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The original version of the present organ of the Esztergom Basilica was built by Salzburg organ builder Ludwig Mooser.
In 1856, the organ was swum down on the river Danube from Salzburg and carried up by carts.
Unfortunately, WWI sealed the fate of the organ
WWII likewise that followed – when the large tin pipes were removed from the facade.
This was further aggravated by damage also to the inside of the organ in WWII,
so we were only able to restore, from the most precious part being the Mooser organ, what actually was left.
I would like to introduce the variety of timbres of the organ by choruses,
so, principal chorus, flutes and mixtures.
Let’s hear the principal chorus first...
The present organ has been designed as a five-manual instrument;
currently, four of the five manuals speak.
Each of the four manuals has its own character;
for example, the fifth manual is rich in reeds.
Its most precious stop is the Cymbel that contains the third and seventh as well, besides the fifth and the octave.
The stop named Carillon is an interesting Glockenspiel...
The Plein jeu reveals a small Mixture...
The fourth manual
sound a principal chorus,
bought from an Angster organ. [József Angster, noted organbuilder in 19-20c Hungary who worked as an apprentice for Aristide Cavaillé-Coll]
The third manual is also rich in the principal chorus...
This is the Pedal division
in which the Mooser ranks are primarily interesting...
A Cello and a Rauschbass rank are added...
A Posaune originating from Mooser...
The new Bombarde...
Just by themselves, they give a somewhat grotesque impression...
but they reveal a different timbre
in Tutti
We are at the most valuable part of the organ now
looking at one of the windchests of the Great Organ division that survived from the Mooser organ
with the pipes that belong to it on top...
Some pipes in this had to be replaced.
Here, we can see the pipe rank of the Principal 16’ – this part is all replacement.
The rest is all original.
The largest ones are the bent ones from the Principal 8’ that became replaced.
The order is:
Principal 8’ (2_110) – Quint 5 1/3' (2_114)
Octave 4’ (2_115) – Quint 2 2/3' (2_119)
then, the stopped wooden flue rank, the Coppel 8' (2_112) can be seen
followed by the Mixture speaking under the name Rauschwerk VIII-X 2' (2_121)
then, the Cornet III 3 1/5' (2_118), with three ranks
Waldflöte, 4-foot (2_116)
and the Cimpel (2_122), that is a stop growing from 3 ranks to 4 ranks.
The large pipes of the Mooser-built Infrabass 32’
there, inside and these two big pipes here
these ones are stopped.
Likewise, on the left
there is the C-sharp side of the stop.
On this level, the pipes and windchests belonging to the fourth manual can be seen
here is the 8-foot Trumpet (4_155)
on the larger windchest; behind that is the Flute [Harmonique] 8’ (4_138)
here, the stop named Colorian IV 4/9' (4_153), consisting of pipes adding extra harmonics such as ninth, fifth and third
and repeating frequently, is displayed;
this is the 2-foot Principal here (4_148), at the front;
above that, we can see the wind ducts of the fifth manual.
This “pipe forest” is
the Mixture V-VII 2' (4_151) that starts out with five ranks, then increases to six, seven and eight ranks.
In the left wing inside the organ case
on one of the upper levels, is the pipework of the third manual that we can see here.
Starting from the back, Quintatön 16’ – Principal 8’ – Salicional 8’
Rohrflöte (chimney flute) 8’ – 1-foot (Octave) – Octave 4’
Quinte 1 1/3’ – Gemshorn 4’, the conical one
then, the [Holz]Dulzian, with its resonator made out of wood;
and the Krummhorn-Schalmey, with a resonator made out of copper.