The Theophilus Organ

The Rutland organ (Theophilus Organ) is an instrument Winold van der Putten built it in 1999 using two old texts as source material: De fistulis Organis (literally 'About organ pipes'), by an anonymous author from Bern from the 10th century; and the treatise Diversarum Artium Schedule ('Catalog of the various arts'), written by the Benedictine monk Theophilus at the end of the 11th century. An illumination from the Rutland Psalter, dated around 1260, was another important source. Combination of the material from these sources led to conclusions about the manufacture of the pipes, the bellows, the shape of the keys, the appearance, and the interior of the organ (the so-called windchest, which directs the wind to only those pipes belonging to a key which is being played).

The special sound of this organ, which can be described as mild and a bit throaty, is the result of a quite extraordinary way of pipemaking. The shape of all the pipes and the location of the all the mouths are based on a single basic conical shape. The result is that the large pipes are relatively narrow, so that they have a clear sound, while the smaller ones are comparatively wider, so that their overtones are less apparent. The pipes are made, as is the rest of the organ, of plane tree wood.

The whole organ is painted in the colors shown in the illustration in the Rutland Psalter, with paint based on linseed oil as instructed by Theophilus. For each key there are two pipes, each with its own pitch; the two are a fifth apart. The two pitches however blend in such a way as to produce a single sound.

Concerts, demonstrations and lessons

Jankees Braaksma, musical director
Melkweg 22
9718 ES Groningen
tel/fax +31 50-3140164
mobiel +31 6-51296919
jankees.braaksma@xs4all.nl

The Theophilus organ for general use

The Super Librum foundation enables ensembles and musicians to use the organ for concerts and study. Contact:

Annemieke Woldring, secretary
Bergstraat 49
9717 LS Groningen
tel +31 50-5713871 (home), +31 50-3139774 (work, VVV city of Groningen)
postmaster@superlibrum.nl

The organ builder

Winold van der Putten learned organ building with the brothers Reil of Heerde. He now leads his own organ building firm in Finsterwolde (The Netherlands). He is specialized in the medieval organ, but is also interested in later styles. Departing from his ideas about historic continuo-playing, he builds, for example, box organs, in most cases for music schools and professional musicians. Among his works, the restaurations of several positive organs, among them an Italian instrument (Napoli 1760) and organs in the region around Finsterwolde, are important, as is the construction of a new large 17th century-style organ (with meantone temperament and subsemitones) for Bremen-Walle. Whether building a portative or a blockwerk organ, a box organ or a church organ, Van der Putten is inspired always by historical sources, be it regarding the architecture, the iconography or the literature of the respective period.