Temple Beth Israel
1972 N.W. Flanders & 19th
Portland, OR
Images
2016-07-22 - Building exterior (Photograph by Fcebook, submitted by Jeff Scofield/Jeff Scofield)
2004-02-04 - Light well above Choir and Great Chambers (Photograph by Joe O'Donnell/Database Manager)
2003-02-12 - String organ before restoration (Photograph by Joe O'Donnell/Database Manager)
2003-10-02 - String organ after restoration (Photograph by Joe O'Donnell/Database Manager)
2003-02-12 - Expression and Crescendo shoes (Photograph by Joe O'Donnell/Database Manager)
1990-07-16 - Console from left (Archival source not identified by contributor: James R. Stettner/Database Manager)
1990-07-16 - Console from right (Archival source not identified by contributor: James R. Stettner/Database Manager)
2017-12-27 - Temple interior with organ case in front (Photograph by James R. Stettner/Database Manager)
2017-12-27 - Chancel with organ case (Photograph by James R. Stettner/Database Manager)
2017-12-27 - Organ case above tabernacle (Photograph by James R. Stettner/Database Manager)
Consoles
Main
- Console position: Console in Fixed Position, Center
- 4 manuals
- 36 stops
- 81 registers
- 6 divisions
- Key action Type: Electrical
- Stop action Type: Electrical
- Stop layout Type: Tilting/Rocking Tablets on Angled Jambs
- Manual compass: 61 notes
- Pedal compass: 32 notes
- Pedal Type: Concave Radiating (Meeting AGO Standards)
- Expression Type: Balanced Expression Shoes/Pedals (Details Unknown)
- Has crescendo
- Combination action: Computerized/Digital
- Has combination thumb pistons
- Has combination toe pistons
- Has coupler thumb pistons
- Has coupler toe pistons
- Has tutti thumb pistons
- Has tutti toe pistons
Notes
2004-10-30 - Status Note: There 1997 -Database Manager
2004-10-30 - Contract date was 28 Dec 1926. $25,000. -Database Manager
2005-05-15 - Restored by Bond, 2003. -Database Manager
2007-03-23 - Updated through online information from James R. Stettner. -- The organ is in a front gallery. -Database Manager
2018-08-08 - Updated by Joe O'Donnell, who maintains the organ.<br>
One tonal change was made concurrently with the restoration: the Swell 8' Quintadena was replaced with a 4' Principal from the builder's stock. To improve access in the Swell the bass chest for the 16' Contra Fagotto was eliminated and the pipes (with unit action) were integrated into the ventil chest. The Solo ventil chest was converted to pitman action to reduce wear on the leathers from the 10" pressure. At the time of the restoration the String division had not played in over 40 years; it had been shut down after suffering water damage during the infamous Columbus Day storm of 1962. -Database Manager
Stoplist
Stoplist copied from the console July 16, 1990 Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded
Portland, Oregon
Temple Beth Israel
The REUTER ORGAN CO., Opus 227, 1927-28 - Original Specifications
GREAT (Expressive) SWELL (Expressive)
16 Double Diapason 73 * 16 Bourdon 12 +
8 First Diapason 73 8 Diapason 73
8 Second Diapason 12 * 8 Tibia Clausa 73
8 Doppel Flote 73 8 Gedeckt 61 +
8 Clarabella 73 8 Quintadena 73
8 Violon Cello 73 8 Salicional 73
8 Erzahler 73 8 Vox Celeste (tc) 61
8 Erzahler Celeste (tc) 61 4 Dolce Flute 12 +
4 Octave 12 * 2-2/3 Flute Quint 7 +
4 Flute Harmonic 73 2 Flautino 5 +
8 Tromba 73 1-3/5 Tierce 4 +
Chimes (G 20 – g 44) (25) III Cornet [12-15-17] 183
16 Contra Fagotto 73
Great to Great 16' 8 Cornopean 73
Great Unison Off 8 Oboe 73
Great to Great 4' 8 Shofar Horn (tc – c 25) 13
8 Vox Humana 73
8 Viola (Str) -- Tremolo
8 Viole d'Orchestre (Str) --
8 Viole Celeste (Str) -- Swell to Swell 16'
4 Violina (Str) -- Swell Unison Off
III Mixture (Str) -- Swell to Swell 4'
String Tremolo
8 Viola (Str) --
8 Viole d'Orchestre (Str) --
CHOIR (Expressive) 8 Viole Celeste (Str) --
16 Contra Gamba 73 4 Violina (Str) --
8 Diapason 73 III Mixture (Str) --
8 Concert Flute 61 # String Tremolo
8 Unda Maris (tc) 61
8 Dulciana 73
4 Flauto Traverso 12 # SOLO (Expressive)
2 Concert Piccolo 12 # 8 Stentorphone 73
8 Clarinet 73 8 Gross Flute 73
8 English Horn 73 8 Gross Gamba 73
Tremolo 8 Tuba Major 73 =
8 Harp Celeste (tc – c 61) 49 8 French Horn 73
4 Harp celeste (CC – c 49) -- 4 Clarion 12 =
Tremolo
Choir to Choir 16' Chimes (Gt) --
Choir Unison Off
Choir to Choir 4' Solo to Solo 16'
Solo Unison Off
8 Viola (Str) -- Solo to Solo 4'
8 Viole d'Orchestre (Str) --
8 Viole Celeste (Str) -- 8 Viola (Str) --
4 Violina (Str) -- 8 Viole d'Orchestre (Str) --
III Mixture (Str) -- 8 Viole Celeste (Str) --
String Tremolo 4 Violina (Str) --
III Mixture (Str) --
String Tremolo
PEDAL STRING ORGAN (Expressive – Floating)
32 Diapason (resultant) -- 8 Viola (Str) 73
16 Diapason 32 8 Viole d'Orchestre (Str) 73
16 Second Diapason (Gt) -- 8 Viole Celeste (Str) 73
16 Bourdon 32 ^ 4 Violina (Str) 73
16 Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw) -- III Mixture (Str) 183
16 Contra Viole (Ch) -- Tremolo
8 Major Flute (Bour.) 12 ^
8 Cello (Gt) --
8 Still Gedeckt (Sw) --
4 Dolce (Sw) --
16 Trombone 32 >
16 Contra Fagotto (Sw) --
8 Tromba 12 >
COUPLERS FINGER PISTONS
Solo to Pedal 8 Master 1 – 6
Swell to Pedal 8,4 Solo 1 - 6
Great to Pedal 8,4 Swell & Pedal 1 - 6
Choir to Pedal 8 Great & Pedal 1 – 6
Choir & Pedal 1 – 6
Solo to Great 16,8,4 All Swells to Swell (rev)
Swell to Great 16,8,4 Sfor. [2] (rev)
Choir to Great 16,8,4
Swell to Choir 16,8,4 SWITCHES (as pistons)
Ped. to Man. [Swell] ON/OFF
Ped. to Man. [Great] ON/OFF
PEDAL MOVEMENTS (labeled; l – r) Ped. to Man. [Choir] ON/OFF
Great Expression (bal.)
Solo Expression (bal.)
Swell Expression (bal.) TOE STUDS
Choir Expression (bal.) Master 1 – 6
String Expression (bal.) Pedal 1 – 6
Crescendo (bal.) Gr. To Ped. (rev)
Sw. to Ped. (rev)
Sfor. (rev)
ACTION: E-P pitman & unit
VOICES: 41 STOPS: 85; inc. chimes & harp
RANKS: 45 PIPES: 3,094
NOTES
The congregation was formed in 1858, and first met in Burke's Hall on
First Street. In 1861 they built heir first edifice – the first synagogue
on the Northern Pacific coast. It was enlarged four years later, but was
soon outgrown.
A new semi-Gothic and Moorish temple was built at 12th and Main, and was
consecrated in 1889. The edifice housed an 1889, III-manual, 32
(voice/stop/rank ?) Geo. Kilgen & Son tracker organ, installed in a front
gallery. The Temple and organ were lost in an arson fire in 1923. Later, a
fireman confessed to having set this and several other fires.
The present Byzantine-style Temple of brick and sandstone was consecrated
in April 1928. The Reuter organ was contracted on December 28, 1926. It
was scheduled for delivery in September, 1927 – but was probably not
installed until 1928. The cost of the organ was $25,000.00
The 7-sectional facade contains 89 pipes – all of which are non-speaking
dummies. They are painted gold, and arranged as four towers separated by
three flats as follows: 7 – 17 – 7 – 27 – 7 – 17 – 7.
The entire organ is under expression.
The order of divisions from left to right is Solo (below) and String
(above), Choir, Great, and Swell.
The String Division is a floating division whose 5 speaking stops and
Tremolo are independently available on each manual division.
All Celeste ranks automatically draw their complementary unison ranks when
registered.
The Choir 16' Contra Gamba is scale 46, the 8' Diapason scale 48, and the
8' Dulciana scale 56.
The Solo 8' Stentorphone is 38 scale, the 8' Gross Flute is listed as
“Xlge”, and the 8' Gross Gamba in 55 scale.
Sources: Reuter opus list; extant organ; 1997 OHS Convention handbook
[Received from James R. Stettner 2011-07-19.]
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