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Pieces For Musical Clocks


CJRoeleveld

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The Haydn pieces for a musical clock (Flötenuhrstücke) are wellknown and still popular. I know an organist who plays every sunday one or two pieces in service and the congregation loves it, he told me. (there's always a smile coming on their faces)

 

A friend of mine, who was a restorer for almost ten years in the Museum Van Speelklok tot Pierement in Utrecht, builded Flötenuhren. He designed this small organ as an example of the musical clocks, found in the 17th and 18th century. However, the mechanism is based on a perforated paper role, and not the more common rotating cylinder with pins and bridges. This organ is an excellent representative of the tone of traditional cylinder organ music. It has the musical characteristics of late baroque and Viennese-classical style cylinder organs. A good balanced combination of wind pressure, intonation and speed ensures that the music sound with its decorations closely those of earlier centuries.

 

I myself was surprised by the lovely sound and decided to record the instrument. On the CD you hear not only the small Flötenuhr, but also the famous Moreau organ at St Jan Cathedral Gouda The Netherlands, playing the same pieces. The mechanism against the human being so to say. Organist is Christiaan Ingelse, playing his own instrument of the year 1736 wonderfully. The end of last month we presented the CD in St Jans Cathedral and played some parts of the recording. I made a video of it; which you can view on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayKI7MFfp9o

 

On the CD are not only the Haydn pieces Hob. XIX, but also pieces of Händel and Mozart.

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