Orgelmakerij van der Putten en Veger
Winschoten, The Netherlands (1994)
Mechanical action
2 manuals, 14 stops, 12 ranks
"This two-manual, twelve-rank organ was constructed in the North European house organ tradition using historic handcrafting methods of casework and pipe building. It embodies innovative design elements to meet special climatological, architectural, and musical needs. Relatively fast changing New York City humidities led to preference for cedar woods. For example, the case is of white hand-waxed Lebanon cedar. There are other special features: the cherrywood pedalboard retracts under the main case, the largest facade pipes of the Principal are mounted on hinged doors, and Manual II is a chest organ that can be lifted out of a sliding drawer in two separable parts. It has its own wind supply and can therefore be used as a standalone continuo instrument.
"The decorations are hand-carved, and 24-karat gold leaf was applied to the pipeshades using the poliment method. The pipe scaling and voicing aimed for a chamber instrument sound possessing transparency, a diverse palette, width, and articulation best suited for music of the late Renaissance and Baroque. Specially selected pipe woods include oak, chestnut, and red cedar. The inaugural concert was played by Harald Vogel on June 12, 1994, who said, 'It looks like a dream instrument and it sounds like it.' "
The American Organist (January 1995) |
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