September 28, 2011

Global Seminars & Invited Speaker Series

MUSICAL HERITAGE IN NAVARRA. THE ORGANS

The organ at close quarters: getting to know the instrument

D. Raúl del Toro.
Conservatory of Music of Navarra

The last of the lectures of the series took place with a large number of people who could hardly fit into the choir of the church of San Nicolás. During the conference, historical, theoretical and practical issues related to the organ, its origin, evolution and main characteristics were discussed.

The lecture began with some brief notes on the remote origins of the instrument in Hellenized Egypt in the 3rd century BC. This was followed by a discussion of the organ's transition from ancient paganism to the Christian era, as well as some interesting details about the organ's reception as a musical instrument in the Church from the 8th century onwards.

After outlining the historical framework , a description of the structure of the organ and the fundamental elements of its functioning was given: production of the wind by means of bellows, different types of bellows, conduction of the wind to the windchest, and supply of the wind from the windchest to the different sound pipes. This was followed by a description of the structure of the beautiful organ of the parish of San Nicolás de Pamplona: windchest and pipes corresponding to the first keyboard guide located at ground level, windchest and pipes corresponding to the second keyboard or the first keyboard, and the pipes corresponding to the second keyboard or the second keyboard. Major Organ located in the main and most visible plane of the case, and elements operated from the third keyboard located in the upper part of the case. All of them flanked by the large deep-sounding pipes that sing at the command of the pedal keyboard.

Once the description of the main technical and constructive aspects of the instrument had been completed, we went on to listen to several pieces that allowed us to appreciate some of the numerous sound possibilities of the instrument: from the mysterious sweetness of the three Violones the organ of San Nicolás -one on each keyboard-, passing through the poetic clarity of the thirteen-step thirteen-span flautado the imposing brilliance of the horizontal or battle trumpeteria. battle. The works chosen were by Antonio de Cabezón (1510-1566), organist of the courts of Charles I and Philip II; Francisco Correa de Arauxo (1584-1654), organist of the Church of the Savior of Seville and the Cathedral of Segovia; not forgetting the great Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) with his Fugue in G major BWV 541/II.

Raúl del Toro addressing the audience gathered in the choir of the parish of San Nicolás in Pamplona while explaining the different parts of an organ and their sounds. 

Detail of the case of the organ of San Nicolás de Pamplona