The Sixteenth Century
Introduction

When we look at the organ in the sixteenth century, we have a lot of evidence to study. Furtunately, for organs of this period -- the High Renaissance, in terms used by music historians, we have not only written descriptions, music, and visual records to study, we have some surviving instruments. In many cases the organs have been modified, but enough remains that we can both look at them and listen to them, if not first hand, then through photographs and recordings.

For the student organist, the study of historical instruments from the sixteenth century and later has another appealing aspect, in that the earliest literature most organists play dates from that time.

During the fifteenth century, regional differences began to appear. Organs from the north took on several characteristics (multiple manuals, for example) that were to characterize such instruments for centuries to come. In the south, multiple manuals were not built, but a high number of stops controlling individual ranks became very common.¹¹¹ In the sixteenth century, these regional differences became more firmly entrenched, and it is necessary to discuss sixteenth-century and later organs on both a geographical and a chronological basis.

The Breakdown of the Blockwerk

The primary distinction between church organs of the Middle Ages and those of the Renaissance is found in the widespread appearance of stop controls on the later instruments. This characteristic is common to organs of all parts of Europe, and the success of this innovation can be seen even today in the way that almost all organs are built. Although there are some small instruments made without stops, they are usually meant for use in smaller environments, a home or studio. Although we expect an organ to have stop controls today, this was not the case with large Medieval Blockwerk organs. To be sure, stop controls in the form of slider or spring chests were developed before the sixteenth century, but it is only then that the practice of building large instruments with such mechanisms became common throughout all of Europe.

The earliest descriptions of stop controls indicate a separate keyboard could be used to play only the front pipes of a Blockwerk. Other accounts mention a similar technique of construction which allowed the organist to play

• only the front pipes,
• or a small chorus made up of ranks sounding two or three pitches,
• or the complete ensemble.¹¹²

Disposition and Registration

The widespread use of stop controls on instruments of the sixteenth century and later provides a useful tool to use in describing organs. A dispostion is a description of the divisions of an organ and of the stops contained in each division. It functions as a brief description of the tonal properties of a given instrument, assuming that the reader understands the sounds that are produced by different stops. From the sixteenth century until the present day, such dispositions have become a standard and universally accepted way of communicating something of the sound of a particular instrument to a reader. From builder's correspondence with churches, from the actual contracts that survive, and from reports of third-party observers, we can learn a great deal about organs of this period by reading what was said about their dispositions.

Such information is extremely valuable for learning about instruments that cannot be heard in person. Additional value is gained from reading descriptions of registration practices - - instructions on how the stops of a given instrument, or type of instrument, should be used, either alone on in combination. From the early sixteenth century until the present day, builders, organists and composers have provided indications of what stops should be used. These guidelines for the use of stops, coupled with the disposition of an organ, provide valuable insight into the sound of organ music.

From the standpoint of history, the specific disposition of any instrument is directly related to both the time and the place in which the organ was built or installed. In the pages of this tutorial that describe individual instruments, stoplists are always included. Where it is possible to do so, diagrams of the layout of divisions are provided, and photographs or drawings of cases are always included. In some instances, reference is made to commercially available recordings of important organs, so that it will be possible for the student to hear the organs that are described. However, even though these practices may give some indication of historical developments and national characteristics, they cannot substitute for a first-hand acquaintance with any organ.