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Man Wants Biggest Organ for His Living Room
newsmax.com ^
| 9-20-03
| With Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff
Posted on 09/21/2003 8:23:56 PM PDT by ovrtaxt
Posted Saturday, Sept. 20, 2003 5:56 PM EDTMan Wants Biggest Organ for His Living Room
Jasper Sanfilippo, a collector of musical devices, doesnt play the organ and neither does his wife, but he does have the distinction of owning the biggest organ in the world, which is on proud display in an oversized living room of his estate in Barrington Hills, Ill., according to a feature in Forbes magazine.
While Radio City's Wurlitzer, the world's second largest, has 4,500 pipes, Jasper's has 8,000, says Tom Hazleton, an acclaimed theater organist. "If this doesn't blow your socks off, nothing will," Hazleton says.
Sanfilippo built a 27,000-square-foot living room in which to house the biggest Wurlitzer pipe organ in captivity. The immense instrument is feed air (10,000 cubic feet per minute) via a 50hp, 440-volt blower and can play "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" with the same ease as a Debussy delicacy.
Fortunately for the non-player owner, the organ has a feature permitting the capture of keystrokes, recalling every note of every artist who's played at the Sanfilippos' home, as well as the tonal settings he chose -- and even the lighting in the room.
Included are buttons that summon thunder, surf, tom-toms and a glockenspiel, and a 32-note set of bells (the largest weighing 426 pounds).
Scoff if you like, but experts agree that Sanfilippo has created something extraordinary, says organist John Giacchi.
Victory at Sea, a favored selection, has palpable 25-foot swells.
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: biggestorgan
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Let the sophomoric feeding frenzy begin!
1
posted on
09/21/2003 8:23:56 PM PDT
by
ovrtaxt
To: ovrtaxt
This could will get ugly.
2
posted on
09/21/2003 8:24:49 PM PDT
by
dighton
(NLC™)
To: ovrtaxt
palpable 25-foot swells. Now that's a big organ!
3
posted on
09/21/2003 8:25:46 PM PDT
by
Loyalist
(Schismatic Orc Ping List: The original Latin lovers!)
To: ovrtaxt
(popping popcorn)
4
posted on
09/21/2003 8:26:02 PM PDT
by
martin_fierro
(Great Googlymoogly!)
To: ovrtaxt
This guy seems to have taken his spam emails too seriesly!
To: ovrtaxt
I'm sure his wife would prefer he had it in the bedroom..
Semper Fi
6
posted on
09/21/2003 8:27:36 PM PDT
by
river rat
(War works......It brings Peace... Give war a chance to destroy Jihadists...)
To: ovrtaxt
I get 3 or 4 emails a week asking if I want a big organ...
7
posted on
09/21/2003 8:27:51 PM PDT
by
woofie
To: martin_fierro
Cheap entertainment indeed. In fact, I was just reading up on ol' Gary Cox, speaking of organs.
8
posted on
09/21/2003 8:28:20 PM PDT
by
ovrtaxt
( http://www.fairtax.org ** God may not be a Republican, but Satan is definitely a Democrat!)
To: ovrtaxt
If he comes to the health food store I work in, I will give him some herbs to help him with his want of a bigger organ.
9
posted on
09/21/2003 8:28:32 PM PDT
by
cyborg
(member in good standing of the Tinfoil Hat Society)
To: ovrtaxt
Hmmm... most men would prefer a big organ for their bedroom.
I know, that's "sophmoric, but I didn't want to disappoint - LOL.
10
posted on
09/21/2003 8:29:18 PM PDT
by
bjcintennessee
(Don't Sweat the Small Stuff)
To: ovrtaxt
It's not the size of your organ that counts, it's whether the vibrations make the earth move.
11
posted on
09/21/2003 8:29:24 PM PDT
by
RichInOC
(HOW ARE YOU GENTLEMEN!! ALL YOUR BASS ARE BELONG TO US.)
To: dighton
Does this massive organ meet local codes?
Surely someone will have to handle it!
12
posted on
09/21/2003 8:29:35 PM PDT
by
sinkspur
(Adopt a dog or a cat from a shelter! You'll save at least one life, maybe two!)
To: ovrtaxt
Too late! I've already got the biggest one.
Hb
13
posted on
09/21/2003 8:29:49 PM PDT
by
Hoverbug
(whadda ya mean, "we don't get parachutes"!?!)
To: ovrtaxt
Is it still the biggest organ when the weather turns cold?
To: ovrtaxt
I was just reading up on ol' Gary Cox,
Speaking of big Johnsons, Randy hit his first homer.
To: cyborg
Do those herbs work? And if so, how do you know?
16
posted on
09/21/2003 8:31:36 PM PDT
by
ovrtaxt
( http://www.fairtax.org ** God may not be a Republican, but Satan is definitely a Democrat!)
To: ovrtaxt
He doesn't play it and neither does his wife, but I bet when she sees it she'll want to play with it!
To: ovrtaxt
To be accurate, this is the world's largest
theatre organ.
The John Wanamaker store in Philadelphia, with its 10,000 pipe Wicks, and the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, with its 11,000 pipe Aeolian-Skinner, have larger concert organs.
18
posted on
09/21/2003 8:33:22 PM PDT
by
sinkspur
(Adopt a dog or a cat from a shelter! You'll save at least one life, maybe two!)
To: Hoverbug
Well, this guys a musician. We all think we have the biggest one. Of course, I'm the only one who's right.
19
posted on
09/21/2003 8:33:42 PM PDT
by
ovrtaxt
( http://www.fairtax.org ** God may not be a Republican, but Satan is definitely a Democrat!)
To: ovrtaxt
My clients claim they work... judging by how often some of them purchase, they can open a piano outlet.
20
posted on
09/21/2003 8:34:47 PM PDT
by
cyborg
(member in good standing of the Tinfoil Hat Society)
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