Esztergom organ

Primatial Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary Assumed Into Heaven and St Adalbert, or the Esztergom Basilica in short is the seat of the Catholic Church in Hungary. It is the 18th largest cathedral in the world, and is the tallest building in Hungary. Its 118m length and 49m width results in extraordinary acoustics of reverberation times longer than 9 seconds in wide-band average. The altarpiece in the front, depicting The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Michelangelo Grigoletti, is the largest painting in the world painted on a single piece of canvas. Franz Liszt composed his Esztergom Mass (Messe Solennelle), for the 1856 consecration of the Esztergom Basilica.

The Esztergom organ

Ludwig Mooser, originally of Salzburg, belonged to a long line of distinguished organ builders (his grandfather Joseph had collaborated with Andreas Silbermann). As a builder of nearly 180 instruments, the organ of the Esztergom Basilica — the seat of the Catholic Church in Hungary — was amongst Mooser's greatest achievements. As was the Master’s customary approach, the instrument was largely constructed on-site — the metal pipework being brought with his team of eight assistants from Austria in September 1854. At the time of its inauguration — 31 August 1856, the same date as the Basilican Inauguration itself, in a ceremony attended by the Emperor Franz Joseph and featuring the specially commissioned Esztergom Mass (Messe Solennelle) of Franz Liszt, who conducted the large orchestral and choral forces for this occasion — the organ was the largest in Hungary with 49 stops, 3,530 pipes and 3 manuals. Liszt would develop a great familiarity with this instrument and its distinctive voicing. The extreme rapidity of the organ's construction would, however, manifest in a series of early faults, first catalogued as early as March the following year, with significant problems in the tracker action and wind supply to the chests. The organ lingered in this state largely unchanged but operational (the frontal tin pipes were removed during the Great War, replaced in 1924 with ones of zinc by Joseph Angster) until extensive damage to the organ case and tracker mechanism was sustained as a casualty of World War II.

By the time Archbishop Mindszenty was inaugurated in early October 1945, the organ was no longer functional. Consequently, the decision was made to install a 2-manual temporary electropneumatic organ (by Rieger), to be built into the side of the original Mooser organ's case. During the installation of the Reiger temporary replacement, the console and tracker action of the Mooser organ were irretrievably damaged in a manner which displayed little regard for the historic value of the original instrument. In addition, some ranks of pipes were melted down, while others remained in their original place. Due to the lack of documentation of stops that were lost, destroyed or re-worked, the full extent of losses incurred during this period of "reconstruction," combined with damage incurred during World War II, the full extent of loss of the original Mooser organ can never be certainly ascertained.

The still-current reconstruction of the organ dates back to the mid-1970's, when István Baróti (organist and choir master of the Cathedral from 1975) led a rebuild and massive enlargement of the instrument. The starting point for Baróti's plan — to create an instrument worthy of the Cathedral, well adapted to its prodigious dimensions and acoustics — was to be the salvage, revival and meticulous restoration of the characteristically archaic and solemn sound of the Mooser pipe-rows, now suffering from a three-decade-long neglect. At this time, the practice of restoring instruments was unknown in Hungary; therefore this work, followed by the skeptical attention of many professionals, would be completed by Baróti and his students, unselfishly sharing of their time and efforts.

Prof. Baróti conceived a new and innovative stop list as part of his development plans (among Baróti's many remarkable designs is the stop list for the pipe organ of the Palace of Arts Budapest, 2006). With the necessary funds provided, it became possible to purchase certain parts and pipe-rows, with the result that by the end of 1980 the first seven restored Mooser stops were operational, at which time the temporary Rieger organ was permanently decommissioned. By 1983, however, this initial vigor had already started to diminish — it would take until the autumn of 1986 for the swell organ (but for of a couple of stops) to see completion, and further progress was even slower: in 1988/ 89 three, in 1994 two stops, in 1996 twelve lower pipes of the Majorbass 32' stop were installed. By 1999, of the planned 147 stops (232 ranks) distributed on five manuals and pedal (a specification which, when complete would make the instrument the 10th largest pipe organ in the world and the 3rd largest in Europe) only 39 had been completed, with numerous pipe-rows already purchased still to be built in. Growing inflation and other unfavorable circumstances after the change of the regime have also retarded the rebuilding project.

Although Baróti has devoted the major part of his life to this cause, the organ’s completion remains still a dream. In a 2008 interview he said in reflection, "... and then the restoration started. As a result we have a unity, an instrument with a special sonic personality that may be unlike what we expect from current modern pipe organs." He continued, "I practice, most often, after the Basilica closes its doors [for the night]. The organ and me is a fantastical loneliness."

The project is still not fully funded. As of 2009 approximately 80 stops (55%) are speaking. Should artistic intentions and the chances of realization again coincide, it would be possible to achieve this great purpose in reasonable time. For now, the work continues slowly and laboriously, with valuable contributions in recent years by the Vági and Pécsi Companies — Baróti’s final master vision still suffers from sufficient inspiration of the musical world.

The completed instrument, retaining the lovingly restored Mooser stops, would indeed be a fitting and worthy component of the beautiful ensemble of the stunning Renaissance Bakócz-chapel and the mighty surrounding Cathedral.

Summary

• Builders:
  • 1856 Ludwig Mooser: III/49 organ
  • József Angster: facade pipe replacements that were collected in the war
  • 1947 Ottó Rieger Budapest: temporary organ
  • 1978-1980 Gyula Vági and János Farkas: temporary organ removed, original's Pedal and Hauptwerk restored
  • 1986 Vági: most of the reed stops
  • 1988-1996 Vági: a few stops were added
  • 2003 Vági: 20 stops added to the Positive and Récit including the Chamades
  • 2004-2010 Pécsi Organ Building Manufacture: Mooser's Posaune 32' restored and extended, a few additional stops, second Bombarde 32'; Vági: combination control revisions
• Stops: 77 of 146 (2009)
• Console: 5 manuals + pedal, electrical console
• Compass: 61 (keyboards) / 32 (pedal)
• Status: building

Map

More information

http://www.esztergom.hu/wps/portal//erkezoknek/buszkesegeink?docid=AAMN-7K8FHW