Note: Not extant. Not playable. (in this location)
2009-03-01 - Identified from factory documents and publications courtesy of Stephen Schnurr. -- Installed in third-floor practice room in New Mason Hall. The Möller was purchased as a concession to University officials so that a more expensive Schlicker organ could be purchased for the larger and smaller teaching studios. Console and organ portable so that the instrument could be transported by elevator to Old Mason Hall for use as a continuo instrument. However, as the console and organ were hardwired together (not detachable), both items could not fit into the elevator, and the organ was never moved. The organ was deemed by students to have been voiced too loud, and payment by the University was delayed until Möller agreed to send Donald Gillette to personally finish the organ, which was done with reluctance. In 2005, the organ was sold along with opus 8898 to Randall Wagner of Erie, Pennsylvania, to be refurbished and sold again. -Database Manager
2009-10-27 - Updated through on-line information from Jeff Scofield. -- Direct Electric action -Database Manager
2022-03-23 - Transplanted notes from later, duplicate account: **Database Manager on March 17, 2016:** This entry describes an original installation of a new pipe organ. Identified by Scot Huntington, based on personal knowledge of the organ. The organ was delivered late, in Fall of 1973. It was installed in the organ suite on the third floor of the New Mason addition to the Music Building (Old Mason Hall) which opened the previous year, relieving a critical shortage of organ facilities- one practice organ for 20 students. The 1958 Moller was moved into the suite in 1972, and it was original planned for two additional Schlicker organs for the suite- a 3-manual tracker teaching organ and a unit organ. In 1971, the bankruptcy of the Aeolian-Skinner organ company took with it the contract and down-payment for a large three-manual concert organ for the Hosmer Recital Hall at SUNY Potsdam. The state university comptroller's office became skittish about all organ contracts thereafter, and forced Fredonia to accept a compromise deal: in order to get the Schlicker mechanical-action teaching organ instead of the low-bid instrument from an electric-action organ company in Highland, IL, they had to accept the Moller low-bid for a smaller unit practice organ instead of the large Schlicker unit organ originally planned. When the organ was delivered, it was far too loud for acoustically-live practice room. Before the final payment was released, the organ professor Dr. John Hofmann, insisted that Moller's tonal director, Donald Gillett personally revoice the organ on-site(Gillett recently having moved to Moller from a similar position at the defunct Aeolian-Skinner Co. His demeanor made it clear he was highly resentful of the assignment and considered it a waste of his valuable time. It was intended that the organ would be portable so it could be moved into the concert hall for use as a continuo organ- the chassis and console were fitted with casters. However, while the contract specified a detachable console plug and cable, the console and pedalboard were delivered hard-wired. The building elevator was large enough to accommodate instrument moving, but the console and chassis would not fit on the elevator together, so the instrument never left the practice room again, until it was sold. In a remarkably shortsighted decision, the School of Music dissolved the Organ Department in the late 1980s, and in the 2000s, the three practice instruments in the organ suite were taken in trade by a local piano dealer, as partial payment toward a grand piano for the new Recital Hall. The dealer in turn resold all three organs in one lot to a private individual in Erie, Pennsylvania, who resold this organ. The three practice rooms have been converted into a recording studio suite for the Tonmeister recording-engineer program. -Jim Stettner
2022-03-23 - *Transplanted notes from a later, duplicate entry:* **Database Manager on April 04, 2016:** Updated through online information from Scot Huntington. -Jim Stettner
Source: Stoplist transplanted from later, duplicate account
Fredonia, New York SUNY Fredonia New Mason Hall, School of Music Organ Suite M.P. Moller, Opus 10896, 1973 ANALYSIS 16 Gedackt 12 pipes, wood 8-2 Rohrflute 4-2 Principal 2/3 Larigot (1 1/3', 37 pipes) spotted metal pipework, slide tuned, unenclosed GREAT 8' Rohrflote 4' Principal 2' Rohrflote II Mixture (derived: Principal, Larigot; 2/3, 1/2 repeating on c) POSITIVE 8' Rohrflote 4' Rohrflote 2' Principal 1 1/3' Larigot PEDAL 16' Gedackt 8' Rohrflote 4' Principal Compasses: 61/32 Console and woodwork of oak veneer [Received from Scot Huntington 2016-03-20.]
Source: Stoplist copied from the factory specifications ca. 1973
Fredonia, New York
State University College
M. P. Möller, Opus 10896, 1973 - 3 ranks (one short-compass)
MANUAL I
1. 8' Rohrflöte 80 pipes
2. 4' Principal 73 pipes
3. 2' Rohrflöte from #1 repeat 5 top notes
4. II Mixture from #2 and #8
MANUAL II
5. 8' Rohrflöte from #1
6. 4' Rohrflöte from #1
7. 2' Principal from #2
8. 1 1/3' Larigot 30 pipes 20-61 incl. - repeat top octave
PEDAL
9. 16' Gedeckt 12 pipes 20 from #1
10. 8' Rohrflöte from #1
11. 4' Principal from #2
[Received on line from Jeff Scofield October 27, 2009.]Regrettably, it is not possible to display the information about the sponsor of this pipeorgandatabase entry or if there is a sponsor. Please see About Sponsors on Pipe Organ Database.