The Dayton Art Institute Organ March 25, 1990
Built by Ernest M. Skinner, 1930
The Dayton Art Institute organ was built in a period of history following the need and popularity of the theater organ which in 1930 was no longer needed to accompany silent films. The radio and phonograph were appearing in many living rooms allowing the world to hear more and more music once only heard live in a concert hall. People were enjoying more “background” music and prelude music with tone quality that their radios could not produce. Orchestral organs like the one here in the DAI began to appear in places like Wannamaker’s Department Stores in Philadelphia and New York, and in the homes of the wealthy. In Dayton, there is one in Kettering’s Mansion and the Deeds home along with the organ here in the DAI. These organs were not design to be used as a solo instrument but rather were built with a roll player so that the secretary, janitor, or anyone could provide music when it was desired. Because they were conceived much as a “MUZAK” system is today, explains why the organ pipes were placed behind heavy curtains and voiced rather softly.
On the really big occasions when more of a solo performance was desired, a piano was added, playing with either a “live” organist or with the roll player. It was for one of these occasions that Cesar Franck himself arranged his “Prelude Fugue and Variation” showed off an organ’s solo stops with a few virtuositic cadenza-like spots for the artist to impress people with, while musically still being bland enough to pass as prelude music.
The DAI organ contains only a minimum handful of traditional organ stops, the majority of the organ is made up of colorful solo stops such as French Horn, English Horn, Clarinet, Vox Humana, Cello, Harp, Celeste, Flute and Strings.
We hope that you enjoy hearing music of a small period of music history played on one of the few remaining untouched instruments of this period in our past.