BaL 11.05.13 - Handel's Solomon

[Nick Armstrong]

... well. I have heard Miss Bardot's assets referred to in various terms, but never until now as "tots"

The double meaning that occurred to me was an altogether more scurrilous and totally unfounded one about the late Lord Britten

[LeMartinPecheur]

Yes that's exactly what the word put me in mind of, of course. I wonder if that's why the character was so named... a sort of unwelcome presence...

The idea of the simple fifth being an unwelcome presence needs further expert explication I feel.

Most instruments produce plenty of harmonics, and each instrument's unique mixture is what gives it its distinctive tone-colour. The fifth as 3rd harmonic (and the first one different from the fundamental since the 2nd harmonic is simply the octave above it) is there aplenty in almost any instrumental sound.

So what then is the difference in adding a bit of extra fifth by means of a separate organ stop? I mentioned its being a kind of harmonic 'sauce' in organ registration (my terminology, but not I trust madly incorrect), but it seems Jeremy S hears it in that recording as a clear separate note upsetting the harmony. Does he therefore see no point in having a quint stop at all? Is there an organist-acoustician in the house??

[ Might it be that he found it excessive/unbalanced in the actual registration used on, presumably, a small chamber organ, rather than completely wrong in principle??]