[The National Symphony Orchestra performed during the Kennedy Center Debut Concert. (Photo by Margot Ingoldsby Schulman)]
Performing Arts: Rubinstein Family Organ
Posted on 29 November 2012
by Patrick D. McCoy
After many years of lamenting over the woes of the Kennedy Center’s Filene Organ, the debut of a new instrument was a long-awaited occasion that called for a concert with the National Symphony Orchestra. The Rubenstein Family Organ was a gift from Kennedy Center Chairman David Rubenstein. In his opening remarks, center President Michael Kaiser
lavished high praise upon Rubenstein for the generosity of his gift and
contributions to the arts nationally. In appreciation of the previous
instrument, special attention was given to the Filene Stop, comprised of
61 pipes retained from the old organ as a way of commemorating the
contributions of the Filene family to the center’s performances over the
years. An engaging multi-media presentation projected on the screen in
front of the organ, provided a few seemingly staged vignettes of the
organ’s arrival and installation. Many of the city’s noted organists
were in attendance, including American Guild of Organists President Eileen Guenther as well as Marvin Mills, J. Reilly Lewis, Samuel Carabetta, Benjamin Hutto and Michael Lodico.
There has been speculation about the organ’s adequacy for the hall
for months, which has been well documented in the D. C. Performing Arts
Examiner on Examiner.com and by Anne Midgette in The Washington Post.
It was rumored that the organ was originally meant for a local church
that could no longer follow through on the financial commitment to
secure the instrument. The new instrument by Casavant
consists of 4, 972 pipes. In the district, there are churches that
house pipe organs of equal or larger size, such as the organs at National City Christian Church, National Presbyterian Church, Washington National Cathedral and Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church
(Chinatown location) to name a few. Many organists in the city voiced
concern that the instrument was too small for the concert hall. The
notion is one that certainly should have been entertained.
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