Orgelbau Th. Kuhn AG, 1986
Restoration
www.orgelbau.ch/ope=800750
I/4
Switzerland, Grisons
Rätisches Museum Hof
The «Rhätisches Museum» in Chur has been in possession of a valuable small table positive since 1982, a present from the Valär family from Jenaz (Canton Graubünden). This organ is a so-called «Baldachin organ». This rare, but well-known type of organ has a number of peculiarities. A consequence of the direct pin action, in which the keyboard is placed upon the windchest (without rollerboard), is that the arrangement of pipes on the windchest has to be exactly in keeping with the order of the keys. The pipes are therefore presented asymmetrically, like panpipes. Gothic positives also have an asymmetrical façade (as seen, for example, on the altar painting in Gent by the van Eyck brothers from around 1430). The Renaissance of the 16th/17th century demanded, however, a symmetrical design. In the early stages of this movement, the asymmetrical positive organs were simply covered up with a symmetrical case, without any front pipes visible. For the sound to radiate out from the instrument, the roof and sides of the case were broken up with carved decoration and cloth attached behind this. Recent organ research gave the name «Baldachin organ» to this relatively short-lived organ type in around 1960. Soon builders learnt how to create a symmetrical façade, either by applying the technique of grooving or conveyance. As a result, the Baldachin organs with no façade quickly disappeared. According to Willi Lippuner it is probably reasonable to assume that this Baldachin organ once served as a procession organ for Chur Cathedral. It may have been built in the 16th or early 17th century. It was last used at the procession on the Feast of Corpus Christi in1843 and was then sold. It later served as a house organ in the family of the Reverend Ulrich Valär-Conrad (1819-1882) in Jenaz.
During the restoration of 1984/86 the original condition of the instrument was re-established as far as was possible and reasonable. In technical and musical respects a Renaissance instrument was the aim of this work, but the case and finish were left in a Baroque style (18th century). Worth mentioning is that the typical short-length reed stop (Regal 8 ') is preserved in its original form, whereas in the case of many Baldachin organs it had been lost. A reconstruction of the «Schnurrpfeiferei» on the roof of the case was not attempted as there were no reference points for its design.
Translation 2008: SJR