Engler Organ Krzeszow Re-opened

[Pierre Lauwers]

Michael Engler "the young" (1688-1760) is seen as the most

important organ builder in Silesia during the 18th century.

He built four three manual organs, of which two are still with us,

the one in Krzeszow Abbey (D: Grüssau) being the least altered (modifications

by Schlag & Söhne in 1874).

It is a big organ with 54 stops.

A particularity -among others- was the possibility to play the Rückpositiv

a semitone lower by transposition, while several pedal stops were tuned

according to the chamber pitch !

 

This exceptionnaly important and interesting baroque organ has just been

restored by the excellent firm of Jehmlich, Dresden.

It will be re-opened with a dedicated church service this October, 12.

 

Here is the specification with some pictures:

http://staff.elka.pw.edu.pl/~wkaminsk/ORG_...rodzeniaNMP.htm

Pierre

[pcnd5584]

Thank you for this, Pierre.

 

It looks to be an interesting instrument, with a typically Polish case - very ornate.

 

The specification has some (apparently) unusual features - a 16ft. Viola di Gamba and an Unda Maris at 8ft. Do you happen to know if the latter register (on this organ) is a type of diapason undulant - or is it a flute céleste?

 

It would also be interesting to know more about some of the varieties of flute stops which it possesses - do you happen to know if there are any sound samples of these or similar ranks, please?

 

It is also remarkable that there are so few reeds on the clavier divisions, with none at all on the Hauptwerk. Is this partly due to maintenance and regular tuning difficulties - or are Polish organists expected to tune their own reeds?

 

Am I correct in assuming that the Rückpositive is divided between C and C# sides and that the console is placed between these two cases?

[Pierre Lauwers]

The limited amount of reed stops is typical of central europe, where

the "Schnarrwerk" (Regals) were not much used; some Trumpets,

wood Posaunes, Hautbois and Vox humana, and that is it.

There are no sound files available -yet?-, but all those flute stops

are well documented. Suffice to ask.

About the divided Rückpositiv I do not know, but it would be logical

to have a diatonic repartition between them.

 

The Unda-Maris was rather common, at least in middle and big organs.

Those stops were made two ways: they could be soft flutes, or Principal to

(slightly!) stringy (not in a modern sense!). In the last case, expect

something like the italian Voce umana rather than a Voix céleste. Here

it seems to go with the 8' Salicet.

 

Pierre

[pcnd5584]

Thank you, Pierre.

[sprondel]

It looks to be an interesting instrument, with a typically Polish case - very ornate.

 

Not to be prissy, but actually Michael Engler was a German builder, and Silesia was dominated by German language and culture since heavy immigration in the 13th century. So, the interesting case and layout of the instrument is typically Silesian, being the result of middle and southern German influences.

 

Only after WW II most of Silesia came under Polish government, and most Germans were expelled. They, and their descendants, still form a vivid part of the expatriate scene in today's Germany. Mind you, they're not an easy-going bunch when it comes to pre-1945 Silesian culture. When it comes to Christmas habits, they're outright fanatic.

 

Not to diminish the achievements of Polish organbuilding, but the Krzeszow Engler isn't part of it.

 

Best,

Friedrich

(no Silesian roots, btw)

[sprondel]

Not to be prissy, but actually Michael Engler was a German builder, and Silesia was dominated by German language and culture since heavy immigration in the 13th century. So, the interesting case and layout of the instrument is typically Silesian, being the result of middle and southern German influences.

 

Only after WW II most of Silesia came under Polish government, and most Germans were expelled. They, and their descendants, still form a vivid part of the expatriate scene in today's Germany. Mind you, they're not an easy-going bunch when it comes to pre-1945 Silesian culture. And when it comes to Christmas habits, they're outright fanatic.

 

Not to diminish the achievements of Polish organbuilding, but the Krzeszow Engler isn't part of it.

 

Best,

Friedrich

(no Silesian roots, btw)

[Pierre Lauwers]

Genau, Sprondel, aber/but....

 

I consciously avoid those historic themes while dealing with the central european

Orgellandschäfte, precisely because those potential conflicts are probably the main reason

they have been completely overseen by the post WWII "reform" !

Let us consider Poland, Germany, Tchequia et.al are now all part of the common

Europe house.

Actually, with the only remaining Casparini organ being in Lithuania, we need to realize the

central european organ ignores what a frontier is.

....And this was true when those exceptionnally fine baroque organs were built, moreover !

They were synthesis organs which gathered influences from all parts of Europe: France,

northern Germany/ The Netherlands, Italy.

Michael Engler, the Casparinis, Scheibe, Silbermann, Wagner, were european builders whose

styles were deeply multicultural; no matter under which european flag they should be filed,

they belong to us all, like the german language, which is or was spoken from areas in Ukraine

and Romania up to eastern Belgium.

 

Pierre

[DaveHarries]

Also some good pictures here:

 

http://www.organy.art.pl/instrumenty.php?instr_id=274

 

Dave

[Pierre Lauwers]

Some videos of the re-opening this October, 12:

 

http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=vaHaATbtEHA&...feature=related

 

(There are three others videos, see on the right)

 

Fine colors in Bach here:

 

http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=MBTTTtimN0M&...feature=related

 

And here, despite bad conditions, it is georgous:

 

http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=4lCOlNK_HPY&...feature=related

 

Pierre