SANTO DOMINGO YANHUITLÁN

Photo Fomento Cultural Banamex Drawing José Luis Acevedo

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Date of construction of the church: 1548
Date of construction of the organ: ca. 1700
Builder: unknown
Inscriptions: “Jesús Cano año de 1886”

RECENT INTERVENTION

Reconstruction of the organ: 1996-98, Pascal Quoirin (Academia Mexicana de Música Antigua para Órgano (AMMAO) directed by Gutavo Delgado and Ofelia Gómez)
Funding: Fomento Cultural Banamex

DISPOSITION OF THE ORGAN

Left hand (23 keys)

1. Flautado mayor (8´)
2. Flautado bardón (8´)
3. Octava (4´)
4. Tapadillo (4´)
5. Docena (2 2/3´)
6. Quincena (2´)
7. Diez y novena (1 1/3´)
8. Veintidosena (1´)
9. Címbala (2/3´)
10. Lleno
11. Trompeta real (8´)

Right hand (24 keys)

0. Clarín claro (8´)
1. Flautado mayor (8´)
2. Flautado bardón (8´)
3. Octava (4´)
4. Tapadillo (4´)
5. Docena (2 2/3´)
6. Quincena (2´)
7. Diez y novena (1 1/3´)
8. Veintidosena (1´)
9. Címbala (2/3´)
10. Lleno
11. Trompeta real (8´)

SUMMARY OF THE DISPOSITION

Flautados: LH- 8´, 4´, 2 2/3´, 2´, 1 1/3´, 1´, 2/3´
Flutes: LH- 8´, 4
Reeds: LH- 8´ (interior)
Mixtures: LH- lleno

RH- 8´, 4´, 2 2/3´, 2´, 1 1/3´, 1´, 2/3´
RH- 8´´, 4´
RH- 8´ (interior), 8´ (exterior)
RH- lleno

ORGAN DESCRIPTION

Type: eight foot organ
Location in the church: in a side balcony connected to the choir loft on the LH, north (Gospel) side
Measurements of the case: 5.8 m height x 4.79 width x ca. 1.5 depth
Case finish: polychromed and gilded
Pipe finish: polychromed
Distribution of the façade pipes: correspond to the LH and RH, divided en five towers, each with the tallest pipe in the middle; two side towers with non-speaking pipes
Distribution of the interior pipes: chromatic with the bass pipes in reverse order
Keyboard: made of wood by Jesús Cano in 1887, restored 1997.
Compass: 47 keys with modified short octave (C, D, E, F, F#, G-c’’’), only example in Oaxaca of this layout
Key action: suspended with rollerboard (Cano, 1888)
Stop action: stop knobs on either side of the manual; stops divided middle c/c#
Labels: majority are original, though four on each side changed during the restoration
Windchest: rebuilt in 1997
Measurements of the windchest: ?
Vertical channelboards: three, LH and RH of the flautado 8´, RH of clarín
Offset chests: one, LH of the bardón
Bellows: one wedge bellows functioning as a reservoir bellows with blower, both new, may not be pumped manually.
Location of the bellows: to the left of the organ
Wind pressure: 70 mm
Pitch and temperament: a = 415 Hz, “Rameau”
State of conservation: good, though dirty because of church projects and abandonment.

THE HISTORIC ORGAN OF SANTO DOMINGO YANHUITLÁN

Even though the date of construction of the Yanhuitlán organ and the name of its builder remain unknown, it can be assumed that the organ was built in Oaxaca around the year 1700. This magnificently decorated instrument shares characteristics of form, decoration and sound composition of other instruments of the time, such as la Basílica de la Soledad (1686), Santa María Tiltepec (1703), San Jerónimo Tlacochahuaya (ca. 1730) and San Andrés Zautla (1726). Most striking are the swirling polychrome decoration of the case, the grotesque faces painted on the facade pipes, and the rich carvings of the gilded pipeshades and exterior case.

The organ of Yanhuitlán was restored between 1996 and 1998 thanks to the support of Fomento Cultural Banamex A.C. The project was directed by the French organbuilder. Pascal Quoirin in collaboration with the Academia Mexicana de Música Antigua para Órgano (AMMAO, directed by Gustavo Delgado and Ofelia Gómez). During the restoration process, various deteriorated pieces were replaced, including the horizontal trumpets and some of the interior trumpets, as well as various components of the interior mechanism of the organ. This instrument, like other restored organs, shows evidence of repairs and other interventions over time by different organ technicians, and the restorers inherited various changes made during the 19th century, such as the winding system, one of the ranks of pipes, and the keyboard.

This magnificent organ offers the possibility of appreciating the sound of a baroque Spanish-style organ in one of the most magnificent visual and acoustical spaces on the American continent, the church of Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán.