When thoughts of designing and possibly building another model came to my head, it was going to revolve around a needle point work that my grandmother is about to finish. It is of a beautiful rose window like the great cathedrals of Europe. I thought to myself, "it would look cool to design a pipe facade to be displayed in front of the work like (you guessed it) the cathedrals of Europe!" Research and inspiration came from the great cathedral at Notre Dame, Paris. After drawing a design or two, I wasn't that pleased or inspired. That is, until, I started doing a little more research.
Looking through previous research and inspiration that lead to Opus' 1-3, I found a photo of the great Silbermann organ at Strasbourg Cathedral, France. What initially got me interested in this organ was the "swallow's nest" that the organ resided in. There are only a handful of organs designed like this in the world. The organ is affixed to the wall of the Cathedral. There is no "choir loft." Rather, a "swallow's nest" is the platform that the grand organ is built upon. I abandoned this organ as inspiration for a model due to this very nest. However, I think I now have some ideas and the initiative for a possible design.
A brief historical note. This organ has a very long and diverse history, as does the cathedral itself. Records of a cathedral at Strasbourg date to the 8th century AD under the rule of Charlemange. However, that building had been plagued with multiple fires and fell in ruins by the early 11th century. Construction of another cathedral at that site began around 1015. However, that, too, burnt down around 1176. The third time would be the charm. Construction, though initially Romanesque, started to turn very Gothic by the early 13th century. Finally, the cathedral we see today was finished in 1439.
The organ follows a similar history. Since there were multiple fires, there were also multiple organs / repairs to existing organs. In 1385, an organ appeared in the north side of the central nave. The pendentive, or the unique looking nest, was never taken down over the years as the instrument itself was either repaired or replaced. The organ that we see today, is accredited to the great Andreas Silbermann.
Now, I have divided this project into three very obvious sections:
THE SWALLOW'S NEST
This was the initial challenge...how to replicate, to the best of my ability, some sort of nest for Opus 4. First I drew up the base of the loft, that is to say, the platform that the organ case will rest upon. Now, how to create the pendentive would be a series of ribs, similar to the ones that constructs the nest.
The sides of each rib will be red with the front being gold-leafed. Between each rib will be a piece of 1/64 inch wood that I used for the covers of the other organ models. Since it is thin, I should be able to cut the right shape and glue them against the ribs. These sheets will try to match the green color on the Silbermann organ. At the bottom is a pendent that I actually found at Michael s and creates a good tip.
KEYDESK
The organ has three manuals and pedal (which have not been created yet in the solid model). To make things a bit easier for me, I will not turn down dowels to make the stops for this console (40 to be exact!). Rather, I'm going to buy some fancy toothpicks that I found. They have a very decorative end that would look like a legitimate stop. The two ends with the sweep will be created instead of finding molding that works. There are also a pair of three ribs at the top. This will be similar to the nest with the 1/64 inch wood on the inside of the ribs.
FACADE
The facade is comprised of 33 pipes. Unlike my other models, all the pipes in this model will be metal. As of now, aluminum rods that will be turned down. My only question is how I would shape the mouth on each pipe. That would require a hammer without a doubt. There will be decorative grills in their usual spots. I have not sat down to create them yet. Like the Silbermann organ, I want to put some sort of "crown" at the top. Still not sure what design or how I will go about doing that.
RUCKPOSITIV
The manual divisions on this organ, from my research, do not list the division behind the organist as "Ruckpositiv." The three divisions on the Silbermann organ are the Hauptwerk, Oberwerk, and Echowerk. I can only assume that the facade of pipes attached to the nest is the Echowerk. Either way, when I see a division of pipes behind the organist, traditionally, it is called the Ruckpositiv (German). Plus, since Opus 1 had a similar division, I'm going to continue to use the same nomenclature. There are 35 pipes, many 3/16" in diameter. The three spires at the bottom of each section will be gold-leafed with the rod in the middle a blue color, similar to the Silbermann organ.
As of now, the overall dimensions are roughly 30" tall, 10.75" wide and about 6.75" deep. The nest will have something in the back to allow it to be attached to the wall for display. The instrument itself will also have something to attach it to the wall. However, I will keep these two entities separate for ease of transport.
I still have a lot to consider and design still. What will set this model apart from my other works is not only the complexity of the design itself, but how it will be decorated. As I stated above, all the pipes will be aluminum, not wood. Gold leaf, not gold spray paint, will be used on those features that appear gold on the Silbermann organ. The red, blue, and green colors will be utilized as well. I foresee much more CNC work for many of these components above and beyond the grills. (Ref. Opus 3) Yes, I have access to a lathe and CNC machine. However, I'm no CNC programmer and need to see - when that time comes - if the operator might help me in this project. Bottom line, this will also be a very expensive model. With these factors in mind, I'm not able to begin this model any time soon.
Right now, I'm going to continue to design the instrument and then make all the prints. This will keep me busy and allow me the time (and money) to prepare this exciting undertaking. As I continue with the design, I will update this blog with my progress. I end with organist Diane Bish demonstrating this beautiful organ at Strasbourg Cathedral. As always, until next time...
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