Balbieriškis
Prienai district, Alytus region
Church of the Rosary of the Holy Virgin Mary
Alytus deanery, Vilkaviškis Diocese
| Master | Date | Instrument | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| unknown | 1802 | 1 manual, 10 stops, Pauke | mechanical |
Organ and church burned in 8 August 2013.
Balbieriškis organ façade is analogous to not survived organ in Gaurė St. Anne’s church. The five-part composition represents the typical organ façades by Vilnius organ building school – 3 towers (2 high polygon side towers and triangle tower in the centre) are connected by 2 bent cells. The baroque composition of the façade was typical in the period of over 70 years; the oldest example is the organ in Prienai church (1767–1769) and the latest – in Kantaučiai (1815) and Eigirdžiai (1835–1836) churches. [1]
Balbieriškis organ had a unique acoustic drum with one wooden pipe divided in the middle. Suchlike drum is assembled in the organs in Pasiene (1765), Giedraičiai (~1810) and Prezma (1815, master Tadeusz Abramowicz) churches. All four organs are attributed to Vilnius organ building school; they were built in the same period (except the Pasiene organ). Other common features: analogous form of drawstops knobs in the console, the same shape of metal pipes etc.
Console was on the right of organ.
Pipes, windchests, action was authentic.
The authentic range C–c’’’ of the organ was a representative type of Vilnius organbuilding school; it was specific for organs in the middle of 18th. – beginning of 19th c.
VIDEO excerpt (DVD The Old Lithuanian Organs, 2008, TV Europa).
[1] Other typical examples: not survived organs in Gaurė and Batakiai, survived organs in Kėdainiai St. Joseph (~1790), Kėdainiai St. George (~1760–1770), Staryja Vasilishki (~1770), Pivašiūnai (19th c. Beg.), Medininkai (18th c. 4th quarter),Rozalimas (1796), Notėnai (19th c. Beg.), Kriaunos (~1780), Skaudvilė (between 1797 and 1806), Panemunėlis (18th c. End ), Joniškėlis (1803), Vidsodis (~1807), Vėžaičiai (1804), Tūbinės (19th c. 1st half).
Archival documents:
Łomża Archive, p. 14 – Balbieriškis church inventory and and visitation acts, 1804, 1813, 1822, 1839.
Łomża Archive, I. 16 – Balbieriškis church list of expenses, inventories, other documents, 1813–1840, 1846, 1871, 1884, 1898.
Stoplist in the console (state in 2002)
| Manual (C–c’’’) gs’ ~440 Hz | |
| Oktave Hohlflöte Bordun Prinzipal Kleingedackt Quinte Flötenprinzipal Gedackt Terz Waldflöte |
4′ 8′ 8′ 8′ 5′ 3′ 2′ 4′ 1 3/5′ 2′ |
| Tremulant | |
Authentic stoplist
| Manual (C–c’’’) gs’ ~440 Hz | |
| Principal Flet Flet Major * Salcynal Flet minor * Quinta Oktava * Waltt Flett * Terciya * Szpilflet |
4 pedum 4 pedum 8 pedum 8 pedum 4 pedum 3 pedys 2 pedys 2 pedys 1 3/5 pedys 2 pedys |
| Pauke | |
Authentic stoplist not survived. It was based on the authectic records on pipes and analogues. * indicates the stops with authentic records on the pieps.
Façade: 400 x 275 x 130 cm
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