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Cavaille Coll coupler designation

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jstreiff

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Cavaille Coll coupler designation

PostWed Jun 29, 2022 5:58 pm

What is the meaning of "R.O.A" and function on the coupler above the pedals on a Caiville Coll organ?
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JulianMoney-Kyrle

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Re: Cavaille Coll coupler designation

PostWed Jun 29, 2022 6:39 pm

I think this particular one (ROA) is an octave coupler on the recit division. There will also be a unison coupler, and at least one of them needs to be engaged in order for the recit to sound. Depending on which instrument it is, there may well also be a unison coupler on the Grande Orgue, and quite possibly a GO sub-octave coupler labelled something like "GO Octaves Grandes". Again, one of the GO couplers will be necessary for the division to sound.

There are also usually couplers for Recit to Positif, Recit to Grande and Positif to Grande controlled by pedals. The couplers onto the pedals (R-Ped, Pos-Ped and GO-Ped) are called Tirasses.

Finally there are the Pedals du Combinaisons. These control ventils which shut off the wind supply to some of the wind chests. Each division is on a divided wind chest, with one section, referred to as Fonds, that is always on, and another section, referred to as Anches, which is only on when the relevant combination pedal (or in the case of the Positif division of Metz and Caen, combination button) is activated. The Fonds are the flues at 16', 8' and 4' pitch (and in the case of the Recit, the 8' Basson-Hautboy), and the Anches are the upperwork and reeds.

To get a Cavaille-Coll type crescendo, couple all the manuals together, start playing on the Recit, add the anches, then go down to the Positif, then the GO, then add the Positif Anches, then the GO Anches, and finally the Pedale Anches, which are very loud. You would probably start with the Recit Tirasse engaged, and add the other Tirasses when you add the GO Anches. French music written for CC organs usually has pauses, or at least sections where the relevant foot is free, so that you can do this seamlessly. It is rather different from a crescendo on a UK organ where you are working through the divisional pistons.
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larason2

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Re: Cavaille Coll coupler designation

PostWed Jun 29, 2022 8:49 pm

A good answer from Julian. It would be useful to know what set or what organ you’re referring to, since the terminology varies from organ to organ. My guess is Recit Octave Anches, in which case it would couple the anches chest to the Recit an octave higher. CC usually used Anches on smaller organs that only had one Anches chest, and Combs on larger organs where more than one division had their own “anches”.
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david515mi

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Re: Cavaille Coll coupler designation

PostThu Jun 30, 2022 5:54 am

I believe that ROA in this case refers to Récit Octaves Aigües, the French terminology for a 4’ coupler.

David
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IainStinson

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Re: Cavaille Coll coupler designation

PostFri Jul 01, 2022 2:44 am

I hope this is not too off topic.

There is a useful paper about CC instruments on line at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348593332_Evolution_of_Cavaille-Coll%27s_Symphonic_Organ

Iain

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