Fifth English
Quint French, German
Quinta Latin, Italian
Quinte French, German
Gros Nasard French
Gross Quint German?
Gross Nasard (unknown)
Grosse Quinte French?
Grossnasat German
Grossnassat (unknown)
Double Twelfth English
Megalopente Greek?
Sub Tierce French, German

A foundation stop at 5-1/3' pitch in the manuals, or 10-2/3' in the pedal. It is made in a variety of forms, including wood, metal, open, stopped, or half-stopped. The Gros Nasard of the French classical organ was, like all mutations of that time and place, of wide scale.

The name Quint is also used for other 5th-sounding mutations. Gross Quint is only listed by Irwin, who claims it to be a synonym for Sub Quint, but actual usage contradicts that claim. The name Megalopente is mentioned only by Wedgwood, who cites the example listed below. The name Sub Tierce is mentioned only by Strony, who says that it is borrowed from a Tibia Clausa on theatre organs. Other synonyms used in pedal divisions are listed under Quint Bass.

Variants

Cylinderquint
Füllquinte
Grand Quint
Lieblichquinte

Examples

The names Quint and Quinte are extremely common. Osiris contains about two dozen examples of Gross[e] Quint[e] at 10-2/3' pitch (all in pedal divisions), and about two dozen at 5-1/3'. No examples of Double Twelfth (mentioned only by Hopkins & Rimbault) or Sub Tierce are known. Contributions welcome.

Fifth 5-1/3', Choir-Swell; Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA; Midmer-Losh. (This is the only known example of the name Fifth, used by itself.)

Grossnasat 10-2/3', Pedal; Sejong Cultural Center, Seoul, Korea; Schuke 1978.

Grossnasat 5-1/3', Hauptwerk; Opera House, Sydney, Australia; Sharp 1979.

Grossnassat 10-2/3', Pedal; Cathedral, Merseburg, Germany; Ladegast 1853.

Gros Nasard 10-2/3', Pedale; First Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Moller 1969.

Gros Nasard 8' [sic], Pedale; St. Denis, Paris, France; Cavaille-Coll 1841. (The pedal compass was FF-F0, so the pitches of the unison and octave sounding stops were given as multiples of 3, and this Gros Nasard at 8' was really a fifth-sounding stop.)

Gros Nasard 5-1/3', Grand Orgue; Notre Dame des Victoires, St. Raphael, Provence, France; Cabourdin 1987.

Megalopente 10-2/3', Pedal; Coliseum, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Wilcox & Co.

Bibliography

Audsley[1]: Fifth; Grossnasat. Audsley[2]: I.XIII Fifth; Grossnasat. Bedos[1]: § 154, 165, 246. Douglass[1]: 84-86, 91. Hopkins & Rimbault[1]: § 595. Irwin[1]: Quint. Locher[1]: Nassat; Quint. Maclean[1]: Gross Quint; Quint. Skinner[1]: XII Quinte. Wedgwood[1]: Megalopente.
 
Copyright © 2001 Edward L. Stauff, all rights reserved.
Fifth.html - Last updated 21 April 2002.
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