JULIAN RHODES' DREAM ORGANS
Nine letters from Johannes Schnetzler (for he signed himself thus) have survived, detailing the genesis of the organ installed in 1748. His correspondent was Herr Schlicht, presumably the person responsible for the provision of an organ in the new chapel of the Moravian Community in Fulneck, Yorkshire.A contract was signed in London on 15 February 1748. It contained a modified stoplist as follows:The letters are reproduced in the original German, and in translation with a commentary, in 'The Life and Work of John Snetzler' by Alan Barnes and Martin Renshaw (Scolar Press 1994, ISBN 0-85967-932-2), to which you are referred for a complete account. Here is a summary, showing the main points of how the scheme developed.
Schnetzler first wrote to Herr Schlicht in December 1747 expressing interest in providing an organ for the chapel. A month later there has obviously been some discussion about a proposed stoplist, for Schnetzler is worried that the gallery will not provide enough space for the organ "when the increased stops that were ordered, such as Trumpet and Hautboy, have been brought in." Owing to the low height available, he suggests that if the lowest (12ft.) pipe of the Open Diapason did not fit, it could instead be made of wood and mitred.
The stoplist proposed by Schnetzler is then given:
1. Open Diapason of wood throughout ) 2. Stop Diapason of wood ) with a double slider by which these 4 3. Principal in front metal ) registers remain as they are, but the 4. Open Diap. half[-compass] metal ) other 5 can be pulled on and off 5. Twelfth metal 6. Fifteenth metal 7. Sesquialtera in bass metal ) 8. Cornet in Discant metal ) separated, as ordered 9. Solicional of metal; has a sound like a Violoncello. It has the same pitch as an Open Diapason, and is very pleasant. I do not know how a Swell could be fitted in other than with a [short-compass] keyboard which goes halfway through, and the pipes in a small box just above it and in the middle of the organ with perhaps 4 stops, such as 1. Diap. 2. Solicional 3. Cornet 4. Trumpet
1. Stopped Diapason of wood from contra G to highest e, i.e. 58 [sic] pipes.
2. Open Diapason, of wood - just the same [compass]
3. Viola di Gamba, of metal, the last octave in the bass taken from the
Open Diapason.
4. Salicional of metal, from middle C up to the highest E.
5. Principal - of metal - 58 pipes.
6. Octav [2ft.] - of metal - 58 ditto.
7. Cornet - of metal 3 or 4 ranks.
8. Sesquialtera of metal. N.B. one Octave deeper than the one in Fetter Lane.
9. Trumpet right through thus also 58 pipes.
In this organ a Swell will be made with the following 4 stops.
1. Open Diapason of wood, from Middle C up to highest E.
2. Open Diapason of metal - just the same.
3. Principal 8 feet; of metal, also the same.
4. Cornet of 3 or 4 ranks of metal, id.
Schnetzler commented:
As you want the Salicional out of the Swell in the [Great] organ (which I would rather have in the Swell, because it has a proper and agreeable tone with the Swell), the Principal in the Swell must be 4 feet tone, because Open Diapason is of metal and Principal 8 feet tone, the same. The Open Diapason is nothing other than an 8-foot Principal, so it would not be so well to have 3 Open Diapasons in the Swell... for the sake of the Trumpet the organ must have sharper [heavier] wind than is required for a pleasant effect in the subtle stops.Herr Schlicht obviously had ideas of his own, and replied with an amended stoplist:
We are equally satisfied that the Trumpet is left out, it has only come in
because [they are common]. The arrangement is then the following, and is
to remain accordingly:
1. Open Diapason of wood [to be mitred]
2. Stopped Diapason, of wood, as you stated.
3. Open Diapason of meal, half through.
4. Salicional, metal, right through as far as it will go.
5. Viola Di Gamba, metal, half through.
6. A pretty Flute, right through.
7. Principal, metal.
8. Cornet, 4 Ranks )
Sesquialtera, 3 ranks ) an octave lower than usual
9. Twelfth.
10. Fifteenth.
To the Swell there come:
1. Open Diapason OF METAL.
2. Salicional of metal.
3. Hautboix, really pretty.
We shall seldom need the Cornet in the Swell. It is therefore easy to leave
them [sic] out, and I think these 3 registers will sound really charming
together, or 2 and 2 [any two together], because I am also of the opinion
that wooden pipes are not much use in the Swell, so we want to make the
Open Diapason of metal, as stated.
And that would be an admirable disposition of a small organ, and just as I
should like to have it. I also believe that you yourself will find nothing
to find fault with.
Barnes and Renshaw note that the emphasis on 'pretty' tone is typical of the contemporary
mid-European 'pietistic' taste.Schnetzler attempted to change the disposition of the Swell in a further letter:
...in the Swell there are only to be these 3 stops: Open Diapason, Salicional and Hautbois, which are three equally-sounding [unison] voices, and so do not have the desired effect for a Swell. I therefore think it is better to make two other stops instead of the Hautbois, such as a Principal and a Cornetin, which is an extremely pleasant stop. I have this week the honour of having Herr Benzien and Herr Brokmer on my premises, and had just such an organ there, in which there was this stop, which pleased both of them very much. Herr Brokmer also thinks that it would certainly be better, besides the trouble there will be about tuning because it will not [be possible] to come to the Swell so conveniently.The final stoplist is unknown. The organ was installed in 1748, and has been altered several times since. The (altered) case and a few pipes remain.