NOTES ON SWISS ORGANS.
T
THE CATHEDRAL.—The organ stands at the west end. It was originally built in 1727, and was repaired and greatly enlarged in 1847 by F. Hass. It contains fifty-six stops and has four rows of keys. I did not like the tone of the instrument, it was loud and hard, the reeds and mixtures too prominent, the trumpet stops but ordinary, and the vox humana bad. The organ was played well by the organist, who gave us but a short exhibition of his skill. The old case is retained, and consists of five towers of seven pipes each, separated by flats of four pipes each. The largest tower is in the centre, surmounted with a large vase and many carved flowers. The next towers in size are at the extremity of the instrument, surmounted by angels playing on musical instruments. The least towers stand in the centre of the intermediate spaces, surmounted by large vases and carvings of musical instruments. The gallery in which it stands is modern Gothic. 1863.
THE DOM(St. Lucius).—At the west end is an organ, erected in 1815, containing thirteen stops, one manual, and a pedal. The case is painted brown, picked out with green, and is certainly ugly. It stands before a plain round-headed window, and may be called a divided organ. At each end of the case is a compartment with an ogee top, containing seven pipes, next to which is a compartment with a curvilinear top and fourteen pipes, leaving the centre of the organ above the impost clear for about the width of the window, except for a small frame, with double ogee top, containing a single row of small pipes. On the north side of the case are posted wooden trumpet tubes, and the tubes of a similar stop appear over the smaller case on the north side. The bellows are in a chamber on the north side of the organ, and a wooden tube brings the wind down to it. I was told that behind the high altar was a very old small organ, but I could not see it as the Church was under repair. 1869.
ST. NICOLAS.—This famous organ stands in a modern Gothic gallery at the west end of the Church. The outline of the case (which is also modern Gothic) is a large gable, having in the centre a tall tower, with two tiers of seven pipes each. The compartments on each side of this have each two tiers of pipes, between which is wood work, containing a rose of Gothic tracery. Beyond this is a tall tower of five pipes, then a flat of tall pipes, and the organ terminates at each end with a tower of five pipes. All the work is crowned with pinnacles and tabernacle work, the wood-work is pale oak, with gilding about it. Although intended to be a handsome case I do not quite like it. The tone of the organ is good, especially the echo, and the vox humana has a great renown. 1868.
THE CATHEDRAL.—The Great Organ, at the west end of the building, has a modern Gothic case, with five towers, the largest in the centre, and the least at the ends. It is not handsome. This organ was built by Merklin and Schulse, of Brussels and Paris. It has forty-six stops, three manuals, and pedal. Its quality was loud, and wanting in diapason tone. The reedsare monotonous, and the vox humana bad. The organist was a pupil of the late Herr Vogt, the organist at Freiburg, who was one of the best of European organists. 1868.
THE ENGLISH CHURCHhas, in its west gallery, a poor-toned organ, in a dingy-coloured Gothic case, consisting of three towers, the largest in the centre, separated by flats, with two tiers of pipes. 1868.
THE HOSPICE.—The organ, which stands at the west end, appears to have been brought forward, as the colour of the wood-work at the side shows, the front panels looking older than those behind. The bellows stand in a high box on the north side of the instrument, and are dated 1812, which I fancy must mean the date of some reparation, as the case looks older. The front consists of three flat towers, of five pipes each, with flats between. On the centre tower, which is the tallest, is a standing figure, and above the side towers are seated figures. It has black naturals, and the sharps have an ivory line down them. The key-board has four octaves and two notes, C C to D, no lower, C C#. The pedal-board is one octave and four notes, C C C to E, no lower, C C C#, with an iron bar for a rest over them. When I heard the organ it was much out of order, and the wind was leaky. The full organ tone was still good.
Prestant.Bourdo’.Nasard.Viole.Tierce.Tromp.Basse.Cornet.Flute.Doublet.Viole.Tromp.Clarion.Trembt.
The gallery which holds the above is supported by pillars, and the paintings in the compartments, beginning from the left, are a Pot of Lilies, a Pelican and her Piety, King David, Instruments of Music (this is the centre compartment), St. Cecilia, a Burning Cloud and a Pot of Lilies. 1868.
HOFKIRCHE, CHURCH OF ST. LEODEGAR(St. Leger).—The fine old organ of this Church stands at the west end, and was greatly added to and repaired, by M. Hass, who lives close to the Church, and who completed his work in 1862. It now contains seventy sounding stops, all of which are throughout, none of the metal stops having the lowest octave in wood, nor are closed pipes used instead of open. There are four manuals and a pedal. The case consists of five compartments. The centre, which is by far the largest, holds the five lower pipes (of pure tin) of the thirty-two foot open, which have very short feet. On each side of this, is a compartment of nine pipes with very long feet. The outer flats have nine good-sized pipes, with feet of average length. These two last compartments stand at an angle with the other three compartments. All the pipe-work is bright tin; the wood-work brown oak, with a quantity of fantastic carving. There is a peculiar look about this front, it is a Screen, not a case to the organ. The Great Organ has a good tone, the old tone, without the bray of the reeds, which one so often gets in modern instruments. The imitation of thunder is fair, the full power of the organ good, the trumpets telling well, without being overpowering. The vox humana was very good: “Quelle soprano!” exclaimed a French lady behind me, as the organist was showing it off. When the swell of the vox humana is closed, and the tremulant drawn, it makes an excellent vox angelica, very soft and good, but trembling a little too much, and the tone is so hushed, that people must be very quiet in the Church to hear it. The organist, when I heard this instrument, was a showy player, but he accompanied the Mass in a veryefficient manner, and with great judgment. A fugue he played at the end of the service had only one fault, that was, its shortness. 1863, 1869.
THE ENGLISH CHURCHhas a modern Gothic organ at its west end. At each end of the case is a tall tower, of seven pipes, with pinnacles of open work. Next is a gabled compartment, and the centre consists of two flats, having a horizontal cornice. Much tawdry gilt-work is spread about the case. The Choir Organ has three compartments, with a flat cornice and much gilded carvings. I expect this case is a sham, and is merely a buffet for the keys, as on the top of it was a music-desk, and the player sat with his back to the Great Organ. I did not like the tone of the instrument, which was but fair. 1869.