AGO Organ Performance & Technique 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which manual is typically the most powerful division on a classical American organ?
- Choir
- Swell
- Great (Correct answer)
- Solo
Correct answer: Great
The Great manual houses the principal chorus and most powerful stops, serving as the foundation of the organ's sound.
Question 2: A 'mutation stop' such as a Nasard (2⅔') sounds at:
- A unison pitch
- An octave below written pitch
- A twelfth (octave plus a fifth) above written pitch (Correct answer)
- A fifth above written pitch
Correct answer: A twelfth (octave plus a fifth) above written pitch
The Nasard at 2⅔' sounds a twelfth (compound fifth) above written pitch, reinforcing an upper partial of the harmonic series.
Question 3: When preparing for an AGO examination, what does 'sight reading' typically require of an organ candidate?
- Performing a memorized piece without the score
- Playing an unseen piece with pedals, at a moderate tempo, with basic accuracy (Correct answer)
- Transposing a given piece up a whole step
- Playing a piece written for piano on the organ
Correct answer: Playing an unseen piece with pedals, at a moderate tempo, with basic accuracy
AGO sight reading tests the ability to perform an unfamiliar piece on the organ, including pedal part, with musical competence.
Question 4: The coupler 'Swell to Great' causes:
- Swell stops to sound when Great keys are played (Correct answer)
- Great stops to sound when Swell keys are played
- Both manuals to play simultaneously regardless of which is used
- The swell shutters to open fully
Correct answer: Swell stops to sound when Great keys are played
Swell to Great coupler adds the Swell division's sounding pipes to the Great manual, enriching its tonal resources.
Question 5: Which articulation technique creates a slight separation between notes without fully detaching them, common in Baroque organ playing?
- Portato
- Staccato
- Détaché
- Non-legato (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Non-legato
Non-legato articulation creates a subtle space between notes, considered a natural default touch for much Baroque organ repertoire.
Question 6: What is the purpose of a 'general piston' on a pipe organ?
- It controls the swell shutters
- It instantly recalls a preset combination of stops across all divisions (Correct answer)
- It activates the tremulant for all divisions
- It couples all manuals together simultaneously
Correct answer: It instantly recalls a preset combination of stops across all divisions
General pistons recall complete registrations across all divisions simultaneously, allowing rapid changes between pre-stored combinations.
Question 7: When playing a chorale prelude, the cantus firmus voice is typically treated by:
- Playing it staccato to contrast with other voices
- Registering it distinctly so it stands out from the accompanying voices (Correct answer)
- Playing it only on the pedals regardless of range
- Omitting it entirely and improvising a new melody
Correct answer: Registering it distinctly so it stands out from the accompanying voices
The cantus firmus is the pre-existing melody around which the chorale prelude is built, and it must be audibly distinguished from the other voices.
AGO Organ Performance & Technique 3
Which manual is typically the most powerful division on a classical American organ?