Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The Bamboo Organ of Las Piñas Philippines


Almost every organist has heard of the Bamboo Organ in Las Piñas, much as they have heard of Roman hydraulic organs, as an oddity they would like one day to see and play. However the Bamboo Organ is very real and functioning instrument built in the classic Spanish style.

Padre Diego Cera began work on the organ in 1816, while the church was still under construction. Having previously built organs in Manila with some organ stops made of bamboo, he decided to built one using only bamboo for the pipes. Bamboo was abundant in the area and used for hundreds of items. The organ was first heard in 1821 yet without the horizontal trumpets. He completed the work in 1824 after finally deciding to use metal for the horizontal trumpets whose character of sound he could not get with bamboo resonators.


These bamboo resonators now stand as the rear facade pipes of the organ.
The final result conforms very closely to the classic Mediterranean organ, built in a style that essentially looked backward to the eighteenth century.


It has one manual, divided registers with separate knobs for the bass and treble, horizontal trumpets in the facade, a few short pull-down pedal notes plus of course a few of the favorite effects: Pajaritos and the Tambor.



Finnish organist Kalevi Kiviniemi

It is a curious fact that the sound of many Spanish and Italian organs built quite late in this tradition have a unique charm, only emphasized in the Bamboo Organ by the choice of the material. Down through the years, earthquakes and typhoons damaged both church and organ. The first repairs were still done by Fr. Cera and later by locals who were trained by the builder himself. At the start of the 20th century, the organ is hardly playable. Several attempts were made just to keep it playing until an inevitable restoration is badly needed after the Second World War.

In 1972, through the efforts of the CICM priests of St. Joseph's Parish, Fr. Mark Lessage and Fr. Leo Renier, a contract for restoration was awarded to Johannes Klais Orgelbau of Bonn, Germany. The entire instrument was disassembled and shipped to Germany in 1973 and was restored under climatic conditions simulating those at Las Piñas.




While the restoration of the organ was taking place in Germany, the church and grounds were restored to their original state with the help of the entire parish community. The restored organ returned home in March 1975 to a joyous welcome by the people of the Philippines. Since then the scene of many concert festivals, the Bamboo Organ is described by international organ masters as one of the finest old organs in the world. Its construction of bamboo is noted as being one of the major factors that gives it a truly unique and lively sound.

Stoplist

divided keyboard
Bass side
Mano Yzquierda

FF - c1 / 32 notes

4' Bajoncillo
2' Clarin Campana
8' Flautado Major
4' Flautado Violon
2' Octava 1a
2' Octava 2a
1 1/3' Docena 1a
1 1/3' Docena 2a
1' Quincena 1a
1' Quincena 2a

divided keyboard
treble side
Mano Derecha

cs1 - f3 / 29 notes

8' Clarin Campana
8' Clarin Claro
16' Flautado Violon
8' Flautado Major
8' 2r Travizera
4' Octava 1a
4' Octava 2a
2 2/3' Docena 1a + 2a
2' Quincena 1a + 2a
5r Corneta (V)

Pedal
FF - E / 12 notes
4' Contras

Ornaments (effects)
Pajaritos
Tambor



the cornet above


The total number of pipes is 1,031 and consists of:

747 speaking labial bamboo pipes
36 dummy labial bamboo pipes
119 dummy bamboo reed pipes
7 speaking labial metal pipes (pajaritos)
122 speaking metal reed pipes (horizontal trumpets)



The Bamboo Organ, housed at St. Joseph Parish Church, Las Piñas City is located some 10 kilometers south of the center of Manila, on the way to Tagaytay. It is only 20 minutes away from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).




Monday, February 2, 2009

Swieta Lipka 1721 Organ POLAND


Below is a video showing the church interior, and also footage of its organ with some unusual moving figures:





The church’s most famous feature is the Baroque organ, built in 1721 by Johann Mosengel from Konigsberg. A work of art in itself, it has a set of statues such as an angel playing the mandolin and cherubin with bugles. And what is more, you can watch the figures moving while the instrument is being played. Organ concerts are held in the summer months every Friday at eight p.m.

DETAILS:

The organ has 40 voices, two manuals and pedal.
The organ was built in the years 1719-1721 by organbuilder from Królewca, John Mosengela Josue.

The instrument was originally designed as a 18-voice a two-manual (no pedal) organ, and was subsequently, in the year 1721, increased to three manuałs and pedal, and 40 baroque voices. Like all instruments of that time, the organ had mechanical action, and the necessary air to play the organ was pumped by a 4 foot wedge bellows operated by the so-called e. kalikantów (organ treader).

Admired to this day are the very minutely sculpted figures, product of the workshop is the work of a master Mosengela, "organmistrza royal."





The organ is made up of a main organ and a positive. The Positive has small towers, on which are angels with trumpets, attached to the choir railing. The instrument is built on the entire west wall and built-in between the two oblong windows. The richly decorated case of the świętolipskich organ is one of the best examples baroque art. The cabinets are profusely decorated with plant ornamentation, mainly composed of interlaced spliced acanthus. On the towers are placed zwieńczeniach sculptures depicting angels playing different instruments. These figures, together with the stars and bells on the towers, are set in motion in time with the playing of the instrument. This is the only instrument preserved to our times unchanged. The interior of the instrument has been thoroughly renovated in 1905.





The majority of romantic voices were replaced by new baroque voices, and mechanical action replaced the pneumatic. Since then the instrument has only two and manuałs pedal. During World War I, the tin pipes were replaced with zinc, and in 1944 the instrument devastated. After the war, the missing pipes were replaced. At this time, the organ has two manuałs with a C - f 'and the pedal C - d1.



DISPOSITION


Manuał I
główny

Gross-Gedeckt 16'
Rohrflöte 8'

Flaute harmon. 8'
Salicional 8'
Gemshorn 8'
Schalmey 8'
Principal 8'
Flote 4'
Octave 4'
Piccolo 2'
Rausch-Quinte 2 2/3'
Mixtur 3-4 fach
Cornett 4 fach Fagotto 16'
Trompete 8'
Hautbois 8'
Trompete 8'
Cornettino

Manuał II
szafa ekspr.

Bordun 16'
Gedackt 8'
Flauto dulce 8'
Aeoline 8'
Unda-maris 8'
Quintadena 8'
Viola di Gamba 8'
Principal amabile 8'
Flauto amabile 8'
Prestant 4'
Progressiv 4 fach Oboe 8'

Pedał

Salicet 16'
Subbas 16'
Violon 16'
Principal 16'
Nasard 10 2/3'
Octave 8'
Cello 8'
Super-Octave 4' Posaune 16'

Połączenia (connections): Diskant-Koppel ; Manual-Coppel; z. I. M. Pedal-Coppel; z. II. M. Pedal-Coppel; II. z. I. M. Suboctav-Coppel; II. z. I. M. Super-Oct.-Coppel
Glocken-Spiel (c-f3)
Ausloser, Piano, Mezzoforte, Forte, Fortissimo, Tutti







Listen (below) to the fragments on the świętolipskich organ – presented by Waldemar Strzyżewski*

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JS Bach Toccata and Fugue d-mol

M. Ogiński Polonaise "Farewell Homeland"

Nowowiejski Hymn "Christ our reign"

ŚWIĘTA LIPKA - promotional video
oginski polonaise on pipe organ swieta lipka
 Polonez - 4 wersje. Święta Lipka
 Concert in Św Lipka
 organów świętolipskich1





 
1948 Repair of organ.
1970 Re-launch of the organ figures. 130 years after construction, new movements are installed in the figurines on the organ.
2006 29 January after 40 years of service in the Lipce the organist, Waldemar Strzyżewski passed away.*













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