Keith Chapman The Grand Court Organ John Wanamaker – Philadelphia

While the majority of concert halls and churches in America and Europe contain pipe organs, there are, scattered throughout the world, relatively few instruments that can be regarded as monuments to the art of organ building. These instruments represent turning points in stylistic design, pinnacles of craftsmanship, or have earned a place in history through the artists who have performed on them. The John Wanamaker Organ qualifies on all three points. Though it is the largest musical instrument in man’s history, its fame is based on its artistic construction, unique tonal design, and an association with the greatest performers of the twentieth century.
Rodman Wanamaker was not interested in creating a mere tourist attraction, but clearly stated, upon viewing the Grand Court of the new John Wanamaker Store in 1908, “I want the finest organ in the world built up there above that gallery!”
Since there exist so many distinctly different styles of organ design, it is impossible to declare any one instrument to be the finest, but the Wanamaker Organ is undeniably the finest of its genre. It includes the fundamental pipework of the Romantic style instrument but goes far beyond the scope of the largest cathedral organs. It was designed to encompass the breadth and sonority of the symphony orchestra. Indeed, it was the purpose of the designers to provide a single virtuoso performer with the resources to transcribe virtually anything in the symphonic literature.
Since 1966, tens of thousands of people from around the world have visited the Grand Court of the John Wanamaker Store in Philadelphia to hear Keith Chapman perform on the massive 6 manual, 469 rank instrument. The three daily recitals are a continuation of a ritual begun when the organ was first heard in 1911. Since then the organ has been played every business day.

Keith Chapman
The Grand Court Organ
John Wanamaker – Philadelphia

00:00 César Franck, Pièce Héroïque
08:13 Georg Friedrich Händel, Concerto Nr. 4 F-Dur (Allegro)
12:36 Louis Vierne, Symphonie no. 1 (Andante)
19:27 Joseph Jongen, Choral
24:12 Richard Purvis, Les petites Cloches
Léon Boëllmann, Suite gothique
26:06 Introduction-Choral
29:20 Menuet gothique
31:24 Prière
36:01 Toccata

Stentorian SC 1685
released in 1973

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to this music, so any request from the rights holders will be met by me taking the video down. Thank you.
historic.organrecordings@web.de