Robbie remarks in 040701 MMDigest, "should it be called an organ
or a player penny-whistle, or what?"
Organist/composer Jean Langlais used to say, "no pipes, no organ."
Though referring to electronic organs and harmoniums, one can extend
his metric to the Great Tuneyville Question: The Tuneyville instruments
do contain multiple, wind-blown pipes.
The word "organ" is (mis)applied to so many musical instruments,
skepticism is natural. "Organ" lies at the root of "organization,"
and "organism," describing something of more than a single element.
A real pipe organ must have more than one pipe. Devon's Tuneyville
Player Piano has two. If the instrument played only one pipe, it
should be termed a mechanical flute. By employing two pipes with
separate mouths (fipples), the Tuneyville meets the complexity
necessary for organic sound production. (While some flageolets have
two pipes playing simultaneously, one pipe is a drone rather than an
equal.)
Multiplexed pipes should not disqualify an organ. In more than a few
churches reside legitimate, respectable pipe organs similarly playing
more than one note from a given pipe (see Lieblich Gedeckt; Resultant;
also, Compton's Device). It's a musical compromise, usually in the
lowest (and least critical) notes, but generally effective.
In my opinion, the Tomy "Tuneyville' instruments meet the minimal
criteria to be called "pipe organs." Anyone is free to disagree,
and your mileage may vary.
Regards,
Robert Linnstaedt - The Organ Shoppe
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