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THE OAXACA CATHEDRAL
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Photo: David Hilbert Drawing: José Luis Acevedo |
Click on the images to enlarge |
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Date of church construction: beginning in 1544
Date of construction of the organ: 1545- first reference to an organ in the the provisional Cathedral; 1560, organ relocated to the present-day cathedral site; 1569- Augustín de Santiago commissioned to build large organ; 1690- another organ may have been built which was then damaged in the earthquake of 1696; much of the present organ was built 1711
Builder: Matías Chávez (1711)
Interventions: in 1788, the organ was repaired by Dr. Pedro Pérez; in 183? by José Domingo Martínez; in 1911 significantly altered by Tomás Ríos; in 1997 reconstructed by Organos Históricos de México, Susan Tattershall, project director, and financed by Fomento Social Banamex
Inscriptions: “1957, órgano de la Catedral de Oaxaca/ construido en Oaxaca 1690, restaurado 1905 Capelanes/ redonstruido 1909 Casa Wagner/ restaruado y reconstruido 1957/ P. Lic. Renati Méndez Capellan/ M I Cco Ing José Santa Cruz Chantre/ Excmo. Y rvomo Dr. Fortino Gómez León/Arzobispo de Antequera.” On the back of the case: “Tomas Ríos
1912”
Type: monumental eight foot organ |
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| DISPOSITION OF THE ORGAN |
Left hand (21 notes)
1. Flautado de 13 (palms) (old)
2. Trompeta real (old)
3. Lleno III (new)
4. Diez y novena (new)
5. Quincena (new)
6. Octava (old)
7. Flauta en 8 (stopped) (old)
8. Bardón (old)
9. Tambor (new)
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Right hand (24 notes)
1. Trompeta real (75% old)
2. Diez y novena (new)
3. Lleno IV (new)
4. Quincena (new)
5. Flauta en 8 (old)
6. Octava (old)
7. Bardón (old)
8. Corneta IV (new)
9. Flautado de 13 (palms) (old)
10. Clarín (old)
11. Pajaritos (new) |
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Summary of the disposition |
| Flautados: 8´, 4´, 2´, 1 1/3´, lleno III |
8´, 4´, 2´, 1 1/3´, corneta, lleno IV |
| Flutes: 8´, 4´ |
8´, 4´ |
| Reeds: 8´ interior |
8´ (interior), 8´ (exterior) |
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| DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGAN
Keyboard: made of wood in 1997
Compass: 47 notes C1- d’’’ with a short octave
Key action: suspended with a rollerboard
Stop action: stop knobs on both sides of the manual, divided middle c/c#
Labels: new, made in 1997
Windchest: 1911 from Tomás Ríos, redrilled in 1997
Measurements of the windchest: 2.11 m long x 0.81 m wide x ? m high
Disposition of the facade pipes: left/right chromatic outwards from largest pipes in the center
Vertical channelboards: none, tubing off via metal conduits
Offset chests: 2 - bardón, left hand, and corneta, right hand
Bellows: feeder /reservoir, 1997; may be hand-pumped; new blower
Location of the bellows: to the right of the organ
Wind trunks: new (19.8 x 10.2 cm. exterior)
Wind pressure: 81 mm.
Pitch and temperament: a=392, 1/6 comma meantone
Case finish: upper case from 1711, layers of paint white over red (over 1711 green?) and gilding; lower case built of cedar in 1997
Pipe finish: one polychromed pipe (from 1690 organ?) stored inside the organ case
Measurements of the case: 6.48 m high x 4.83 m wide x 1.07 m deep
Location in the church: in the center of the balcony overlooking the choir area, facing
the main altar
State of conservation: very good, though dirty because of its location downtown |
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| Information compiled with the help of Barbara Owen, Edward Pepe and Susan Tattershall |
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