The Van Straten organ revisited. A divergent opinion by Koos van de Linde

by Koos van de Linde | Het ORGEL | Year 109 | (2013) | Issue 3

Articles

Koos van de Linde The Van Straten organ revisited. A divergent opinion
Het ORGEL 109 (2013), nr. 3, 22-29 [summary]
In the spring of 2012 a copy of the organ that Peter Gerritsz built in 1479 for the Nicolaïkerk in Utrecht was inaugurated in the Orgelpark in Amsterdam (see Het Orgel 109/2, 16-25). In the building of this so-called Van Straten organ (named after national adviser Rudi van Straten) a number of assumptions were made that are dubious, according to this author. The most important points of criticism are that in the design of the Van Straten organ there is no explanation given for the 12 roller arms, which in the original situation (as assumed by this author) are to be explained as serving for a pedal coupler. They are simply ignored.
Another point is that, because of the compass of the original bovenwerk chests, which is known, the Positie and the Cimbel cannot begin on what is assumed in the copy to be the lowest key. This situation is unknown in other relevant instruments. Furthermore, transmissions from pipes of the Hoofdwerk to the Positief/Bovenwerk are unknown in historical sources or in traces on other extant instruments. One can also note the discrepancy between the compass of the Pedal (without F# and G#) and that of the Bovenwerk (chromatic from F). One would rather expect exactly the opposite, according to the author.