Kuhn Organ Builders Ltd, 2010
Restoration
www.orgelbau.ch/ope=801500
I/P/9
Austria, Upper Austria
Pfarrkirche Mariae Himmelfahrt
A small treasure in a large church
The early history of the organ of the parish church in Kallham, Upper Austria, remains a bit of a mystery. It is assumed that it is a piece by the organ builder Ignaz Egedacher of Passau. Certain construction details of the organ in Vornbach that we restored indicate this. The technical layout of the organ shows early modifications that were probably already carried out when the organ was constructed. The arrangement of the pallets and the pipes show that a front with a 4 ' stop was planned but completed by a Principal 8 '. Maybe these modifications are connected with the installation of this smallish organ into the large parish church.
Later in the 19th century the pedal was enlarged by the Principalbass 16 ' (additional windchest behind the case) and the compass of the pedal was changed from C-g (short lower octave) to C-B (with the pipes C#, D#, F# and G#).
A «restoration» in the nineteen eighties led to the loss of the wind system, the windtrunks and some components of the windchests and the actions. Due to defects of quality and insufficient maintenance, in the course of time the organ in fact became unplayable, so that the parish's aim was to rebuild the organ or construct a new instrument that fitted the large body of the church. The representatives of the institute for the preservation of ancient monuments spoke out against the enlargement or even the removal of the old organ. In the end, the compromise was to acquire an electronic organ that was installed at the lower gallery and to restore the old organ.
Naturally, we organ builders are sceptical about electronic instruments. In this case, and in our opinion too, the end justified the means in order to preserve this treasure in its church. In the same room 9 stops of the pipe organ now face a number of electronic stops. An interesting comparison.
The restoration work comprised the technical renovation of the piece in all parts and the restoration to its state of construction in the 19th century. Pallet boxes, pallets, windtrunks and the modified components of the actions were reconstructed based on the preserved traces. The wind system was again located next to the organ.
Translation: RS 2010
