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Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
Los Angeles, California

Opus 75

Photographs
ConstructionInstallation • Façade • Main

The Dobson organ in Los Angeles’ new Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is proving to be as much a landmark as the Cathedral itself. Sought out for concerts and recordings, the Cathedral and its organ have been musical partners with The Los Angeles Master Chorale, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the American Choral Directors Association, the American Guild of Organists, and many celebrated recitalists from around the world.

The 1994 Northridge earthquake rendered St. Vibiana's, the previous cathedral of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, structurally unsound. The competition-winning design for the new cathedral was submitted by Spanish architect José Rafael Moneo, a Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate. The finished building seats 3,500 people and encloses more than 3 million cubic feet.

The new organ incorporates some pipework from the St. Vibiana instrument, built originally in 1929 by the Wangerin Organ Co. of Milwaukee and rebuilt by Austin Organs, Inc., in 1988. It employs slider chests with electric pulldowns for all divisions except the Solo and Pedal, which have electro-pneumatic action. These latter divisions were conceived in the spirit of Isnard's 1772 Résonance division at St. Maximin: the Solo is a division of powerful voices, many of which are made playable in the Pedal, which has few independent registers of its own.

The visual design of the organ was jointly developed by Dobson and Moneo. The tonal design of the organ is a collaboration between Dobson, Frank Brownstead, Director of the Archdiocesan Music Office, and Manuel Rosales, the Archdiocese's organ consultant. Dennis Paoletti of Shen Milsom & Wilke is responsible for the acoustical design of the new Cathedral.

Lynn Dobson - Sal Soria
Manuel Rosales - Frank Brownstead

• • •

Specifications

GREAT (II)
32' Prestant
16' Prestant
16' Violonbasse
16' Bourdon
8' Principal
8' Violoncelle
8' Flûte harmonique
8' Doppel Floete
5-1/3' Gros Nasard
4' Octave
4' Nachthorn
3-1/5' Grosse Tierce
2-2/3' Quinte
2' Octave
1-3/5' Tierce
V-VII Corneta Magna 8' (f18-g56)
V-VIII Mixture 2'
IV Cymbale 1'
16' Posaune
8' Trumpet
4' Clarion
Tremulant
8' Horizontal Trumpet (interior)
Swell to Great
Positive to Great
Solo to Great
Fanfare on Great
SWELL (III; enclosed)
16' Bourdon
8' Diapason
8' Bourdon
8' Viole de gambe
8' Voix céleste CC
8' Dulciane
8' Voix angélique TC
4' Prestant
4' Flûte octaviante
2-2/3' Nasard
2' Octavin
1-3/5' Tierce
V Plein jeu 2'
16' Bombarde
8' Trompette harmonique
8' Hautbois
8' Voix humaine
4' Clairon harmonique
Tremulant
Chimes
Swell 16
Swell 4
Fanfare on Swell
Positive to Swell
Solo to Swell
POSITIVE (I; enclosed)
16' Gemshorn
8' Principal
8' Gedackt
8' Salicional
8' Unda maris CC
4' Octave
4' Chimney Flute
2' Octave
1-1/3' Larigot
II Sesquialtera 2-2/3'
IV-VI Mixture 1-1/3'
16' Bassoon
8' Trumpet
4' Clarion
8' Cromorne
8' Harp
Positive 16
Positive 4
Tremulant
8' Tuba (Solo)
Fanfare on Positive
Swell to Positive
Solo to Positive
Zimbelstern
SOLO (IV; enclosed)
16' Principal
8' Principal
8' Major Flute
8' Gamba
8' Gamba Celeste CC
8' Viole d'orchestre
8' Viole Celeste TC
5-1/3' Quinte
4' Octave
4' Orchestral Flute
IV Mixture 2-2/3'
8' English Horn
8' French Horn
8' Clarinet
Tremulant
32' Contre Bombarde (ext. 16')
16' Bombarde
8' Trumpet
4' Clarion
8' Tuba
8' Horizontal Trumpet (Great)
Solo 16
Solo 4
Great to Solo
Swell to Solo
Positive to Solo
Fanfare on Solo
FANFARE (all en chamade)
16' Trompeta magna
8' Trompeta de los angeles
8' Trompeta fuerte (ext. 4')
8' Clarín de campaña (ext. 16')
4' Bajoncillo
PEDAL
32' Prestant (Great)
32' Contra Bourdon
16' Open Diapason
16' Principal (Solo)
16' Violonbasse (Great)
16' Subbass (ext. 32')
16' Bourdon (Great)
16' Gemshorn (Positive)
10-2/3' Gross Quint (ext. Open Diapason)
8' Principal (Solo)
8' Flute (ext. Open Diapason)
8' Violoncelle (Great)
8' Bourdon (ext. 32')
5-1/3' Quint (Solo)
4' Octave (Solo)
IV Mixture 2-2/3' (Solo)
32' Contra Trombone
32' Contre Bombarde (Solo)
16' Trombone (ext. 32')
16' Bombarde (Solo)
16' Posaune (Great)
8' Trumpet (Solo)
4' Clarion (Solo)
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Positive to Pedal
Solo to Pedal
Fanfare on Pedal
Great/Positive Manual Transfer
All Swells to Swell
Zimbelstern
Nightingale

• • •

Organ Dedication Recital

John Panning, His Eminence Cardinal Roger Mahony, and Lynn Dobson following the Blessing of the Organ

The blessing of the Cathedral organ took place on Saturday, 3 May 2003 at 5:30 p.m. Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles, presided at a service of Evening Prayer, which was followed by an organ recital by Samuel S. Soria, Cathedral Organist.

Psalm Prelude, No. 1, Set 2
Herbert Howells
(1892-1983)
Prelude and Fugue in e minor,
BWV 548
Johann Sebastian Bach
(1685-1750)
Pastorale
Jean Roger-Ducasse
(1873-1954)
Pieces de Fantasie, Op. 55 No. 4
   Water Nymphs
Louis Vierne
(1870-1937)
Sonata in c minor: The 94th Psalm
Julius Reubke
(1834-1858)

  

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