Doublette French
Fifre French
Fifteenth English
Octavin French
Quincena Spanish
Superoctav German
Decima Quinta Italian
Klein[e] Octave German/English
Kleinoktav[e] German
Quintadecima Italian
Superoctaaf Dutch
Super Octave English
Disdiapason (unknown)
Octava Composita (unknown)
Quindecima (unknown)
Quinzième French
Regula Minima Latin
Sedecima (unknown)

These are the names most commonly given to the Principal of 2' pitch in the manuals and 4' pitch in the pedal. The pipes are of open metal construction. Kleinoktav is also a synonym for Twenty-Second.

On theatre organs, according to Strony, the Fifteenth is extended not from a Diapason but from a string, usually a Viol d'Orchestre.

Authorities differ as to the meaning of Octavin.

See Doublette and Fifre for alternate meanings of those names.

Compare with Quarte de Nasard.

Variants

Echo Fifteenth
Geigen Fifteenth
Gemshorn Fifteenth
      Octave Fifteenth
Viol Fifteenth

Examples

Osiris contains over 400 examples of Fifteenth, nearly 400 examples of Super Octave, 275 examples of Doublette, 150 examples of Quincena, 80 example of Supero[c/k]tav, 25 examples of Superoctaaf, 16 examples of Klein[e]o[c/k]tav[e] (of which nine are at 2' pitch), and 15 examples each of Decimaquinte and Quintadecima. Of the nine examples of Sedecima, none are at 2' pitch, and the single example of Fifre is at 1'. No examples are known of Disdiapason, Octava Composita, Quindecima, Quinzième or Regula Minima. Contributions welcome.

Sound Clips

See the Sound Files appendix for general information.

Octava 2', Hauptwerk Reinhardtsgrimma, Sachsen, Germany Silbermann, 1731 arpeggio
Octava 2', Hinterwerk Reinhardtsgrimma, Sachsen, Germany Silbermann, 1731 arpeggio
Principal 2', Swell First Baptist Church, Riverside, California, USA Schantz, 1966 arpeggio
Fifteenth 2', Great St. Anne's Church, Moseley, Birmingham, England Brindley & Foster, 1907 arpeggio
Fifteenth 4', Pedal St. Anne's Church, Moseley, Birmingham, England Nicholson, 1969 arpeggio
Prinzipal 2' Chamber Organ Ott, 2003 arpeggio
Prinzipal 2', Manual II University of Illinois, USA Buzard, 1986 arpeggio

Bibliography

Adlung[1]: §135 Decima quinta, §136 Disdiapason, §171 Oktave, §180 Quinta decima, Quintetz. Audsley[1]: Decima; Fifteenth; Regula Minima; Super-Octave. Audsley[2]: I.XIII Fifteenth; Regula Minima; Super-Octave. Bedos[1]: § 140-141, 143, 169, 266, 948. Bonavia-Hunt[1]: Fifteenth; Superoctave. Douglass[1]: 83, 85, 87, 91-92, 113. Grove[1]: Doublette; Fifteenth; Quintadecima. Hopkins & Rimbault[1]: § 612. Irwin[1]: Fifteenth. Locher[1]: Doublette, Octave. Maclean[1]: Doublette; Fifteenth. Skinner[1]: 24; XII Fifteenth, Super Octave. Strony[1]: Fifteenth. Sumner[1]: Cart; Doublette; Fifteenth; Super Octave. Wedgwood[1]: Decima Quinta; Fifre; Fifteenth; Quincena; Superoctave. Williams[1]: Glossary: Decem; Doublette; Quintadecima.
 
Copyright © 2001 Edward L. Stauff, all rights reserved.
Fifteenth.html - Last updated 4 December 2004.
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