Rivoli Theatre - New York City (photo: Joe Coco Collection of New York Theatres)
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Rivoli Theatre
1620 Broadway at 49th Street
New York, N.Y. 10019

Organ Specifications:
► III/15 "Style 260 Special" Wurlitzer, Op. 839 (1924)
► IV/36 Austin Organ Company, Op. 709 (1917)


The 2,270-seat Rivoli Theatre, a Greek Revival building designed by Thomas W. Lamb, first opened to the public on December 28, 1917, with the Douglas Fairbanks movie, "A Modern Musketeer," supported by a "live" program featuring musical soloists, the organ and house orchestra. Loge seats were $1 at all times. General admission was 60 and 30 cents for evening performances, and 30 cents at matinees.

Rivoli Theatere - New York City  
   
Rivoli Theatere - New York City  
The Rivoli was conceived as a sister theater for the Rialto and a place where, as at the Rialto and other Roxy theaters, music would be featured. Noted for its acoustics, the Rivoli auditorium was originally designed to showcase Dr. Hugo Riesenfeld's fifty-piece orchestra, plus a once-a-week performance by the combined orchestras of the Rialto and Rivoli, called the Rothapfel Symphony Orchestra, after theater impresario S. L. "Roxy" Rothapfel, who managed both it and the Rialto. After opening the Rialto in 1916, Roxy had quickly noted the importance of music in his programming, especially the popularity of soloists, the organ, and the orchestra. Though other movie palaces of the 1910s and 1920s had stages to present stage shows and elaborate dramatic acts, the Rivoli originally had no stage. It had three proscenia – a center one for a screen and side ones for soloists and an orchestra. A full stage was not built until 1926, when it was used to accommodate the sorts of stage show presentations that had become popular in the 1920s.

In its middle years, the Rivoli was one of New York City's finest 'roadshow' theaters and was converted to 70mm Todd-AO with a deeply curved screen by Michael Todd in the 50s for his feature, "Around the World in 80 Days." Many other 70mm films played there including "West Side Story." In 1963, Fox put up an Egyptian façade on the building for "Cleopatra" which was kept until the 80s when it was altered to avoid the building being landmarked. Sadly, the theatre was demolished in 1987.
           
  Console of Wurlitzer Organ, Op. 839 (1924) originally in the Rivoli Theatre - New York City (credit: William P. Greenwood)
Wurlitzer – Hope-Jones Unit Orchestra
North Tonawanda, N.Y. – Opus 839 (1924)
Electro-pneumatic action
Style "260 Special"
3 manuals, 15 ranks, 7 tuned percussions, 14 traps



Wurlitzer's Op. 839 has a factory date of June 2, 1924.
               
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
32
  Diaphone       Bass Drum  
16
  Ophicleide       Kettle Drum  
16
  Diaphone       Snare Drum  
16
   Tibia Clausa       Crash Cymbal  
16
   Bourdon       Cymbal  
8
   Tuba Horn       Great to Pedal  
8
   Octave       Solo to Pedal  
8
   Tibia Clausa          
8
   Clarinet       Pedal 2nd Touch  
8
   Saxophone  
32
   Diaphone - Pizzicato  
8
   String  
16
   Ophicleide - Pizzicato  
8
   Cello          
8
   Flute       1st Touch & 2nd Touch Traps Switch
4
   Flute          
16
   Piano       3 Adjustable Comb. Toe Pistons

     

     
Accompaniment Organ (Manual I) –- 61 notes
16
  Contra Viol (TC)       Chrysoglott  
16
  Bourdon       Snare Drum  
16
   Vox Humana (TC)       Tambourine  
8
  Tuba Horn       Castanets  
8
  Diaphonic Diapason       Chinese Block  
8
  Tibia Clausa       Tom Tom  
8
   Clarinet       Sand Block  
8
   Saxophone       Accomp. Octave  
8
   String       Solo to Accomp.  
8
   Viol d'Orchestre        
8
   Viol Celeste       Accompaniment 2nd Touch
8
   Oboe Horn  
8
   Tuba Horn  
8
   Quintadena  
8
   Tibia Clausa  
8
   Flute       Cathedral Chimes  
8
   Vox Humana       Sleigh Bells  
4
   Viol       Xylophone  
4
   Octave Celeste       Triangle  
4
   Flute       Solo to Accomp.  
4
   Vox Humana       Solo to Accomp. - Pizzicato
2 2/3
   Twelfth        
2
   Piccolo       10 Double Touch Adj. Comb. Pistons
16
   Piano        
8
   Piano       Suitable Bass & Release
4
   Piano       Auto Horn - key cheek button
    Mandolin       Bell - key cheek button
    Harp       Sostenuto - rocker tablet, left key cheek
             
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
16
  Ophicleide  
16
   Piano  
16
  Diaphone  
8
   Piano  
16
  Tibia Clausa  
4
  Piano  
16
  Clarinet (TC)       Marimba (re-it)  
16
  Saxophone (TC)       Harp  
16
   Contra Viol (TC)       Bells  
16
   Bourdon       Sleigh Bells  
8
   Trumpet       Xylophone  
8
   Tuba Horn       Glockenspiel  
8
   Diaphonic Diapason       Chrysoglott  
8
   Tibia Clausa       Cathedral Chimes  
8
   Orchestral Oboe       Sub Octave  
8
   Kinura       Octave  
8
   Clarinet       Solo to Great  
8
   Saxophone          
8
   String       Great 2nd Touch  
8
   Viol d'Orchestre  
16
   Ophicleide  
8
   Viol Celeste  
8
   Tibia Clausa  
8
   Flute       Octave  
8
   Vox Humana       Solo to Great  
4
   Clarion       Solo to Great - Pizzicato  
4
   Piccolo          
4
   Viol       10 Double Touch Adj. Comb. Pistons
4
   Octave Celeste        
4
   Flute       Suitable Bass & Release
2 2/3
   Twelfth       Sostenuto - rocker tablet, left key cheek
2
   Fifteenth       Surf - key cheek button
2
   Piccolo       Bird #1 - key cheek button
1 3/5
   Tierce          
               
Solo Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes
16
   Ophicleide  
8
   Quintadena  
8
   Trumpet  
4
   Clarion  
8
   Tuba Horn  
4
   Piccolo  
8
   Diaphonic Diapason       Xylophone  
8
   Tibia Clausa       Glockenspiel  
8
   Orchestral Oboe       Orchestral Bells (re-it)  
8
   Kinura       Cathedral Chimes  
8
   Clarinet          
8
   Saxophone       10 Double Touch Adj. Comb. Pistons
8
   String        
8
   Oboe Horn       Suitable Bass & Release
               
Tremulants (6)
    Main       Vox Humana  
    Solo       Tuba  
    Tibia Clausa       Diapason  
               
General
    Crescendo Pedal
    Balanced Expression Pedal – Main – with indicator key
    Balanced Expression Pedal – Solo– with indicator key
    General Expression Pedal (Piano Sustain Button)
    One Double Touch Sforzando Pedal - Piano Pedal
     • 1st Touch: Full stops (wind)
     • 2nd Touch: Everything
    One Double Touch Sforzando Pedal - Piano Pedal
     • 1st Touch: Snare Drum
     • 2nd Touch: Bass Drum and Cymbal
               
Effects (operated by toe pistons)
    Steamboat Whistle   Fire Gong
    Bird #2   Horse Hoofs
         
 
  Austin console at Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Austin Organ Company
Hartford, Conn. –Opus 709 (1917)
Electro-pneumatic action
4 manuals, 52 registers, 36 stops, 36 ranks


The original organ in the Rivoli Theatre was built in 1917 by the Austin Organ Company for the "Triumph Theatre," the planned name for what ultimately opened as the Rivoli. When the Wurlitzer organ was installed in 1924, the Austin organ was moved to the John Lingrend residence in Minneapolis, Minn. In 1928, the organ was moved by Harry Oliver Iverson, organ builder of Minneapolis, to Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. The following specification is from the Dedicatory Recital program (March 4, 1928) of the organ in Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis. It is not known if the organ was altered since its installation in the Rivoli Theatre.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
   Diapason (unenclosed)
61
8
  Dulciana
61
8
  Diapason
61
8
   Unda Maris
61
8
  Gross Flute
61
4
   Principal
61
8
  Melodia
61
8
   Trumpet
61
               
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Diapason Phonon
73
4
   Flute Transverso
73
8
   Doppel Flute
73
4
   Violina
73
8
   Salicional
73
16
   Contra Fagotto
73
8
   Celeste (TC)
61
8
   Horn
73
8
   Vox Seraphique
73
8
   Vox Humana (sep. chest)
73
8
   Quintadena
73
  Tremolo

     

     
Choir and Orchestral Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed with Great
8
   Major Flute
SO
4
  Harmonic Flute
GT
8
  Gross Flute
GT
4
  Flute Overte
SO
8
  Concert Flute
73
8
   Oboe
73
8
  Flute Celeste (TC)
61
8
   Clarinet
73
8
   Gamba
SO
8
   English Horn
SO
8
   Gamba Celeste
SO
  Tremolo
8
   Dulciana
GT
  Chimes
8
   Unda Maris
GT
  Harpe "Celeste"
               
Solo Organ (Manual IV) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Major Flute
73
8
   Tuba Magna
73
8
   Gamba
73
8
   English Horn
73
8
   Gamba Celeste
73
  Tremolo
4
   Flute-Overte
73
  Harpe "Celeste"
CH
               
String Organ (floating) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   VIol d'Orchestra
73
8
   Nitsua *
73
8
   Celeste (sharp, TC)
61
8
   Celeste * (TC)
61
8
   Celeste (flat, TC)
61
 
* tapered Gamba

     

     
Pedal Organ – 32 notes (Augmented)
32
   Resultant
—
8
   Dolce Flute (fr. Bourdon)
—
16
   Open Diapason
32
8
   'Cello
SO
16
   Bourdon
44
16
   Tuba (ext. SO Tuba)
12
16
   Violone (ext. SO Gamba?)
12
16
   Fagotto
SW
8
   Gross Flute
GT
   
               
Couplers
    Great to Pedal 8'     Solo to Swell 8'
    Swell to Pedal 8'     String to Swell 8'
    Choir to Pedal 8'     Choir to Choir 16', 4', Unison Off
    Solo to Pedal 8'     Swell to Choir 16', 8', 4'
    String to Pedal 8'     Solo to Choir 8'
    Great to Great 16', 4', Unison Off     String to Orchestral 8'
    Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'     Solo to Solo 16', 4', Unison Off
    Choir to Great 16', 8', 4'     Swell to Solo 8'
    Solo to Great 16', 8', 4'     Great to Solo 8'
    Swell to Swell 16', 4', Unison Off     String to Solo 8'
               
Combination Pistons (adjustable at console)
   
Solo stops & couplers Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (thumb)
Swell stops & couplers Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (thumb)
Great stops & couplers Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (thumb)
Choir stops & couplers Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (thumb)
Generals Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (thumb)
Generals Pistons 9-10-11-12-13-14 (toe)
               
Pedal Movements
    Swell expression pedal   Great to Pedal Reversible
    Solo expression pedal   Sforzando Pedal
    Great & Choir expression pedal    
    Crescendo pedal    
           
Sources:
     AJWB Collection. Specification of Wurlitzer Organ, Op. 839 (1924).
     Belton, John. "The Rivoli," "in 70mm," (Issue 59, Dec. 1999).
     Cinema Treasures web site: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/555
     Dedicatory Recital program with specification (Mar. 4, 1928) of Austin organ, Op. 709. Courtesy Jeff Scofield.
     Joe Coco Collection of New York Theatres, Theatre Historical Society of America: http://www.historictheatres.org/
     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.
     Melnick, Ross, and Andreas Fuchs. Cinema Treasures: A New Look at Classic Movie Theaters. St. Paul, MN: MBI Publishing Company, 2004.
     Ochse, Orpha. Austin Organs. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 2001.

Illustrations:
     Cinema Treasures web site. Interiors.
     Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Console of Austin organ, Op. 709. Courtesy Mark Kieffer.
     Joe Coco Collection of New York Theatres. Exterior.
     Greenwood, William P. Console of Wurlitzer Organ, Op. 839 (1924).