Ophicleide ( ) and Contra Ophicleide are powerful
pipe organ reed pipes used as
organ stops. The name comes from the early brass instrument, the
ophicleide, forerunner of the
euphonium
The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" o ...
.
The Ophicleide is generally at
pitch, and the Contra Ophicleide at . While they can be or reeds in a
manual division, they are most commonly found in the
pedal
A pedal (from the Latin '' pes'' ''pedis'', "foot") is a lever designed to be operated by foot and may refer to:
Computers and other equipment
* Footmouse, a foot-operated computer mouse
* In medical transcription, a pedal is used to control p ...
division of the organ. Voiced to develop both maximum
fundamental tone (as in the Bombarde) and
overtone
An overtone is any resonant frequency above the fundamental frequency of a sound. (An overtone may or may not be a harmonic) In other words, overtones are all pitches higher than the lowest pitch within an individual sound; the fundamental i ...
series (as in the
Posaune), if the classic voicing technique and use of terminology are followed, the Ophicleide and Contra Ophicleide are among the most powerful and loudest organ stops. Generally the only types of stop more powerful are the various forms of Trompette ''
en chamade
''En chamade'' (French: "to sound a parley") refers to powerfully voiced reed stops in a pipe organ that have been mounted horizontally, rather than vertically, in the front of the organ case, projecting out into the church or concert hall. They ...
''. However, the Ophicleides require an extremely large instrument to balance their sound, and so are rarely built today, except into the largest of organs (about one hundred ranks and up).
The Grand Ophicleide in the
Boardwalk Hall Organ,
Atlantic City, New Jersey, is recognized as the loudest organ stop in the world, voiced on of wind pressure.
Its tone is described by ''Guinness World Records'' as having "a pure trumpet note of ear-splitting volume, more than six times the volume of the loudest
locomotive whistle."
See also
*
List of pipe organ stops
References
External links
Ophicleide entry at the Encyclopedia of Organ Stops
{{Pipe organs
Reed type organ stops