Firmin Swinnen (1885–1972) was a Belgian

theater organ A theatre organ (also known as a theater organ, or, especially in the United Kingdom, a cinema organ) is a type of pipe organ developed to accompany silent films from the 1900s to the 1920s. Theatre organs have horseshoe-shaped arrangements of ...

ist and concert artist who was noted for his organ improvisations during

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

s in New York City.

Career

Born in Montaigu, Belgium, Swinnen became an organist at the Antwerp cathedral, until

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

caused him to flee to the UK. He played many recitals in Great Britain for war charities, and then he moved to the US, where he played the Austin organ in the Rialto Theater in New York City, and then to the Rivoli theater. At the Rivoli, Swinnen specialized in lengthy improvisations during silent films using

s - massive pipe organs with a variety of sound effects and percussion sounds. He was organist/choirmaster at Christ Church Christiana Hundred in Greenville, Delaware from 1925 to 1956, a church which was supported by the duPont family. He played the organ

pedal keyboard A pedalboard (also called a pedal keyboard, pedal clavier, or, with electronic instruments, a bass pedalboard) is a musical keyboard, keyboard played with the feet that is usually used to produce the low-pitched bass line of a piece of music. A p ...

solo part in the concerto version Mr. Frank Stewart Adams wrote for the opening Allegro of

Widor Charles-Marie-Jean-Albert Widor (21 February 1844 – 12 March 1937) was a French organist, composer and teacher of the late Romantic era. As a composer he is known for his ten organ symphonies, especially the toccata of his fifth organ sympho ...

's Fifth Symphony. Commentators noted that "Few men can improvise musically interesting caprices, scherzos, toccatas, and gavottes by the hour". From 1923 to 1956, he was a concert organist in residence at Longwood, the Du Pont estate, where he played for

Pierre S. du Pont Pierre Samuel du Pont (; January 15, 1870 – April 4, 1954) was an American entrepreneur, businessman, philanthropist and member of the prominent du Pont family. He was president of DuPont from 1915 to 1919, and was on its board of directors un ...

on a massive 1930 Aeolian organ which he also designed. With its 10,010 pipes which took fourteen railway freight cars to transport to the grounds, the Aeolian organ was one of the largest organs installed at a private estate. The instrument, which spoke into the conservatory ballroom, was used for charity concerts in the indoor tropical gardens. He died in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

on April 18, 1972, and was buried at Cathedral Cemetery.

Works

* ''Chinoiserie'', for organ, 1921 * ''Soir de Printemps'', for organ, 1921 * ''Soir d'Automne'', for organ, 1921 * ''Aria'', for organ, 1952 * ''Longwood Sketches'', for organ, 1927 * ''In the Shadow of the Old Tree'' * ''Rosebuds'' (capriccietto) * ''Dewdrops'' * ''Sunshine'' (toccata)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swinnen, Firmin 1885 births 1972 deaths Belgian organists Belgian male classical organists Organ improvisers Theatre organists 20th-century Belgian organists 20th-century Belgian male musicians 20th-century Belgian classical musicians