A Visit to Paradise
The Residence of Jasper and Marian Sanfilippo
Place de la Musique
From the November/December 1994 issue of the ATOS journal, Theatre Organ
By Lyn Larsen and Joseph DuciBella
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In the rolling green hills 45 miles northwest of Chicago, a most unexpected and unique treasure is to be found. After turning off of a narrow, tree-lined country lane and traveling down a long, winding drive, you suddenly come across a startling sight: before you is a stately three-story structure of brick, terra cotta, and cut stone that encloses some 47,000 square feet of space. With slate mansard roofs, stone balustrades, and an aged copper spire high atop a slender, circular tower, you might think that this is an old family estate that has been here for many generations. But the remarkable fact is that this breathtaking building and its wonderful contents are the result of the imagination, determination, commitment, and hard work of a very unique man named Jasper Sanfilippo. Yet in 1992, two-thirds of this structure did not exist except as an idea and a dream of excellence, quality, and profound beauty.
Around 1985, Jasper and Marian heard the Wurlitzer organ during a visit to the Nethercutt Museum in Sylmar, California. They were both enthralled with the warm, rich sound of the theatre pipe organ, and decided to acquire and install one in a new music room that was then being added to their home. They contacted organ technician David Junchen, and after first considering a medium-sized Barton organ, they instead opted to purchase the four-manual Wurlitzer originally installed in the Riviera Theatre in Omaha, Nebraska, and subsequently installed by Bill Brown in his Tucson Organ Stop Pizza. David Junchen moved the organ to the Chicago area and went about the task of making a few additions and installing it in the new music room. At this time, a new Trousdale relay and player system was added to the organ so that its new owners could hear the instrument at the touch of a switch. The dimensions of this new music room had been laid out to accommodate the rapidly growing collection of nickelodeons and orchestrions around its sides. With a length of 76 feet and a width of only 24 feet, the room was not ideal for the requirements of a pipe organ, but the crew set about working magic and managed to create a lovely sounding instrument of 28 ranks in an amazingly small amount of space. The organ was opened with Lyn Larsen playing two consecutive concerts in 1986. Over the next six years, almost every touring theatre organist that passed through the Chicago area played this organ. Many of these artists encoded music into the computerized player, and on many evenings after dinner, Jasper and Marian would go into the music room, stretch out together on a big area rug, and listen to the great wash of sound from their new instrument. With five young adult children and their friends, the house was a center of activity; the new music room was also in use a great deal during this time, both for the encoding of music into the player as well as for numerous concerts and parties. As early as 1987, there were discussions about building a much larger music room The new room was to have hard surfaces on the walls, floor, and ceiling. It was projected that the new organ would have 32' pedal pipes standing on each side of the room. Instead, the instrument ended up with four 32' ranks
With a penchant for collecting things, Jasper had acquired decorative architectural items over the years that needed to be coordinated into a cohesive design for the new salon. Using these artifacts and finding others to complete the job, design solutions were invented almost daily. Jasper was on site part of each day with new ideas and answers to engineering questions that would arise. Scores of lighting fixtures were reworked, dozens more were reproduced, plaster was cast and recast, surfaces were colored, textured, and leafed, designs were done for ceilings, walls, carpets, and floors, and modem control technology was integrated for extensive lighting possibilities. Operating on what came to be affectionately known as "Jasper time," the new salon was completed in just nine months!
The handsome scrim curtain that covers the swell shades of the organ is a painted reproduction of the velour stage curtain that hung in the Chicago Paradise Theatre. However, it is 10% larger than the original, and despite its luxuriant appearance, it is sound-transparent. It was chosen to complement the Paradise organ console design that was reproduced by Ken Crome from vintage photographs. There is an amusing anecdote to the console creation. After a yearlong and fruitless search for cupid figures to adorn the top of the console, a search began for someone who could recreate them from the photo. At a business located only blocks from Joe's office, a young salesman looked at the photo, disappeared into his warehouse, and emerged minutes later with the exact figures. His grandfather had handcrafted the originals and they were still available!
Fortunately, David was prodigious and thorough in his record keeping, drawings, and conceptual ideas for the new organ. The stoplist was set, chamber drawings showing chest placement were complete, winding layouts showed the regulator-to-chest relationships, and extensive notes were written that described how he envisioned the new organ to tonally fit together. Copies had been shared along the way with Jasper, Dave's assistants, Lyn Larsen, and Tom Hazleton. As much as possible, the organ installation and its tonal regulation have been carried out utilizing all of David's notes as a respected guideline. In November of 1992, Jasper asked Lyn Larsen if he would oversee and guide to completion the installation and tonal regulation of this most challenging project. Lyn accepted, and began a schedule of commuting to Chicago for a week or more each month for the next two years. Through the amazing dedication of a very large crew working extended hours and often on weekends, the organ went into its new location between November of 1992 and February of 1994. Many components had to be manufactured from scratch right on site. It took sixteen months to refurbish and install 80 ranks of pipes, 58 regulators, 41 tremulants, 13 percussions, and myriad traps into five enclosed chambers, one unenclosed chamber, and multiple locations at the front and rear of the salon. Because of Jasper's love of fine craftsmanship and natural wood, the hidden parts of the organ contain a level of quality and attention to detail that is seldom seen. The chamber floors are beautifully finished with solid oak tongue-and-groove flooring. All supports, framing, and organ lumber has been given a furniture-quality finish. Lyn Larsen and Tom Hazleton officially dedicated the stunning new instrument in concert on September 25, 1994. During the many months of regulation, Lyn often called on Tom to provide a "second set of ears" as to the overall effect of the organ, especially the symphonic aspect of the ensemble.
The large and unique Sanfilippo house is very much a private home that its owners enjoy to the fullest. On many evenings after dinner when the great house is quiet, Jasper and Marian still go into the new music salon and listen to the seemingly endless variety of sounds that emanate from this magnificent instrument. As dedicated supporters of several charitable causes, they are delighted that the beauty of the salon with its museum-quality music machines and the five-manual, 80 rank theatre pipe organ can be enjoyed by many visitors for fund-raising events throughout the year. Lyn Larsen continues to see that the instrument, the largest of its type in the world, remains in top condition. He also coordinates the encoding of music into the player system by various artists.
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