muted Diapason)     Snare Drum, orchestra roll
2
   Flautina (Gedeckt)     Chinese Block, roll
    Mixture (4 ranks)     Triangle
8
   Grand Piano     Orchestral to Great
8
   Cathedral Chimes     Solo to Great
4
   Xylophone      

   

   
Orchestral (Manual III) – 61 notes
16
   Wald Horn
8
   Muted Violins (2 ranks)
16
   Violin Diapason 
8
   Concert Flute 
16
   Bourdon (Tibia Minor)
8
   Dulciana 
16
   Vox Humana [TC]
8
   Unda Maris 
16
   Vox Humana (2 ranks) [TC]
8
   Vox Humana 
8
   English Post Horn 
8
   Vox Humana (2 ranks)
8
   Trumpet 
4
   Clarion (Wald Horn)
8
   Tuba Sonora 
4
   Octave (Violin Diapason)
8
   Diapason 
4
   Tibia Minor 
8
   Melophone 
4
   Traverse Flute (Concert Flute)
8
   Horn Diapason 
4
   Harmonic Flute 
8
   Violin Diapason 
4
   Flute d'Amour (Gedeckt)
8
   Wald Horn 
4
   Vox Humana 
8
   Tibia Clausa 
4
   Vox Humana (2 ranks)
8
   Tibia Minor 
2 2/3
   Nazard (Gedeckt)
8
   Basset Horn 
2
   Piccolo (Tibia Minor)
8
   Orchestral Oboe 
2
   Harmonic Piccolo 
8
   Clarinet 
2
   Flautina (Gedeckt)
8
   Saxophone 
1 3/5
   Tierce (Gedeckt)
8
   French Horn      Mixture (6 ranks)
8
   Kinura 
8
   Grand Piano 
8
   English Horn 
8
   Marimba 
8
   Oboe Horn 
8
   Marimba Harp 
8
   Gamba 
4
   Xylophone 
8
   Gamba Celeste 
2
   Glockenspiel 
8
   Salicional 
8
   Harp 
8
   Voix Celeste 
4
   Celesta 
8
   Viola      Octave
8
   Violin 'Cello      Accompaniment Unison to Orchestral
8
   'Cello Celeste      Accompaniment Octave to Orchestral
8
   Violins (2 ranks)     Solo Unison to Orchestral
8
   Spitz Flute Celeste (2 ranks)     Solo Octave to Orchestral

   

   
Solo (Manual IV) – 61 notes
16
   English Post Horn
8
   Violin 'Cello 
16
   Tuba Profunda 
8
   'Cello Celeste 
16
   Wald Horn 
8
   Violins (2 ranks)
16
   Contra Tibia Clausa 
8
   Concert Flute 
16
   Basset Horn [TC]
8
   Vox Humana 
16
   Bassoon [TC] (Orchestral Oboe)
8
   Vox Humana (2 ranks)
16
   Bass Clarinet [TC]
4
   Cornet (Tuba Sonora)
16
   Bass Saxophone [TC]
4
   Clarion (Wald Horn)
16
   Kinura [TC]
4
   Tibia Flute
16
   English Horn
4
   Tibia Minor
16
   Violone
4
   Harmonic Flute
16
   Contra Viole
4
   Octave Viola
16
   Vox Humana [TC]
4
   Cello
16
   Vox Humana (2 ranks) [TC]
4
   Violins (2 ranks)
8
   Tuba Mirabilis
2 2/3
   Tibia Twelfth
8
   English Post Horn
2 2/3
   Flute Twelfth (Tibia Minor)
8
   Trumpet
2
   Tibia Piccolo
8
   Tuba Sonora
2
   Piccolo (Tibia Minor)
8
   Wald Horn
2
   Harmonic Piccolo
8
   Diapason
8
   Grand Piano
8
   Melophone
4
   Grand Piano
8
   Violin Diapason
8
   Cathedral Chimes
8
   Tibia Clausa
8
   Marimba
8
   Tibia Minor
8
   Marimba Harp
8
   Basset Horn
4
   Xylophone
8
   Orchestral Oboe
2
   Xylophone
8
   Clarinet
2
   Glockenspiel
8
   Saxophone
2
   Orchestral Bells
8
   French Horn
8
   Harp
8
   Kinura
4
   Celesta
8
   English Horn     Octave
8
   Viola      

   

   
STOP & CHAMBER ANALYSIS
               
     
Pitch
Pipes
Pressure
GREAT
1.
   Contra Bass [Pedal]
16 – 4
56
  
10"
  
2.
   Gedeckt
16 – 2
97
  
10"
  
3.
   Muted Diapason
16 – 2
97
  
10"
  
4.
   Viola
16 – 4
97
  
10"
  
5.
   Trombone/Tromba
16 – 4
85
  
15"
  
6.
   French Horn [1-12 Diaphone]
16 – 8
85
  
10"
  
7.
   First Open Diapason
8
73
  
10"
  
8.
   Second Open Diapason
8
73
  
10"
  
9.
   Concert Flute
8 – 4
85
  
10"
  
10.-11.
   Violins (2 ranks)
8
146
  
10"
  
12.
   Dulciana
8 – 4
85
  
10"
  
13.
   Unda Maris
8 – 4
85
  
10"
  
14.
   Clarinet
8
73
  
10"
  
15.
   Orchestral Oboe
8
73
  
10"
  
16.
   Octave
4
73
  
10"
  
17.-18.
   12th & 15th (2 ranks)
2-2/3 & 2
122
  
10"
  
19.-22.
   Mixture (4 ranks)  
244
  
10"
  
    Chrysoglott with dampers  
49
      
    Bird          
               
ORCHESTRAL
23.
   Violin Diapason
16 – 4
97
  
10"
  
24.
   Tibia Minor
16 – 4
97
  
10"
  
25.
   Wald Horn
16 – 4
97
  
10"
  
26.
   Horn Diapason
8
73
  
10"
  
27.-28.
   Spitz Flute Celeste (2 ranks)
8
134
  
10"
  
29.
   Gamba
8
73
  
10"
  
30.
   Gamba Celeste
8
73
  
10"
  
31.
   Salicional
8
73
  
10"
  
32.
   Voix Celeste
8
73
  
10"
  
33.-34.
   Muted Violin (2 ranks)
8
146
  
10"
  
35.
   Brass Trumpet
8
73
  
10"
  
36.
   Oboe Horn
8
73
  
10"
  
37.
   Vox Humana
8
73
  
6"
  
38.-39.
   Vox Humana (2 ranks)
8
146
  
6"
  
40.-45.
   Mixture (6 ranks)  
366
  
10"
  
               
SOLO
46.
   Tuba Sonora
32 – 4
109
  
15"
  
47.
   Tibia Clausa
32 – 4
109
  
15"
  
48.
   English Post Horn
16 – 8
85
  
15"
  
49.
   Diaphonic Diapason
8 – 4
85
  
25"
  
50.
   English Horn
16 – 8
85
  
10"
  
51.
   Violone/'Cello
16 – 4
97
  
15"
  
52.
   Cello Celeste
8
73
  
15"
  
53.
   Tuba Mirabilis
8
73
  
25"
  
54.
   Melophone
8
73
  
15"
  
55.
   Brass Saxophone
8
73
  
10"
  
56.
   Kinura
8
73
  
10"
  
57.
   Brass Horn
8
73
  
10"
  
58.
   Harmonic Flute
4
73
  
15"
  
               
PERCUSSION          
    Xylophone
4
49 notes
    
    Marimba
8
49 notes
    
    Glockenspiel
2
37 notes
    
    Chimes with dampers
8
25 notes
    
    Trap Assembly          
               
UNENCLOSED          
    Grand Piano (9' Mason & Hamlin)
16 – 4
85 notes
    
           
Sources:
     Junchen, David L., comp. and ed. by Jeff Weiler. The WurliTzer Pipe Organ – An Illustrated History. Chicago: The American Theatre Organ Society, 2005.
     Kaufmann, Preston J. Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. 3. Pasadena: Showcase Publications, 1995.
     Messineo, David. Document on the organ in Radio City Music Hall.

Illustrations:
     Steven E. Lawson: organ consoles