Joaquín Lois Cabello organ-building workshop in 2016
The Opus III was designed based on the Juan de Inés y Ortega’s model in Marugán (Segovia), same as the Opus I.
However, slight modifications were carried out in order to adjust to the musical requirements of the owner. Made of cedar wood, its natural color recreates the one of organs that did not have polychromy and which have acquired a very beautiful toasted color over the centuries.
For more information about the Clarín Project, in which the construction of this organ is included, visit the official website www.proyectoclarin.com
Made of cedar wood, this organ gives an exquisite fragrance to the old and noble room where it is located, blending in perfectly.
Clarín Opus III
Ocuilan de Arteaga (México)
Ocuilan de Arteaga (México)
Órgano en Ocuilan de Arteaga (México) Built by Joaquín Lois in 2016
Clarín Opus III Details of the valves in the windchest
Órgano en Ocuilan de Arteaga (México) Built by Joaquín Lois in 2016
Clarín Opus III Built by Joaquín Lois in 2016
Clarín Opus IIITraslado del órgano
Clarín Opus III Details of the console and bellows
Clarín Opus III In Ocuilan de Arteaga (México)
Clarín Opus III Windchest assembly
Technical details
It was designed for a private auditorium, where it blends in completely, both plastically and acoustically. Its technical characteristics allow for a wide repertoire of old music, and it is also suitable for both concertante and solo music.
It has the same exact size as the original, and it is made of cedar wood. The ornamentation, carvings and moldings have been reproduced using cedar wood of a different color.
Details of the case and carvings
The instrument
The “machinery” has been designed after the model, applying the traditional Castilian techniques which have shown the best endurance over the last 250 years. It has one slider windchest, made of first-class quality cedar wood; the sliders are made of walnut.
Details of the assembly of the windchest
The windchest is chromatic, and every stop is split. The grooved blocks link this sequence of notes with the piping’s pattern in the front.
Details of the construction of the grooved blocks
It has also a small grooved block for the Violón bass notes, and a raised small windchest for the Corneta. Made of very dry and clean cedarwood, they are grooved on both sides, and all possible friction points are secured with tanned sheep-skin called “Baldés”, traditionally used in Castilian organs.
The action
The key action is very simple with roller board with iron arms or bracillos.
Details of the key action during assembly
It has wrought iron registry action and wooden pull and connecting rods.
Details of the registry action
All the parts have been built following the model and using similar wood, although some traditional techniques have been overriden in order to preserve the security and stability of the action, like the use of wrought nails for fixation of the upper-boards and sliders in the windchest.
The keyboard
The keyboard is made of bone, for the natural notes, and blackwood, with the original’s slight decoration, and the keys are of very dry pine wood. Its dimensions do not follow any historical standard, since there was none at the time of the organ’s construction. However, there is certain uniformity in the width of the octave.
Details of the construction of the keyboard
The keys lenght is very short and the pulling point is always as close to the hand as it was possible. The actioning is thus of the maximum smoothness, precise and sensitive. The console’s window fits very close and, like is traditional in small Iberian organs, and the insertion of the music stand is quite difficult.
La Tubería
The piping is the area in which it has been sought the deepest approach to the principles and development of its original construction. Although Juan de Inés worked with great austerity, he preserved the quality and restraint of his predecessors. All the piping is made of a 50% tin and lead alloy, of a fair thickness and a solid construction. The ‘one size’ principle is kept for each family of labial stops.
Details of the piping of the Clarín Opus III
The replica complies faithfully with all the parameters found in the original. The metal is cast over cloth, and the pipes have been hand planed, always at cross direction to the pipe’s lenght, as it was traditionally done.
Metal sheets casting and forging, and pipe construction. The languids are made of lead and they keep a constant angle in all the sets. The reed ranks are arranged in the front, set in “W”, with their horn bells.
The shallots have welded lids, as it is the normal use in this school.
The bellows
There is one wedge bellows “one yard wide and two long”, as it was traditionally used, with six folds. They are all made of cedar wood and white “Baldés” tanned sheep-skin.
The bellows
The harmonization
El diapasón se ha determinado a 440Hhz a 21º para poder tocar junto a instrumentos modernos.
The harmonization and tuning must collect all the efforts put into the construction of the single parts of the organ, for they are the ultimate goal of all that work. The main lines and the details in the original model have been kept, in order to obtain the right character in all the stops, both separately and as a whole. The tuning pitch has been set in 440 Hz at 21ºC so that it can be played along modern instruments and the wind pressure in 40 mm w.c. The harmonization of all the piping was made with open foot. The temperament is the modified 1/5 comma meantone. The timpani in D and A may be used as pedal note for these tones. The Clarín Opus III is the third organ we’ve built for this project, and it is a replica of the organ in Marugán (Segovia).
The construction of the organ has been carried out according to the traditional techniques of the 18th century, using cedar and walnut wood, tanned sheep-skin, bone keyboards, traditional making of the pipes, metal casting, handmade wrought, and the parameters and harmonization of the pipes were made off the original model.
Composition
Left Hand
Right Hand
Flautado Violón Flautado de 6 ½ * Quincena Decisetena Decinovena Lleno III Címbala III