vince pitelka on sat 16 mar 02
>>Louis=92 Katz=92s fire organ performance was amazing<jealous. Now I'm irrationally jealous. I would love to see this!!
Ann -
I don't know if he is going to perform this piece again, but perhaps
eventually he will do it. It is obviously a big drain on him - not
surprising for someone who constantly is actively involved in so many
things. Someday you will meet Louis (come to any NCECA and you can) and
then you will understand. Louis is brilliant, to the degree where his mi=
nd
is always a little ahead of his mouth. He is a wonderful guy and
fascinating to talk to, but you have to make allowances for this quirk.
The fire organ, billed as "the world's longest performance kiln," is moun=
ted
on a large twin-axle utility trailer. Down one side it has the full
ensemble of pipes salvaged from a church pipe organ. Down the other side=
is
a steel frame supporting a horizontal square firebrick tube-shaped "kiln"
that is approximately 17 feet long, but only 1 1/2 cubic foot total inter=
ior
space. Along underside of this tube are periodic ports aligned with
vertical gas burners. Along the side of the tube/kiln facing outwards fr=
om
the trailer is a continuous row of small holes. The burners beneath the t=
ube
heat up the interior of the tube/kiln, and small flames emerge from all t=
he
side holes. In front of each side hole is a vertical gas nozzle with an
electric valve connected to a single note in the organ electrical circuit.
At one end of the trailer is the keyboard, and at the other end is a
connection with a long pipe leading to a 100-pound propane tank fifty fee=
t
away.
When Louis plays music on the keyboard, each key opens the a admitting ai=
r
to the appropriate pipe on the pipe organ, but it also opens the appropri=
ate
gas valve, causing a vertical jet of gas to emerge. The small flame comi=
ng
out of the side hole on the kiln/tube ignites the gas, creating a large
(3-foot) flame for the duration of the note. If it is a short staccato
note, there is just a brief ball of flame. It is incredible to watch the=
se
flames dancing up and down the 17-foot length of the "kiln" as Louis's
fingers dance up and down the keyboard.
The cover of the performance program reads: "Five Octaves: A visit by th=
e
Organ Repairman. Written, produced, and directed by the repairman.
Starring, Louis H. Katz, Organ Repairman; Don Luna, Barker."
The back of the program reads "Special apologies to the following compose=
rs:
J.S. Bach, Raymond Birch, Scott Joplin, Domenico Scarlatti. The program
consisted of Prelude in C by Bach, Maple Leaf Rag by Joplin, Sonata in C =
and
Toccatta in D minor by Scarlatti, Blue Goose Rag by Birch, and Tocatta an=
d
Fugue in D minor by Bach.
Louis's ability on the organ is based on a few years of piano lessons, an=
d
he makes no claims to virtuosity, but I must say that his performance in
this case, in the parking lot behind Union Station in Kansas City, in ver=
y
cold weather with a stiff wind, was nothing short of brilliant. His whol=
e
persona is that of the wacky genius, and in this case was perfect. I fee=
l
privileged to have been present.
For those who do not know Louis, he is an associate professor of ceramics=
at
Texas A&M Corpus Christi, and has been very active in NCECA, especially i=
n
organizational matters and in solving technical problems with audio visua=
l
equipment etc.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
terry sullivan on sat 16 mar 02
This from Terry Sullivan in sunny San Marcos , CA ( no. San Diego County
)
I'm hoping to get Louis Katz to return with his fire organ to do a
performace during the 2003 NCECA.
Actually, we are planning a whole range of activities to preceed the
conference.
There have been some suggestions of a Clayart conference on the list
recently and I'm thinking why not combine it with NCECA. We could start
the weekend preceeding the conference and go till the tuesday before it
starts. Say, some sort of workshop/participation/celabration affair
with all sorts of kiln firings and demonstrations by the participants.
Like Mel says:
"Adult shared learning".
We can keep the costs low because participants would already be coming
to NCECA but just a few days early.
The Nottingham Center for the Arts would provide all the facilities (
eg. kilns, space, materials, etc.) so the costs would be very minimal
for stuff like food, drink, clay, etc.
The cost of motels and food are significantly less up here in No. San
Diego County than at the conference site and there is RV and camping
space at the art center as well.
What do ya think folks ?
Terry Sullivan
Nottingham Center for the Arts
San Marcos, CA
www.nottinghamarts.org
Carole Rishel on sun 17 mar 02
Where in SD is NCECA going to be held next year. I'm planning on going -=
I'm from SD and my family still lives there, so, no hotel costs!! Haven=
't been to NCECA since the last time it was in SD.
Carole Rishel
kallahcee@msn.com
Smithville, TX =20
=20
----- Original Message -----
From: terry sullivan
Sent: Saturday, March 16, 2002 10:02 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: NCECA - fire organ performance
=20
This from Terry Sullivan in sunny San Marcos , CA ( no. San Diego County
)
I'm hoping to get Louis Katz to return with his fire organ to do a
performace during the 2003 NCECA.
Actually, we are planning a whole range of activities to preceed the
conference.
There have been some suggestions of a Clayart conference on the list
recently and I'm thinking why not combine it with NCECA. We could start
the weekend preceeding the conference and go till the tuesday before it
starts. Say, some sort of workshop/participation/celabration affair
with all sorts of kiln firings and demonstrations by the participants.
Like Mel says:
"Adult shared learning".
We can keep the costs low because participants would already be coming
to NCECA but just a few days early.
The Nottingham Center for the Arts would provide all the facilities (
eg. kilns, space, materials, etc.) so the costs would be very minimal
for stuff like food, drink, clay, etc.
The cost of motels and food are significantly less up here in No. San
Diego County than at the conference site and there is RV and camping
space at the art center as well.
What do ya think folks ?
Terry Sullivan
Nottingham Center for the Arts
San Marcos, CA
www.nottinghamarts.org
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