Recent discussions about large instruments and the components used to
make them reminded me of an interesting ranklist posted several years ago by Chris
Anderson, who had noted the information during a visit to the Sanfilippo
residence. Some additional data was
later provided by Robert Swaney, who has worked on the organ. Some recent changes (a different Brass
Trumpet and the exchange of some ranks between the front and the Etherial
chambers) are not represented below, and apologies are offered in advance for
any and all inaccuracies!
I took advantage of the on-line Wurlitzer opus list to see what could be
deduced about the Wurlitzer portions of this instrument, including when the original
instruments had been removed from their theatres and approximately how many
owners there might have been before the parts arrived in Barrington,
Illinois. Exact details are probably
impossible to obtain, but this examination tends to suggest that few, if any,
original instruments were broken up specifically to construct this particular
organ. (Of course, that doesn't change
the fact that a great many instruments have been broken up over the years!)
========== Sanfilippo rank list follows ==========
(This list is based on material from Chris Anderson and Robert Swaney.)
Rank Maker Source
MAIN CHAMBER
Chorus Trumpet Kimball unknown
Clarinet
Wurlitzer
Egyptian Th, Hollywood, CA
Open Diapason
Wurlitzer
Riviera Th, Omaha, NE
Viol D'Orchestre
Wurlitzer
Riviera Th, Omaha, NE
Viol D'Orch Celeste Wurlitzer
Riviera Th, Omaha, NE
Leiblich Flute Meyer new
Vox Minor Kimball Stillwater, MN St. Johns Esp.
Koppel Flute Meyer new
Erzahler Meyer new
Erzahler Celeste Meyer new
Tibia Clausa Murray Harris
unknown
Vox Humana
Wurlitzer
Riviera Th, Omaha, NE
Voix Celeste
Wurlitzer
Nile Th, Mesa, AZ
Diaphonic Diapason (20")
Wurlitzer
Hub Roller Rink, Chicago, IL
Salicional
Wurlitzer
Paramount Th, Los Angeles, CA
Concert Flute
Wurlitzer
Riviera Th, Omaha, NE
Marimba Harp
Chrysoglott
FOUNDATION CHAMBER
Gemshorn Meyer new
Gemshorn Celeste Meyer new
Violin Celeste Kimball 1st Presbyterian, Oakland, CA
4' Principal Meyer new
Diapason Minor Dennison WTMJ Radio Milwaukee (Barton)
Violin Kimball 1st Presbyterian, Oakland, CA
Nachthorn Meyer
new
Rohrflute Schopp new
Chorus Tuba Dennison Oriental Th, Milwaukee, WI (Barton)
2' Fourniture IV Meyer new
2' Fifteenth Meyer new
Tuba Horn
Wurlitzer
Riviera Th, Omaha, NE
Tibia Clausa (10")
Wurlitzer unknown
Vox Mezzo Dennison Paramount Th, Newport News, VA
Glockenspiel Wurlitzer
Chimes Kimball
SOLO CHAMBER
Kinura Wurlitzer
Fox Th, Denver, CO
Oboe Horn
Wurlitzer
Riviera Th, Omaha, NE
(16'Oboe Horn Trivo new, 12p)
Solo String Celeste Wurlitzer
Riviera Th, Omaha, NE
(16' SS Celeste Meyer new, 12p)
Quintadena Wurlitzer
Riviera Th, Omaha, NE
Solo String Austin new
(16' Solo String Meyer new, 12p)
Horn Diapason Meyer new
Orchestral Oboe
Wurlitzer
Egyptian Th, Hollywood, CA
Vox
Wurlitzer
Riviera Th, Omaha, NE
Tibia Clausa (25")
Wurlitzer
Paramount Th, Los Angeles, CA
Brass Trumpet
Wurlitzer Paramount Th,
Nashville
Saxophone
Wurlitzer
Riviera Th, Omaha, NE
Vox Mystica Aeolian Residence, Minneapolis
Harmonic Flute Dennison(M&C)
Pacific Th, Hollywood
Flauto Dolce Cel Meyer new
Horn Diapason Cel
Wurlitzer
Coliseum Th, Seattle, WA
Flauto Dolce Meyer new
1 1/3 Scharf IV Meyer new
Sleigh Bells
ORCHESTRAL CHAMBER
French Horn Kimball Westminster Pres, Minneapolis
Flauto Mirabilis Aeolian Baptist church, Milwaukee
Cello Celeste Kimball Stanton Th, Baltimore
Cello Kimball Stanton Th, Baltimore
Cor Anglais Kilgen Church St. Louis,MO
Trumpet (Style D)
Wurlitzer unknown
Solo Saxophone
Gottfried Ardmore,
Philadelphia
Basset Horn Kimball St. Louis Th
Solo Violin (20")
Wurlitzer unknown (Junchen
rebuild)
(16' Solo Violin Meyer new, 12p)
Solo Violin Celeste Wurlitzer
unknown (Junchen rebuild)
(16' Solo Viol Cel Meyer new, 12p)
Major Vox Hinners Pekin The, Pekin, IL
Musette Trivo new
Tuba Mirabilis (25") Wurlitzer
Liberty Th, Portland, OR
Tibia Clausa (25")
Wurlitzer
Egyptian Th, Hollywood, CA
Krumet
Wurlitzer
Chinese Th, Hollywood, CA *** NOT SO - 1541 never had a Krumet (from Tom DeLay 2006)
English Posthorn Schopp Built for Ciceros resturant MN
(16' Posthorn Trivo new, 12p, voiced by Century Pipe
Organs)
Xylophone Wurlitzer
UNENCLOSED, in front (in chamber or exposed)
32' Diaphone
Wurlitzer 12p, small scale
set
32' Bombarde Wicks new, 12p, voiced by Century Pipe
Organs
32' Magnaton Austin/Wicks 12 new resonators by Wicks
32' Tibia Crome new, 12p
Tuba Maxima (25") Austin Bill Brown's resturant
BACK WALL, en chamade
Trumpet Imperial Bizick/Organ
Supply Voiced by David Junchen
Bugle Battaglia Schopp Voiced by Century Pipe Organs MN
ETHEREAL CHAMBER (within skylight across from trumpets)
Stopped Diapason unknown unknown
Dulcett unknown unknown
Dulcett Celeste unknown unknown
Dulciana unknown unknown
Dulciana Celeste unknown unknown
Vox Humana unknown unknown
Vox Humana unknown unknown
Vox Humana unknown unknown
Blower: 50hp Orgoblo, spare from Fox Th, San Francisco, CA
The following theatres are the Wurlitzer instruments named above,
including their opus numbers and the years in which the organs appears to have
been removed from the theatres. In many
cases, there appear to have been several owners before the particular
components were installed in the Sanfilippo instrument. Because only the Wurlitzer opus list is
readily available (thanks, Peter and Jerrell!), it is not easy to give this information
for the non-Wurlitzer components.
Egyptian Th, Hollywood, CA
(#505,1956)
Riviera Th, Omaha, NE
(#1571,1966)
Nile Th, Mesa, AZ
(#841,1948)
Hub Roller Rink, Chicago, IL
(#2165,??)
Paramount Th, Los Angeles, CA
(#534, 1960s??)
Fox Th, Denver, CO
(#1726,1973)
Paramount Th, Nashville, TN
(#2132,??)
Coliseum Th, Seattle, WA
(#170,1960s??)
Liberty Th, Portland, OR
(#164,1963)
Fox Th, San Francisco, CA
(#2012,1963)
Just to be completely obsessive about this, I thought it might also be
fun to see how the instrument breaks down in terms of the various
manufacturers. I've added the
chamber designation to the front of each
item. (A 12-note extension is
given as an "item" but not counted as a
"rank"; mixtures are counted as 4 ranks each.)
M Clarinet Wurlitzer
M Open Diapason Wurlitzer
M Viol D'Orchestre Wurlitzer
M Viol D'Orch Celeste Wurlitzer
M Vox Humana Wurlitzer
M Voix Celeste Wurlitzer
M Diaphonic Diapason Wurlitzer
M Salicional Wurlitzer
M Concert Flute Wurlitzer
F Tuba Horn Wurlitzer
F Tibia Clausa (10")
Wurlitzer
S Kinura Wurlitzer
S Oboe Horn Wurlitzer
S Solo String Celeste Wurlitzer
S Quintadena Wurlitzer
S Orchestral Oboe Wurlitzer
S Vox Wurlitzer
S Tibia Clausa (25")
Wurlitzer
S Brass Trumpet Wurlitzer
S Saxophone Wurlitzer
S Horn Diapason Cel Wurlitzer
O Trumpet (Style D) Wurlitzer
O Solo Violin (20")
Wurlitzer
O Solo Violin Celeste Wurlitzer
O Tuba Mirabilis (25") Wurlitzer
O Tibia Clausa (25")
Wurlitzer
O Krumet Wurlitzer
U 32' Diaphone
Wurlitzer total: 27
ranks, 28 items
M Leiblich Flute Meyer
M Koppel Flute Meyer
M Erzahler Meyer
M Erzahler Celeste Meyer
F Gemshorn Meyer
F Gemshorn Celeste Meyer
F 4' Principal Meyer
F Nachthorn Meyer
F 2' Fourniture IV Meyer
F 2' Fifteenth Meyer
S 16' SS Celeste Meyer (12
pipes)
S 16' Solo String Meyer (12
pipes)
S Horn Diapason Meyer
S Flauto Dolce Cel Meyer
S Flauto Dolce Meyer
S 1 1/3 Scharf IV Meyer
O 16' Solo Violin Meyer (12
pipes)
O 16' Solo Viol Cel Meyer (12
pipes) total: 20 ranks, 18 items
M Chorus Trumpet Kimball
M Vox Minor Kimball
F Violin Celeste Kimball
F Violin Kimball
O French Horn Kimball
O Cello Celeste Kimball
O Cello Kimball
O Basset Horn
Kimball total: 8 ranks,
8 items
E Stopped Diapason unknown
E Dulcett unknown
E Dulcett Celeste unknown
E Dulciana unknown
E Dulciana Celeste unknown
E Vox Humana unknown
E Vox Humana unknown
E Vox Humana unknown total: 8 ranks, 8 items
F Diapason Minor Dennison
F Chorus Tuba Dennison
F Vox Mezzo Dennison
S Harmonic Flute
Dennison total: 4 ranks,
4 items
S Solo String Austin
U 32' Magnaton Austin
U Tuba Maxima Austin total: 2 ranks, 3 items
F Rohrflute Schopp
O English Posthorn Schopp
E Bugle Battaglia Schopp total: 3 ranks, 3 items
S 16'Oboe Horn Trivo (12
pipes)
O Musette Trivo
O 16' Posthorn Trivo (12
pipes) total: 1 rank, 3 items
S Vox Mystica Aeolian
O Flauto Mirabilis
Aeolian total: 2 ranks,
2 items
U 32' Bombarde Wicks (12
pipes)
U 32' Magnaton Wicks (12 resonators) : 0
ranks, 2 items
E Trumpet Imperial
Bizick/Organ Supply : 1 rank,
1 items
U 32' Tibia Crome (12
pipes) total: 0 ranks, 1 item
O Solo Saxophone
Gottfried total: 1 rank,
1 item
O Major Vox
Hinners total: 1 rank,
1 item
O Cor Anglais Kilgen total: 1 rank, 1 item
M Tibia Clausa Murray
Harris total: 1 rank,
1 item
Grande Total: 80 ranks, 85 items
Of this total, the new material (post-theatre organ era)is by Meyer,
Austin, Schopp, Trivo, Wicks, Bizick, and Crome, for a total of 27 new
ranks or 31 new "items".
Larry Chace - June 1999