A comprehensive dictionary of organ stops - Allen Organ Studio of ...

DICTIONARY OF ORGAN STOPS. 157
Tonitru— (Lat.) = a rumbling sound, thunder. A name applied by Mr.
Hope-Jones to a 64 ft. Resultant Bass.
Tonus Fabri—(Lat.) Tonus = tone, Faber = a metal-worker or blacksmith.
See Glocklein, and Campana.
TRANSPOSITION STOP—Transposition Switch.
A stop or switch controlling a mechanical device for transposing the
pitch. This is accomplished by the medium of a false keyboard or a back-
fall arrangement, or in the case of electrical instruments it can be effected
by means of the contacts. A transposing device is a valuable adjunct to
small instruments intended for village or mission churches, unlikely to be
able to command skilled performers. It is a useful feature of Mr. Casson's
Positive Organ, and some other similar instruments. The transposing
keyboard is no novelty. It is mentioned by Arnold Schlick in his book,
published as early as 1511. One was also introduced in 1730, by Michael
Engler, into his organ at St. Nicholas, Brieg.
TRAVERSO—TRAVERSBASS—See Flauto Traverso.
Tremulant-(Lat.) Tremulus = shaking, cf. (Eng.) tremulous.
Invented on the Continent about the middle of the XVIth century.
An appliance introduced into the organ for the purpose of disturbing the
wind supply to certain stops, and of thereby inducing an undulation in
their tone. According to its disposition relative to the wind-distributing
portions of the organ, the Tremulant may so be arranged as to act on the
entire instrument, on some individual departmental division or group of
stops, or even on a single register. The earliest known reference to the
use of the Tremulant in this country occurs in connection with Dallam's
organ at King's College, Cambridge (1606), in which it figured as "ye
shaking stoppe." Father Smith (St. Mary-at-Hill, Billingsgate, 1693), and
Snetzler likewise used " Trimoloes." The primitive Tremulant, which
consisted merely of a valve situated in the trunk and caused to flutter by
the wind encountering the resistance of a spring, must have been a very
noisy and imperfect contrivance. Indeed Schlimbach* delivers himself oi
the following remarks : " Such an undulatory stop [the Bifara] must be most
welcome to the organ player, since a right-minded organist can scarcely use
the Tremulant, so gimcrack is it usually (indem sie gewohnlich so beschaffen
sind), as to be insufferable or even ludicrous." The first improvements of
any consequence appear to have originated with the Parisian builders.
Subsequently Messrs. Hill and other London builders carried on the task
'p. 163.
M