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

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DICTIONARY OF ORGAN STOPS.
Decima— (Lat.) = tenth. Great Tierce, 3^ ft.
Decima Nona—(Lat.) = nineteenth. Larigot, 1^ ft.
Decima Quinta— (Lat.) = fifteenth. Super-octave, 2 ft. On the Pedal
organ, an octave lower.
Decupla— (Lat.) Decima = tenth, Plicare = to fold: = tenfold.
Decima or Tierce.
Diapason—From the Greek f/ Sia iraadv, an abbreviation of the
phrase ri Zia iraaHv x°pdv arv/x^wvia = a concord through all the
tones
—
i.e., a concord of the two tones obtained by passing through
all the tones (Century Dictionary). 32 ft.; 16 ft.; 8 ft.; 4 ft.; 2 ft.;
and Mutation. The word is taken as a standard of pitch (Diapason
Normal). The stop is the standard of the organ, its tone the
typical organ tone. See also Bell Diapason, Double Diapason,
Fifteenth, Major Bass, Mixture, Octave, Principal, Super-
octave. We shall here confine our remarks to the 8 ft. variety.
(Ger.) Principal; (Fr.) Montre, or colloquially Flute de Huit.
(1) Unlike other tone qualities Diapason tone is peculiar to the organ,
finding no counterpart in the orchestra. The Diapasons constitute the
backbone of the organ, holding the babnce between Flutes, strings and
combinational reeds. Proportionately, therefore, as the Diapasons of an
organ depart from this distinctive position, so does the general ensemble
suffer. If the stop be fiutey, the organ lacks life and vigour, and the strings
and reeds stand aloof; if, on the other hand, the tone be stringy, depth
and dignity are sacrificed to brilliancy. In medio tutissimus ibis. Thus,
attempts to render Diapason tone sensational or imitative are necessarily
futile—it ceases to be Diapason as that word is understood by judges of
tone. The author would by no means wish to imply that there is but one
pattern stop worthy of the name of Diapason. There are Diapasons of
various types, just as there are varieties of Gambas and Flutes. One
writer, it is true, in a pamphlet issued a few years ago, advanced one hard
and fast set collection of measurements, one stereotyped alloy of metal, as
alone productive of true Diapason tone suitable to a fair-sized church,
endeavouring to justify this ukase as being determined by an Art rule.
The difficulty is, rather, to believe that anybody claiming the name of
artist could possibly advance such a proposal. Diapason tone is not, and
let us trust, never will be, the arbitrary standard determined by one brain.
We hear much nowadays of standardization— it were as well to attempt to
standardize cookery as organ tone. Quot homines tot senlentice. But taste
must be ordinate, and there are broad limits, outside of which, in the