Riga Cathedral pipe organ

Picture postcard view of the pipe organ from the early 20th century.

Dome Pipe Organ (Latvian: Doma ērģeles), the second largest pipe organ in Latvia, is located in Riga Cathedral. The largest mechanical pipe organ in Latvia is located in Liepāja Holy Trinity Cathedral.^[1]

History

The first known Riga Cathedral organ was the largest in the world, but it was lost in 1547 during a fire. In the 16th century, the Cathedral Church built a new organ, which sounded for 280 years. Jacob Raab made out of the damaged organ's remains a prospect in mannerism style with some baroque elements complemented latter by other masters. Today the vocal organ is more than a century old; it is built by the German firm E.F. Walcker & Sons in Ludwigsburg in 1882-83 and it was inaugurated on January 31, 1884.^[2] In 1983 the organ was reconstructed by Flentrop Orgelbouw, so it retained its distinctive sound and look. During the reconstruction the organ was completely dismantled and then reassembled, the second console was restored and later added three stops. Currently the facade is under reconstruction; the original painting in blue and gold will be restored.

Construction

The Walcker's Organ has two consoles, which give a rare opportunity for two organ players to compete. The Dom organ has four manuals or keyboards and a pedalboard, 125 registers (each of them gives different sound tone), as well as 6768 different sizes of wood and metal stabules (pipes), of which the longest is 10 meters, the smallest 8 mm. Pipe diameters are from 4 mm to 50 cm. It plays 116 voices, 124 stops, 144 ranks; includes 18 combinations and General Crescendo.^[3]

I Manual C–f^3 Principal 16′ Flauto major 16′ Viola di Gamba 16′ Octav 8′ Hohlflöte 8′ Viola di Gamba 8′ Doppelflöte 8′ Gemshorn 8′ Quintatön 8′ Bourdon 8′ Dulciana 8′ Quinte 5^1/3′ Octav 4′ Gemshorn 4′ Gamba 4′ Hohlflöte 4′ Rohrflöte 4′ Terz 3^1/5′ Quinte 2^2/3′ Octav 2′ Superoctav 1′ Sexquialtera II Cornet V 8′ Mixtur VI 4′ Scharff IV 1^1/3′ Contrafagott 16′ Tuba mirabilis 8′ Trompette harm. 8′ Cor anglais 8′ Euphon 8′ Clairon 4′ Cornettino 2′

II Manual C–f^3 Geigenprincipal 16′ Bourdon 16′ Principal 8′ Fugara 8′ Spitzflöte 8′ Rohrflöte 8′ Concertflöte 8′ Liebl. Gedeckt 8′ Viola di Alta 8′ Dolce 8′ Principal 4′ Fugara 4′ Salicet 4′ Flauto dolce 4′ Quinte 2^2/3′ Superoctav 2′ Waldflöte 2′ Terz 1^3/5′ Sexquialtera II Cornet V 8′ Mixtur V 2^2/3′ Äolodicon 16′ Ophicleide 8′ Fagott/Oboe 8′ Oboe 4′ Tremolo Fagott/Oboe

III Manual C–f^3 Salicional 16′ Lieblich Gedeckt 16′ Geigenprincipal 8′ Viola d’amour 8′ Wienerflöte 8′ Gedeckt 8′ Salicional 8′ Harmonika 8′ Bourdon d’echo 8′ Bifra 8′+4′ Geigenprincipal 4′ Spitzflöte 4′ Traversflöte 4′ Dolce 4′ Piccolo 2′ Mixtur IV 2^2/3′ Vox humana 8′ Basson 8′ Clarinette 8′ Tremolo Vox humana IV Schwellwerk C–f^3 Quintatön 16′ Flötenprincipal 8′ Unda maris 8′ Melodica 8′ Flûte traversière 8′ Bourdon doux 8′ Äoline 8′ Voix céleste 8′ Viola tremolo 8′ Piffaro 8′+2′ Flötenprincipal 4′ Gedecktflöte 4′ Vox angelica 4′ Salicet 2′ Harmonia ätheria III 2^2/3′ Trompete 8′ Physharmonika 8′

Pedal C–g^1 Principalbaß 32′ Octavbaß 16′ Violonbaß 16′ Contraviolonbaß 16′ Subbaß 16′ Flötenbaß 16′ Gedecktbaß 16′ Quintbaß 10^2/3′ Octavbaß 8′ Hohlflötenbaß 8′ Gedecktbaß 8′ Violoncello 8′ Terzbaß 6^2/5′ Octavbaß 4′ Hohlflöte 4′ Octav 2′ Sexquialtera II Mixtur V 5^1/3′ Grand Bourdon V 32′ Bombardon 32′ Posaune 16′ Trompete 8′ Corno 4′ Schwellpedal C–g^1 Violon 16′ Bourdon 16′ Dolceflöte 8′ Violon 8′ Viola 4′ Flautino 2′ Serpent 16′ Bassethorn 8′

• Couplers: II/I, III/I, IV/I, III/II, IV/II, I/P, II/P, III/P, IV/P, I–IV/P, P/I („noli me tangere“).

References

1. www.trinitatis.lv
2. Gerhard Walcker-Mayer The Organ in Riga Cathedral as viewed by the Walcker firm March 2003
3. Magle, Frederik. "The Walcker Organ in Riga Cathedral". http://www.magle.dk/music-forums/801-walcker-organ-riga-cathedral.html. Retrieved on 2007-07-11