> >     The Brustwerk only has the above three stops.  It seems awful small.
> > I'm not sure what  you normally do with  a more normal sized  Brustwerk,
> > but whatever it is, can you do it with those three stops?
>
> Well, remember the original function(s) of the brustwerk division.  It
> functions much like the top manual of the harpsichord, which
> (historically, if not on many 20th-century instruments) has only *ONE* 8'
> "stop."  It is a more delicate, miniature (if timbrally somewhat "spicy")
> foil to the more vanilla hauptwerk/oberwerk/great/whatever.  It is NOT a
> ruckpositiv, or a choir.  This sounds like it would be a superb brustwrek
> if the ranks are decent (and I'm sure they are...) These pipes usually
> seem "in your face" (to the player), but create a quite charming blend out
> in the room.
>
> Dave Kelzenberg
>
The Brustwerk is also extremely useful for continuo playing.  On most
organs, you are pretty much limited to only using an eight foot flute or
drowning out the (chamber) orchestra in Bach cantatas and such.  A good
Brustwerk lets you get the "full" organ sound of 8, 4, and 2 (or 1 1/3,
etc.) and lets you vary the continuo.  Because it's right close to the
instruments, they find it easier to tune, also.
 
Joe Downing