T he Aeolian Pipe Organ and Its Music by Rollin Smith tells the story of how the largest builder of pipe organs for residences provided music in the home before the phonograph and radio in 560 pages bearing more than 150 photographs and illustrations. An annotated opus list of more than 900 organs built 1894-1932 includes dates, prices, additions and alterations. Indices by geography and by owner reveal a veritable Who�s Who in America among Aeolian �patrons:� Carnegie, Rockefeller, Tiffany, du Pont, four Vanderbilts, and many more.There are stoplists of more than 50 unique installations and photographs of interiors with their often ornate Aeolian organs. Biographies of 54 recording organists discuss the contributions of each to recorded organ music. A catalog of all Aeolian organ rolls, listed by both composer and organist, is included. Chapters explore Igor Stravinsky�s association with the Aeolian organ and analyze Leopold Stokowski�s organ �arrangement� of Bach�s Passacaglia. Of enduring historical importance: 1) commissions for original works for the Aeolian player organ to Victor Herbert, Saint-Sa�ns, Humperdinck, and Moszkowski; 2) perfection of an automatic player enabling exact reproduction of performances by Bonnet, Dupr�, Bossi, Vierne, and others who made no phonograph records. Hardbound. |