Noack Opus 132 Organ

The Noack Opus 132: Its Origins & Transformation

The Noack Organ Company was started in 1960 by Fritz Noack, who became one of the leading figures of the American organ-building scene during the second half of the 20th century. Fritz retired in January 2015 and passed the mantle to Didier Grassin, who joined the company in 2011 with more than 25 years of experience in organ-building. Trained in several European workshops, Didier served as the head of the drawing office at Mander Organs (UK) and later spent several years as a freelance designer for major European and American firms before joining Casavant Frères (Canada) as director of the tracker department. His designs can be seen in England, France, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, China, Canada, and the United States.

Fritz Noack’s organs are distinguished by their vitality, color, and dynamic responsiveness. These characteristics form an ideal foundation for a pedagogical instrument, where clarity, contrast, and responsiveness are essential. Noack Opus 132 was originally designed for an Episcopal church. Its transformation into a refined teaching instrument calls for a careful rebalancing of its inherent qualities.

Relocating a pipe organ always presents a challenge. An instrument is conceived in close dialogue with its original environment; when that environment changes, thoughtful adjustments are required to ensure the organ can speak and sing with equal conviction in its new home.

In its original setting, the organ spoke laterally into a chancel of proportions not unlike those of Studio 2110. To compensate for limited projection, certain stops – particularly in the pedal – were voiced with increased intensity, occasionally to the point of losing their elegance. In the new setting, these stops will be moderated, allowing for a more balanced tonal presence and optimal beauty.

Refinements & Improvements

The relocation provides an opportunity to address certain structural and tonal limitations typical of the instrument’s period. The swell box, for example, will be significantly enhanced with heavier construction and newly profiled shades capable of a more complete closure. This improvement alone will greatly expand the expressive range of the division, enabling a true pianissimo while preserving its dynamic breadth. Similar upgrades have been successfully implemented in comparable Noack instruments around the country.

While the lively dynamic character central to Noack’s tonal aesthetic will be preserved, several stops will benefit from targeted refinement.

• The choir cremona – originally constructed at half-length due to spatial constraints – will be replaced with a full-length stop of slightly larger scale, made possible by a revised layout inside the case. This change will result in a fuller singing tone.
• The current swell reeds do not fully cohere as a unified chorus and will be reimagined: the cylindrical bassoon will give way to a small-scale trumpet-type reed, while the cornopean and oboe will be replaced with reeds of a more distinctly French Romantic character.
• On the great, the existing trumpet and clarion are more assertive than necessary for a teaching environment. The trumpet will be revoiced and relocated to the clarion position, creating space for the addition of a 16′ clarinette in the style of celebrated French builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. This new stop will lend gravitas to the division while enriching the tonal palette with a distinctive color.

Certain flue stops will also be reconsidered:

• The bell gamba will be replaced by a cylindrical gamba better suited to pairing with the existing celeste.
• The rather subdued choir dulciana will give way to a small-scale principal with a gentle yet clearly defined speech.

Additional refinements will further enhance the instrument’s pedagogical value.

• The choir cornet III will be divided into three independent ranks and extended into the bass, greatly expanding the possibilities for mutation combinations – an important asset in a teaching context.
• In the pedal, the large open bass 16′, unnecessary for the studio environment, will be replaced by a smaller-scale violone 16′, offering improved clarity and articulation in the bass line.
• To increase flexibility, the swell bassoon 16′ will be made available in the pedal, providing the valuable option of a soft, expressive 16′ reed under enclosure.

Through these considered adjustments, Opus 132 will retain its distinctive voice while gaining the versatility, balance, and expressive nuance required of a modern teaching instrument.