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BASÍLICA DE LA SOLEDAD
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Photo: Ed Pepe Drawing: José Luis Acevedo |
Click on the images to enlarge |
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Date of construction of the church: 1682, dedicated in 1690, damaged in the earthquake of 1696
Date of construction of the organ: case 1686, interior components eighteenth century
Builder: unknown
Interventions: nineteenth century- original polychrome painted over, pedal board installed, keyboard extended. Restored in 1998-2000 by Pieter Visser and finished by his assistant Ignacio Zapata; project funded by Fomento Cultural Banamex and coordinated by Gustavo Delgado Parra and Ofelia Gómez Castellanos, directors of the Academia Mexicana de Música Antigua para Órgano (AMMAO)
Inscriptions: the date “1686” painted on a medallion on the left side of the case; the names “Jesus” “María” and “Joseph” on the three bungboards; a cross inscribed on the first pallet and various pipes; the word “eco” on the right side of the facade among the stop knobs
Type: monumental eight foot organ |
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| DISPOSITION OF THE ORGAN |
Left hand (21 notes)
1. Bajoncillo (new)
2. Flautado de 13 (palms)
3. Flautado bardón
4. Octava
5. Docena
6. Tapadillo
7. Veintidocena
8. Quincena
9. Veintisesena
10. Veinticuatro
11. Trompeta real (prepared)
12. Lleno III (new) |
Right hand (24 notes)
1. Clarín (new)
2. Flautado de 13 (palms)
3. Flautado bardón
4. Octava
5. Flauta 5 1/3
6. Quinta
7. Tapadillo
8. Octava
9. Quincena
10. Docena
11. Décima
12. Octava III (new)
13. Lleno III (new)
14. Quincena II
15. Trompeta real (prepared) |
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Summary of the disposition |
| Flautados: 8´, 4´, 2 2/3´, 2´,1´, 4/5´, 2/3´, lleno |
8´, 5 1/3´, 4´,4´,4´, 3 1/5´, 2 2/3´, 2´, 2´, lleno |
| Flutes: 8´, 4´ |
8´, 4´ |
| Reeds: 4´ (exterior), 8´ (interior, prepared) |
8´ (exterior), 8´ (interior, prepared) |
| Compound stops: Lleno III |
| C1-B1 |
1/4, 1/3, ½ |
| c-b |
1/3, ½, 2/3 |
| c’-f’ |
½, 2/3, 1 |
| f#’-b’ |
2/3, 1, 1 1/3 |
| c’’-f’’ |
1, 1/3, 2 |
| f#’’-c’’’ |
1 1/3, 2, 2 2/3 |
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| DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGAN
Keyboard: made of wood during the 1998 restoration.
Compass: 45 notes C1- c’’’ with a short octave
Key action: suspended with a rollerboard (eighteenth century)
Stop action: draw knobs on the front of the case, which are pushed in rather than pulled out to engage; stops divided between middle c/c#
Labels: made in 1998
Windchest:rebuilt in 1998
Measurements of the windchest: 2.30 m long x 0.97 m wide x ? m high
Disposition of the pipes: C and C# sides, left hand pipes in the middle, right hand pipes disposed diatonically on either side
Vertical channelboards: 3- left hand of flautado and octava, and right hand, clarín
Offset chests: none
Bellows: 3 antique (eighteenth century?) cuneiform bellows restored in 1998; may be hand-pumped; new blower
Location of the bellows: sideways behind the organ
Wind trunks: new (20.7 x 19 cm. exterior)
Wind pressure: 75 mm., original lead weights
Pitch and temperament: a=415
Case finish: polychrome
Pipe finish: silver paint applied (nineteenth century?) which covered the original polychrome; in 1996 facade pipes painted over with a protective layer of white latex
Measurements of the case: 4.5 m wide x 5.7 m high x 1.6 m deep
Location in the church: to the Epistle (right, north) side of the choir loft, facing the main altar diagonally; originally the organ was in a side balcony to the left of the main altar, moved up probably ca. 1900
State of conservation: very good |
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| Information compiled with the help of Barbara Owen, Edward Pepe and Susan Tattershall |
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