Přelouč - Kostel svatého Jakuba Většího, organ

The **organ** of the **Kostel svatého Jakuba Většího** *(St. James the Greater)* in Přelouč is a 17th-century Czech Baroque organ built by Loket organbuilder Abraham Starck in 1692. It is greatly well-preserved and is a fine example of Bohemian organbuilding.

## History

Starck received a contract to build an organ for the *Kostel svatého Filipa a Jakuba* in Kutná Hora in 1692. It received a single-manual instrument with a richly carved organ case. It was consecrated and stayed there to accompany its congregation for 40 years until the church got a new organ, in which it was moved to a nearby monastery in Sedlec (famous for its ossuary chapel) along with church benches. It stayed there until 1786 due to its abolition.

The church decided to buy the instrument (and was transferred from the estate of the town mayor) and was reconsecrated. Shortly after this, organbuilder Frantíšek Pavel Horák from Kutná Hora rebuilt the organ.

In 1829 Munich organbuilder Karl Müller restored the instrument. Later, the ORGANA company (from Kutná Hora) tuned the instrument to a' = 440hz and set its temperament to equal. They also chromaticised the instrument and expanded the original short octave to a full chromatic octave.

In 1992 organbuilder Vladimír Šlajch restored the instrument to the state of 1786, however while retaining equal temperament and the 440hz pitch. It remains in a good condition as of 2021.

## Description

Located in the west end of the historic church on its loft, immediately striking the viewer is a richly carved wooden symmetrical organ case with three towers, a common case design, as well as some other pipe-flats in between. Two carved ornaments resembling grapes flank the case, which are positioned on the two side-towers. As is common practice, the central pipe is decorated in each tower.

The instrument has 2 manuals and pedal. Hlavní Stroj (Great), Pozitiv (Positive), and Pedál (Pedal). The second manual, the Hauptwerk, is positioned on an 8' basis. It carries three foundation stops (as is typical), a *Principál*, a *Qvintadena*, and a *Salecinal*. A 4-foot octave complements the Prinzipal. A mutation at 3' follows this which is an 8' harmonic and then a 2' octave. A 1 1/2' mutation is present as well which is a 4' harmonic. Two mixtures, one low (tierced) and one high, round off the Hlavní Stroj.

The Pozitiv, added during the 1780s, is positioned below the Hlavní Stroj (and near the console) and is based on 2'. For the organist, the division is louder than the Hauptwerk. Two gentle, stopped chiffy flutes are present as well as the Principál. A tierceless mixture is also present. Its stop knobs flank either side of the console.

The Pedál has stopped basses of wood and a 6' harmonic, which is a part of the 16' harmonic series. It is behind the second manual position.

The organ bears no couplers - it has mechanical action, slider chests, and wedge bellows. The current pitch of the instrument is A = 440hz (428 as of now due to temperature reasons), and is tuned in equal temperament. It also has swapped accidentals and naturals and a short octave on both manuals and pedalboard.

## Dispositions

### Original (1692-1786)

#### Manuál *(CDEFGA-c''')*

1. Salicional 8'
2. Copula 8'
3. **Principál 4'**
4. Fugara 4'
5. Fletna 4'
6. Quinta 3'
7. Octava 2'
8. Mixtura IV (4 ranks) 1 1/2'
9. Sesquialter II (2 ranks) 3'

#### Pedál *(CDEFGA-a)*

1. Subbas 16'
2. Octavbas 8'

### Current disposition (1786-present)

#### I. Hlavní Stroj *(CDEFGA-c''')*

1. Salecinal 8' *(1692)*
2. Qvintadena 8' *(1786)*
3. **Principál 8'** *(1786)*
4. Octava 4' *(1692)* was Prinzipal
5. Qvinta 3' *(1786)*
6. Superoctava 2' *(1692)*
7. Qvinta 1 1/2' *(1992)*
8. Mixtura IV (4 ranks) 1 1/2' *(1692)* tierced
9. *Cim*bál IV (4 ranks) 1' *(1786)* tierceless

#### II. Pozitiv (CDEFGA-c''')

*all stops from 1786/1787*

1. Copula maior 8'
2. Copula minor 4'
3. **Principál 2'**
4. Mixtura III (3 ranks) 1 1/2'

#### Pedal (CDEFGA-a)

1. Subbas 16' *(1692)*
2. Octavbas 8' *(1692)*
3. Quintbas 6' *(1786)*