Instruments of Roman Sukac & Michael Scheer

CLAVIORGANUM

 

The Claviorganum according to an instrument of Paul Wissmayer and Stefan Cuntz, Nuremberg 1619

 

On the occasion of a visit in 1492 at emperor Maxemilian in Strassburg a Venician envoy reports: ã ... He lets sound the pipes together with the strings or he only played the pipes. Then he stopped again and only the strings sounded. With this sweet change he catched the senses of all and everyone was stiff from pleasure...Ò.

127 years later Paul Wissmayer in Nuremberg built a hexagonal Italian style virginal to a chest organ by Stefan Cuntz and combined both instruments to a two manual Claviorganum. Unfortunately only the lid of the virginal is kept. On its inside the whole claviorganum is hold in a painting.

These both instruments which are so different in principal of the sound production not only get along with each other, they also complete each other that well in sound so that - as already noticed in 1492 - they can be coupled with convinced effect. The first indications and instrumens are from renaissance. Each instrument had times of blossom and times where it almost has been forgotten. But the trace of this instrument leads till the romantic (F. Liszt) and present (J. N. David) where composers and musicians let built claviorganums. One of the few passed on instruments can be visited and sometimes heared in the arzbishopÔs treasure chamber in Salzburg. The thrill and the quality of the claviorganum are in the possibilities which results from sound confrontation and mixture.

The claviorganum also can be regarded as organ positiv with the special additional spinettino register. The special registers are well-known in organ building - think of bird twitter or tremulant; but the harpsichord sound is usable more often as the above mentioned special registers. Regarded this way the organ literature can make an experience of enrichement through harpsichord sound and the other way round. A church musician, often educated on both instruments, will welcome and use the possibilities of combinations in any case. So the claviorganum is the ideal continuo instrument for smaller and bigger ensembles. As continuo instrument is can be used from the same player e.g. in an oratorium as organ positiv, harpsichord or coupled. New surprising possibilities for players and concert visiters result from this. Its surprising sound thrill is shown as well on solo pieces of the renaissance, the baroque period and present days. The variety of sound contemporary music can be performed very well and can also win expression through apart combinations.

The claviorganum from the workshop of M. Scheer & M. Vogel was built in collaboration with the organ buildter G. Heintz from Schiltach, black forest. It consists in pricipal from a three registered chest organ and an Italian polygonal according to G. de Pertici, Firenze 1684. This claviorganum from M. Scheer has been inspired through the instrument in Salzburg and the instrument in the ãGermanisches NationalmuseumÒ in Nuremberg - however it received for expanding the play possibilities a bordun 8«. Because of the two manuals each instrument can be played single or combined with the other, and can be coupled also through pulling out the organ keyboard. So that a ãplay togetherÒ between the appropriated instruments is possible, it possess a triple transposing installation: 415/440/465 Hz. Further it saves place but also guarantees a cantable sound in big rooms like churches:

2 manuals C to d'''

Lower manual: Regal 8' / flute gedackt 4' / bordun 8' gedackt , couple

Upper manual: Spinett 8'