Oosthuizen Case

The Sixteenth Century
Oosthuizen

One of the most well-preserved sixteenth-century organs of northern Europe is presently in the Reformed Church in Oosthuizen, a small community north of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The date 1521 (inscribed on the chest) is usually given for the origin of the organ, but that may have been for the rebuilding of the organ using earlier pipework. The instrument has seven stops on a single manual and no pedal division.

Disposition

With the exception of the lack of a reed stop, the stoplist of the organ is typical for a small instrument of its time and place, including as it does:

  • The primary stops of a principal chorus, including the Praestant, Octaaf, and Mixtur.
  • Wide-scaled flutes, including the original Roerfluit, Woudfluit and the Sexquialter (which plays only from c' to the top of the keyboard).
All the stops are original, with the Bourdon dating from the first half of the eighteenth century. The organ was restored in 1967 by D. A. Flentrop of Zaandam, The Netherlands.
Stoplist
Praestant 8
Bourdon 16
Octaaf 4
Quint 2 2/3
Woudfluit 2
Sexquialter II
Mixtur II-III
Tremulant

The 16' Bourdon is a replacement for an 8' Roerfluit that originally stood in its place on the chest. The voicing is open, and the Praestant has a sound that is quite strong in the room.

The range of the keyboard is typical of the period. The single manual has a short compass beginning on F and extending to a". In the first octave there is no F# or G#, and in the top octave there is no g#".

The Case

Oosthuizen CaseThe organ is located in a rear gallery in a relatively small building whose floor plan is almost square. In the photograph to the left, you can see many features typical of a sixteenth-century organ of the lowlands:

  • The Praestant is located in the façade and is disposed in
    • a tall center tower,
    • two smaller towers at the ends,
    • and double-story flats between the towers.
  • The case is flat, with no forward extension of the towers.
  • The case is wider at the impost level than at the base, giving it the usual "tulip" shape.
  • The case has doors which can be closed over the pipes.

Enlarged Images


You can see enlarged photographs of the organ by making a selection below. Please note that the files are very large; if you are viewing these pages through a modem connection, they could take several minutes to download. You will have to use your browser's "back" button to return to this page.

© 1998 James H. Cook