Recent discussions about large instruments and the components used to make them reminded me of an interesting ranklist posted several years ago by Chris Anderson, who had noted the information during a visit to the Sanfilippo residence.  Some additional data was later provided by Robert Swaney, who has worked on the organ.  Some recent changes (a different Brass Trumpet and the exchange of some ranks between the front and the Etherial chambers) are not represented below, and apologies are offered in advance for any and all inaccuracies!

 

I took advantage of the on-line Wurlitzer opus list to see what could be deduced about the Wurlitzer portions of this instrument, including when the original instruments had been removed from their theatres and approximately how many owners there might have been before the parts arrived in Barrington, Illinois.  Exact details are probably impossible to obtain, but this examination tends to suggest that few, if any, original instruments were broken up specifically to construct this particular organ.  (Of course, that doesn't change the fact that a great many instruments have been broken up over the years!)

 

========== Sanfilippo rank list follows ==========

 

(This list is based on material from Chris Anderson and Robert Swaney.)

 

Rank                Maker         Source

 

MAIN CHAMBER

 

Chorus Trumpet      Kimball       unknown

Clarinet            Wurlitzer     Egyptian Th, Hollywood, CA

Open Diapason       Wurlitzer     Riviera Th, Omaha, NE

Viol D'Orchestre    Wurlitzer     Riviera Th, Omaha, NE

Viol D'Orch Celeste Wurlitzer     Riviera Th, Omaha, NE

Leiblich Flute      Meyer         new

Vox Minor           Kimball       Stillwater, MN St. Johns Esp.

Koppel Flute        Meyer         new

Erzahler            Meyer         new

Erzahler Celeste    Meyer         new

Tibia Clausa        Murray Harris unknown

Vox Humana          Wurlitzer     Riviera Th, Omaha, NE

Voix Celeste        Wurlitzer     Nile Th, Mesa, AZ

Diaphonic Diapason (20") Wurlitzer Hub Roller Rink, Chicago, IL

Salicional          Wurlitzer     Paramount Th, Los Angeles, CA

Concert Flute       Wurlitzer     Riviera Th, Omaha, NE

Marimba Harp

Chrysoglott

 

FOUNDATION CHAMBER

 

Gemshorn            Meyer         new

Gemshorn Celeste    Meyer         new

Violin Celeste      Kimball       1st Presbyterian, Oakland, CA

4' Principal        Meyer         new

Diapason Minor      Dennison      WTMJ Radio Milwaukee (Barton)

Violin              Kimball       1st Presbyterian, Oakland, CA

Nachthorn           Meyer         new

Rohrflute           Schopp        new

Chorus Tuba         Dennison      Oriental Th, Milwaukee, WI (Barton)

2' Fourniture IV    Meyer         new

2' Fifteenth        Meyer         new

Tuba Horn           Wurlitzer     Riviera Th, Omaha, NE

Tibia Clausa (10")  Wurlitzer     unknown

Vox Mezzo           Dennison      Paramount Th, Newport News, VA

Glockenspiel        Wurlitzer

Chimes              Kimball

 

SOLO CHAMBER

 

Kinura              Wurlitzer     Fox Th, Denver, CO

Oboe Horn           Wurlitzer     Riviera Th, Omaha, NE

(16'Oboe Horn       Trivo         new, 12p)

Solo String Celeste Wurlitzer     Riviera Th, Omaha, NE

(16' SS Celeste     Meyer         new, 12p)

Quintadena          Wurlitzer     Riviera Th, Omaha, NE

Solo String         Austin        new

(16' Solo String    Meyer         new, 12p)

Horn Diapason       Meyer         new

Orchestral Oboe     Wurlitzer     Egyptian Th, Hollywood, CA

Vox                 Wurlitzer     Riviera Th, Omaha, NE

Tibia Clausa (25")  Wurlitzer     Paramount Th, Los Angeles, CA

Brass Trumpet       Wurlitzer     Paramount Th, Nashville

Saxophone           Wurlitzer     Riviera Th, Omaha, NE

Vox Mystica         Aeolian       Residence, Minneapolis

Harmonic Flute      Dennison(M&C) Pacific Th, Hollywood

Flauto Dolce Cel    Meyer         new

Horn Diapason Cel   Wurlitzer     Coliseum Th, Seattle, WA

Flauto Dolce        Meyer         new

1 1/3 Scharf IV     Meyer         new

Sleigh Bells

 

ORCHESTRAL CHAMBER

 

French Horn         Kimball       Westminster Pres, Minneapolis

Flauto Mirabilis    Aeolian       Baptist church, Milwaukee

Cello Celeste       Kimball       Stanton Th, Baltimore

Cello               Kimball       Stanton Th, Baltimore

Cor Anglais         Kilgen        Church St. Louis,MO

Trumpet (Style D)   Wurlitzer     unknown

Solo Saxophone      Gottfried     Ardmore, Philadelphia

Basset Horn         Kimball       St. Louis Th

Solo Violin (20")   Wurlitzer     unknown (Junchen rebuild)

(16' Solo Violin    Meyer         new, 12p)

Solo Violin Celeste Wurlitzer     unknown (Junchen rebuild)

(16' Solo Viol Cel  Meyer         new, 12p)

Major Vox           Hinners       Pekin The, Pekin, IL

Musette             Trivo         new

Tuba Mirabilis (25") Wurlitzer    Liberty Th, Portland, OR

Tibia Clausa (25")  Wurlitzer     Egyptian Th, Hollywood, CA

Krumet              Wurlitzer     Chinese Th, Hollywood, CA *** NOT SO - 1541 never had a Krumet (from Tom DeLay 2006)

English Posthorn    Schopp        Built for Ciceros resturant MN

(16' Posthorn       Trivo         new, 12p, voiced by Century Pipe Organs)

Xylophone           Wurlitzer

 

UNENCLOSED, in front (in chamber or exposed)

 

32' Diaphone        Wurlitzer     12p, small scale set

32' Bombarde        Wicks         new, 12p, voiced by Century Pipe Organs

32' Magnaton        Austin/Wicks  12 new resonators by Wicks

32' Tibia           Crome         new, 12p

Tuba Maxima (25")   Austin        Bill Brown's resturant

 

BACK WALL, en chamade

 

Trumpet Imperial    Bizick/Organ Supply   Voiced by David Junchen

Bugle Battaglia     Schopp        Voiced by Century Pipe Organs MN

 

ETHEREAL CHAMBER (within skylight across from trumpets)

 

Stopped Diapason    unknown       unknown

Dulcett             unknown       unknown

Dulcett Celeste     unknown       unknown

Dulciana            unknown       unknown

Dulciana Celeste    unknown       unknown

Vox Humana          unknown       unknown

Vox Humana          unknown       unknown

Vox Humana          unknown       unknown

 

Blower: 50hp Orgoblo, spare from Fox Th, San Francisco, CA

 

The following theatres are the Wurlitzer instruments named above, including their opus numbers and the years in which the organs appears to have been removed from the theatres.  In many cases, there appear to have been several owners before the particular components were installed in the Sanfilippo instrument.  Because only the Wurlitzer opus list is readily available (thanks, Peter and Jerrell!), it is not easy to give this information for the non-Wurlitzer components.

 

Egyptian Th, Hollywood, CA (#505,1956)

Riviera Th, Omaha, NE     (#1571,1966)

Nile Th, Mesa, AZ         (#841,1948)

Hub Roller Rink, Chicago, IL  (#2165,??)

Paramount Th, Los Angeles, CA (#534, 1960s??)

Fox Th, Denver, CO            (#1726,1973)

Paramount Th, Nashville, TN   (#2132,??)

Coliseum Th, Seattle, WA      (#170,1960s??)

Liberty Th, Portland, OR  (#164,1963)

Fox Th, San Francisco, CA     (#2012,1963)

 

Just to be completely obsessive about this, I thought it might also be fun to see how the instrument breaks down in terms of the various

manufacturers.  I've added the chamber designation to the front of each

item.  (A 12-note extension is given as an "item" but not counted as a

"rank"; mixtures are counted as 4 ranks each.)

 

M Clarinet            Wurlitzer

M Open Diapason       Wurlitzer

M Viol D'Orchestre    Wurlitzer

M Viol D'Orch Celeste Wurlitzer

M Vox Humana          Wurlitzer

M Voix Celeste        Wurlitzer

M Diaphonic Diapason  Wurlitzer

M Salicional          Wurlitzer

M Concert Flute       Wurlitzer

F Tuba Horn           Wurlitzer

F Tibia Clausa (10")  Wurlitzer

S Kinura              Wurlitzer

S Oboe Horn           Wurlitzer

S Solo String Celeste Wurlitzer

S Quintadena          Wurlitzer

S Orchestral Oboe     Wurlitzer

S Vox                 Wurlitzer

S Tibia Clausa (25")  Wurlitzer

S Brass Trumpet       Wurlitzer

S Saxophone           Wurlitzer

S Horn Diapason Cel   Wurlitzer

O Trumpet (Style D)   Wurlitzer

O Solo Violin (20")   Wurlitzer

O Solo Violin Celeste Wurlitzer

O Tuba Mirabilis (25") Wurlitzer

O Tibia Clausa (25")  Wurlitzer

O Krumet              Wurlitzer

U 32' Diaphone        Wurlitzer         total: 27 ranks, 28 items

 

M Leiblich Flute      Meyer

M Koppel Flute        Meyer

M Erzahler            Meyer

M Erzahler Celeste    Meyer

F Gemshorn            Meyer

F Gemshorn Celeste    Meyer

F 4' Principal        Meyer

F Nachthorn           Meyer

F 2' Fourniture IV    Meyer

F 2' Fifteenth        Meyer

S 16' SS Celeste      Meyer (12 pipes)

S 16' Solo String     Meyer (12 pipes)

S Horn Diapason       Meyer

S Flauto Dolce Cel    Meyer

S Flauto Dolce        Meyer

S 1 1/3 Scharf IV     Meyer

O 16' Solo Violin     Meyer (12 pipes)

O 16' Solo Viol Cel   Meyer (12 pipes)  total: 20 ranks, 18 items

 

M Chorus Trumpet      Kimball

M Vox Minor           Kimball

F Violin Celeste      Kimball

F Violin              Kimball

O French Horn         Kimball

O Cello Celeste       Kimball

O Cello               Kimball

O Basset Horn         Kimball           total:  8 ranks,  8 items

 

E Stopped Diapason    unknown

E Dulcett             unknown

E Dulcett Celeste     unknown

E Dulciana            unknown

E Dulciana Celeste    unknown

E Vox Humana          unknown

E Vox Humana          unknown

E Vox Humana          unknown           total:  8 ranks,  8 items

 

F Diapason Minor      Dennison

F Chorus Tuba         Dennison

F Vox Mezzo           Dennison

S Harmonic Flute      Dennison          total:  4 ranks,  4 items

 

S Solo String         Austin

U 32' Magnaton        Austin

U Tuba Maxima         Austin            total:  2 ranks,  3 items

 

F Rohrflute           Schopp

O English Posthorn    Schopp

E Bugle Battaglia     Schopp            total:  3 ranks,  3 items

 

S 16'Oboe Horn        Trivo (12 pipes)

O Musette             Trivo

O 16' Posthorn        Trivo (12 pipes)  total:  1 rank,   3 items

 

S Vox Mystica         Aeolian

O Flauto Mirabilis    Aeolian           total:  2 ranks,  2 items

 

U 32' Bombarde        Wicks (12 pipes)

U 32' Magnaton        Wicks (12 resonators)  :  0 ranks,  2 items

 

E Trumpet Imperial    Bizick/Organ Supply    :  1 rank,   1 items

 

U 32' Tibia           Crome (12 pipes)  total:  0 ranks,  1 item

 

O Solo Saxophone      Gottfried         total:  1 rank,   1 item

 

O Major Vox           Hinners           total:  1 rank,   1 item

 

O Cor Anglais         Kilgen            total:  1 rank,   1 item

 

M Tibia Clausa        Murray Harris     total:  1 rank,   1 item

 

                                 Grande Total: 80 ranks, 85 items

 

Of this total, the new material (post-theatre organ era)is by Meyer,

Austin, Schopp, Trivo, Wicks, Bizick, and Crome, for a total of 27 new

ranks or 31 new "items".

 

Larry Chace - June 1999