Specifications

RENAISSANCE 450 SECTION III
18.
ARTISTIC REGISTRATION
This section is intended to aid the organist that is looking for suggestions. By no
means should registration be confined to only what is included here. Organ
registrations fall into two broad categories: solo registrations and ensembles.
SOLO REGISTRATIONS:
A solo registration is one in which a melody is played on one keyboard, the
accompaniment part played on another keyboard, and the pedal often provides a
supportive bass line. Almost any stop or combination of stops will sound good as a
solo voice. A contrasting tone quality should be chosen for the accompaniment, so
that the accompaniment is softer than the solo voice. The Pedal stops must provide a
foundation for the sound without being too loud.
Most 8’ reed stops make interesting solo voices. The addition of a 4’ flute or a flute
mutation (e.g., Nasard or Tierce) to a reed such as the Trumpet, colors the sound
further and increases its volume slightly. Adding an 8’ flute to a reed will add body
and fullness to the tone.
Flutes can be used alone or in combinations as solo voices. One special combination
of flutes that creates an appealing and historically significant solo combination is the
Cornet (pronounced kor-NAY). The Cornet is created by using the following Swell
stops: 8’ Rohr Bourdon, 4’ Traverse Flute, 2-2/3’ Nasard, 2’ Piccolo, and 1-3/5’
Tierce. This solo combination was used widely in Baroque organ music, but it is just
as appropriate for some modern music. Useful variations of the Cornet may be
achieved by eliminating the 4’, the 2’, or both.
When choosing stops for a solo voice, it is not always necessary to include an 8’ stop;
for example, since the 4’ flute has a tone quality different from that of the 8’ flute, the
4’ flute can be used as an independent solo voice. By playing the solo an octave lower
than written, the notes will sound at the correct pitch. In similar fashion, a 16’ stop
can be selected and the notes played an octave higher than written. Tonal variety will
be gained, because each stop has its own tone color.
For accompaniment, desirable voices are the 8’ flutes and strings on each manual.
Celestes often make effective accompaniments. The correct choice depends on the
volume of the solo tone (a soft solo voice requires the softest accompaniment stop), the
element of contrast, and the location of the solo stop. A bright, harmonically rich solo
reed, for example, can be accompanied by either a string or flute, but the flute will
often contribute more interest because of its greater contrast.
Try to seek a “natural” balance of volume between solo and accompaniment. This
will be especially easy to accomplish since the solo and accompaniment are under
separate expression.