Fratelli Ruffatti
Encyclopedia
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
s based in Padua, Italy.
History
In 1940, Antonio Ruffatti and his two brothers founded the firm of Famiglia Artigiana Fratelli Ruffatti—Ruffatti Brothers, Family of Artisans—the full and original name of the company which remains unchanged today. The firm has produced more than five hundred instruments of all sizes, in Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The lineage and heritage of Fratelli Ruffatti continues in the twenty-first century with the second generation of Ruffatti brothers, Francesco Ruffatti and Piero Ruffatti, the sons of Antonio, who joined the firm as partners in 1968. Since their father's retirement in 1992, Francesco and Piero have shared the responsibility of running Fratelli Ruffatti.Design and Philosophy
Each Fratelli Ruffatti organ is unique.The tonal planning of each instrument takes into consideration the ideas and musical needs of the customer as well as the space available and the acoustic environment. The primary objective of the aesthetic design is to blend with the existing architecture. Although most Ruffatti instruments utilize the traditional mechanical action, they also produce instruments with highly developed and efficient electro-pneumatic and all-electric actions. While Ruffatti's continue to refine the sounds of warm Italian principals and singing flutes, they have added a wide variety of European and American organ sounds previously unknown in Italy, making their instruments international.In this world of specialization and corporate diversification, it is possible to have parts from ten or twenty different manufacturers and suppliers within a single instrument. It is the Ruffatti tradition, however, to manufacture every organ part possible in their own factory, from the windchests to wooden drawknobs and stop tablets, to the flue and reed pipes. They select only first-quality materials for the instruments to ensure durability and efficient performance under the most widely varying climatic conditions. Ruffatti buys only organically cured leather from a tiny village in Southern Italy. they also select African mahogany logs as they come off the ship and season the wood naturally in the shop for five years or more before use. The metal alloy is selected to best suit each rank of pipes in each organ and pipe metals are poured to specific formulas.
Some of the manufacturing processes, such as the metal pipe department, are all done by hand, using centuries-old techniques. Other processes rely on modern machinery, some of which has been invented by their own craftsmen, to perform highly specialized tasks. Advanced technology is partnered with handcrafted detail.
After manufacture and before shipping, each organ is completely assembled in the erecting room of the factory. Every part of the instrument is then checked to avoid any structural work to be completed at the installation site.
Ruffatti Installations
Crystal Cathedral
The Crystal Cathedral is a Protestant Christian church building in the city of Garden Grove, in Orange County, California, United States. It is the headquarters and principal place of worship for Crystal Cathedral Ministries, a church founded in 1955 by Robert H. Schuller and affiliated with the...
, the organ at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Fátima, Portugal
Fátima, Portugal
Fátima is a city in Portugal famous for the Marian apparitions, recognized by the Catholic Church, that took place there in 1917. The town itself has a population of 7,756 and is located in the municipality of Ourém, in the Centro Region and Médio Tejo Subregion...
, and the 117-rank organ designed by Diane Bish
Diane Bish
Diane Joyce Bish, born on May 25, 1941, in Kansas, is an organist and composer as well as executive producer of the Joy of Music television series. As a concert organist, she performs frequently at recitals throughout North America and Europe....
for the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
- Spivey Hall, Clayton State UniversityClayton State UniversityClayton State University is a public university in Morrow, Georgia, with 6,785 students. Clayton State University is a part of the University System of Georgia....
- Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in... - Brigham Young University-IdahoBrigham Young University-IdahoBrigham Young University–Idaho is a private university located in Rexburg, Idaho. Founded in 1888, the university is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and transitioned from a junior college to a four-year institution in 2001, known for the greater part of its...
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. - San Francisco SymphonySan Francisco SymphonyThe San Francisco Symphony is an orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980, the orchestra has performed at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus are part of the organization...
, Davies Symphony Hall - San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. - Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima - Fátima, PortugalFátima, PortugalFátima is a city in Portugal famous for the Marian apparitions, recognized by the Catholic Church, that took place there in 1917. The town itself has a population of 7,756 and is located in the municipality of Ourém, in the Centro Region and Médio Tejo Subregion...
. - Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
- Coral Ridge Presbyterian ChurchCoral Ridge Presbyterian ChurchCoral Ridge Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. It was founded in 1960 by D. James Kennedy , who served as the church's senior pastor until his death in 2007. The present church building seating 2,800 persons was...
, Fort Lauderdale, FloridaFort Lauderdale, FloridaFort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010... - Uppsala CathedralUppsala CathedralUppsala Cathedral is a cathedral located centrally in the city of Uppsala, Sweden. It dates back to the late 13th century and at a height of 118.7 m is the tallest church building in Scandinavia. Originally built under Roman Catholicism and used for coronations of the Swedish monarch, since the...
, Uppsala, Sweden - Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción - AguascalientesAguascalientesAguascalientes is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 11 municipalities and its capital city is Aguascalientes....
, MéxicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... - First Presbyterian Church, Naples, Official Website, Installation by Central MusicCentral MusicCentral Music, Inc., founded in 1958 is a piano and organ dealer located in Clearwater, Florida. Central Music represents Rodgers Instruments, Fratelli Ruffatti, Blüthner, Hammond organ and Roland Corporation instruments. They serve Florida, Georgia and the Caribbean.-History:Central Music is a...
External links
- Fratelli Ruffatti Official website
- Ruffatti Organ at Coral Ridge
- Ruffatti Organ at Brigham Young University-Idaho
- Davies Symphony Hall (San Francisco) Ruffatti organ http://www.ruffatti.com/specs/davies.html
- S.F. Symphony's mighty Ruffatti organ to get a big birthday workout -BNet Article