Better Pipe Organ Database

Levsen Organ Co. (Rodney Levsen Sr.) Opus 31 (1998)

Bethany Lutheran (1970)
715 Mather Ave.
Ishpeming, MI

Images

Unknown - Church Interior, Chancel, and Altar (Vintage Postcard, courtesy of T. Bradford Willis, DDS (1970)/Database Manager)

2012-09-04 - Nave and Organ Case (Photograph by Rodney J. Weed/Database Manager)

2012-09-04 - Church Exterior (Photograph by Rodney J. Weed/Database Manager)

2012-09-04 - Console (Photograph by Rodney J. Weed/Database Manager)

2012-09-04 - Left Drawknobs (Photograph by Rodney J. Weed/Database Manager)

2012-09-04 - Right Drawknobs (Photograph by Rodney J. Weed/Database Manager)

Consoles

Main

Organ type: Traditional With a Keyboard Cover That Can Be Lifted To Form a Music Rack
Console position: Console in Fixed Position, Right
2 manuals
32 stops
23 registers
3 divisions
Key action Type: Electrical
Stop action Type: Electrical
Stop layout Type: Drawknobs in Horizontal Rows on Terraced/Stepped Jambs
Manual compass: 61 notes
Pedal compass: 32 notes
Pedal Type: Concave Radiating (Meeting AGO Standards)
Expression Type: Balanced Expression Shoes/Pedals (Meeting AGO Standards)
Combination action: Computerized/Digital
Has combination thumb pistons
Has combination toe pistons
Has coupler toe pistons
Has tutti thumb pistons
Has tutti toe pistons

Notes

2004-10-30 - The original builder was Wm. Schuelke (1886, OpusS-44). -Database Manager

2004-10-30 - Status Note: There 1998 -Database Manager

2004-10-30 - New organ built from stored Schuelke pipework. Case designed after original case. -Database Manager

2007-11-05 - Updated through on-line information from James R. Stettner. -- The case and chamber are on the left, rear wall of the octagonal sanctuary. The console is at the front. The console is styled after the extant Schuelke tracker at St. Boniface R.C. in New Vienna, IA. -Database Manager

2007-11-06 - Updated through on-line information from James R. Stettner. -Database Manager

2012-09-07 - Updated through online information from Rodney J. Weed. -Database Manager

2012-09-17 - Updated through online information from Rodney J. Weed. -- The Church building built in 1969 and first used April 5, 1970 is octagonal in shape. As you enter the Sanctuary which seats 290 from one of the eight sides of the building opposite the altar area, the floor level case for the unenclosed Great is to the left on another of the eight sides of the building and at the rear in relation to the altar. The Swell is located in a chamber at Gallery level above the Great case at floor level. Above the main entrance to the Sanctuary is a Gallery (Choir loft) seating 30. The organ console is positioned in the front of this gallery on the right side of the gallery as it faces the altar area so the organist's back is to the altar area. This is the farthest position the console could be placed in this gallery from the Great organ case at floor level of the Sanctuary and Swell Chamber above the Great both of which are on the far left of the Gallery as you face the altar. This placement makes it very hard for the organist to hear the organ the way the congregation does. According to the current choir director, Mr. Robert Bucan, the organ cannot be used with the choir because if it is played loud enough for the choir to clearly hear the organ then the organ is heard by the congregation as totally overpowering the choir. The organ is quite nice sounding but given a seating capacity of 300 at most and the octagonal shape of the sanctuary area the 27 ranks of the organ as currently voiced are quite a lot of organ for the space. The console which is a very nice representation of a Schuelke console though totally modern with MIDI, transposer and eight level memory is extremely sensitive to the touch. -Database Manager

Stoplist

Stoplist taken from the console photos taken September 9, 2012 Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded

Ishpeming, Michigan
Bethany Lutheran (ELCA) Church

Levsen Organ Co., Opus 31, 1998.
Originally built by Wm. Schuelke Organ Co. - Opus S-44, 1886

Stoplist

GREAT
	
8' Principal	        61 Pipes
8' Viola D'  Gamba	61 Pipes
8' Melodia 	        61 Pipes
8' Salicional	        (SW)
8' Voix Céleste	        (SW)
4' Principal	        61 Pipes
4' Flute D' Amour	61 Pipes
2 2/3' Quint	        61 Pipes
2' Octave               61 Pipes
III Mixture            183 Pipes
8' Trompette            61 Pipes


SWELL	

16' Bourdon	        61 Pipes
8' Geigen Principal	61 Pipes
8' Gedeckt	        61 Pipes
8' Salicional	        61 Pipes
8' Voix Céleste	(TC)    49 Pipes
4' Fugara               61 Pipes
4' Flute Harmonique	61 Pipes
2' Piccolo              61 Pipes
16' Bassoon	        12 Pipes
8' Oboe	                61 Pipes
4' Zink                 12 Pipes

Tremulant	


PEDAL

32' Resultant	        32 Notes
16' Principal	        32 Pipes
16' Subass	        32 Pipes
8' Octavebass	        32 Pipes
8' Violoncello	        32 Pipes
4' Choral Bass	        12 Pipes
III Pedal Mixture	96 Pipes
16' Bassoon	        (SW)
8' Trompette	        (GT) 
4' Zink	                (SW)


COUPLERS

Great to Pedal     8'  &  4'
Swell to Pedal     8'  &  4'

Swell to Swell     16'  &  4'
Swell Unison Off

Swell to Great     16',  8',  4'

MIDI     1, 2, 3, 4

 [Received from Rodney J. Weed 2012-10-28.]

Websites

Related Pipe Organ Database Entries

#6557†* - Wm. Schuelke Organ Co. Opus S-44 (1886)