J. P. Sweelinck: Mein Junges Leben hat ein End | Positive in a Tiny Church, Nagyvázsony, Hungary |

[@alfredbackhus6110]

These small hungarian organs are absolutely fascinating. This one has a very beautiful "speaking" principal.

[@marcelobrunorodrigues7630]

And I feel they are very adequate for the local organ literature from Middle Ages to the Classicism.

[@paulcaswell2813]

I live in England - it's strange to see a little instrument such as this completely run rings round the Anglo-American instruments. The clarity (as expected in an instrument in the Dutch/German tradition) is miraculous.

[@bkarosi]

Hi Paul, I am glad you enjoyed this little gem of an instrument. Bigger is not always better!

[@paulcaswell2813]

Lovely comment - and so true. Keep up the wonderful work :-)

[@grahaml6668]

These are lovely ancient sounds which cannot be replicated in a modern organ. It's the connection between the pipes, the action, the case, and the acoustics. I'm glad there are people who see the value, will restore, maintain, and yes, play, these old organs.

[@jameslouder]

This is a very fine little organ, beautifully voiced so that everything speaks promptly and cleanly. There is none of the aggressiveness that so often vitiates the high-pitched ranks.They have been voiced for colour, not volume, and so as you add them, the tone becomes more and more brilliant, in the best sense of the word. Of course the meantone temperament helps a great deal, since we aren't assaulted by raw and angry thirds. Finally, let's not forget the refined touch which brings out the best in the speech of the pipes.

[@alfredbackhus6110]

In my vicinity, there are so many larger village churches with organs built in the sixties which are much too large to be maintained considering the vaining number of people who care about them. These organs are all half-corpses and will never be restored with their 40 registers. And they never were high quality after all which makes it even worse cause it is no wonder no one is interested in spending 200.000 Euros + to restore them. Just large mediocre quality stuff to "fill the room". I imagine what it would be like if instead these churches (with about 400 500 seats) had vastly undersized but well maintained and beautifully voiced positifs- and if one needs more oomph for the holidays, get some instrumentalists from the congregation or the local bands. This arrangement would have been so dramatically cheaper and easier to maintain, that one could even have added a second large positive or even an 8' Organ with very sparse registration in the altar room to be used for concerts. Nobody can predict the future. The perfect arrangement for a 500 seats church today imho would be a large positif on the organ loft and a larger but very sparsely registered organ in the choir. Possibly only 8 foot praestant, possibly 4' 2' and some kind of mixture, possibly a gedackt or flute, and a pedal with some options. But a good 8' praestant or a 4' praestant and 8' gedackt would already be sufficiant.

[@bkarosi]

@@alfredbackhus6110 I agree! These organs are so simple, very few things can go wrong with them

[@zenasm.savage1999]

Neat little organ-- I love how the case is painted. Even back then it would seem they were using ideas to try and get wood to look like marble/serpentine rock! The cone tuning is also looks well done. You can tell this mighty little organ was/is the pride an joy of this church!

[@earthlightsmusic2743]

THe Sweelinck piece was registered much as E. Power Biggs would have done in Cambridge, years ago. THis is a really bright instrument.

[@jofido]

Beautifully restored instrument. Wonderful village church in a pastoral setting. Balint, you have brought this all to light in an exquisite manner. Well produced videography.

[@Tom-Lahaye]

Nice little organ, the principal 8'has a very special timbre to it. Sweelinck is an absolutely good choice for such a small organ in meantone voicing.

[@BjoernKarlsson]

This is an organ that I really enjoyed! So round and at the same time so much clarity!

[@majathomi3021]

Herzlichen Dank lieber Herr Balint ! Wie sonst kämen wir dazu, ein derart einmaliges Instrument kennen zu lernen. Die Klänge sind sind irgendwie ergreifend.

[@j.vonhogen9650]

Excellent performance of Sweelinck's famous variations! Thanks for the great video!

[@OldPannonian]

What an amazing little organ! I am so impressed and pleased that such treasures are carefully preserved.

[@bkarosi]

Köszönöm!

[@peteacher52]

Thank you, Balint! What a great package in a small box. When you played the Sweelinck. the sound recalled the side organ in St Laurens, Alkmaar, where that would have been heard hundreds of times over the years!

[@Lucius1958]

Lovely sound for such a little instrument!

[@danielvs7080]

I love this. From România. Nice organs you have!!!

[@MichaelStBede]

What a delight !

[@michaelgamble296]

What clarity! What power! What fun!

[@bkarosi]

Yes, a lot of fun and counterpoint!

[@rowanlidbury]

Oh my heart of stone just melted.

[@wegotothezoowr]

The metaphor may be a little awkward, but a very pretty organ resembling green tea castella. Pipes and sounds~ Nice to see. Thank you for the introduction. Beginners to the organ in Korea.🥳

[@jozsefmakai9194]

KÖSZÖNÖM SZÉPEN A VIDEÓT!LEGKÖZELEBB IS VÁRJUK SZERETETTEL !MINNÉL GYAKRABBAN HA LEHETSÉGES!

[@bkarosi]

Jövöre szlovákiába is szeretnék eljutni!

[@laszloattilamegyaszai6545]

Várjuk nagy szeretettel Erdélybe is! 😉

[@bkarosi]

@@laszloattilamegyaszai6545 nagyon szeretnék már régóta de nincs kontaktusom

[@grocheo1]

Thank you very much

[@jimshaw899]

Thank you. A brave sounding little instrument. I think I count a 41 note compass. No place in that loft for old organists, eh? I wonder if/how/where it accompanies singing. We don't get to hear such instruments played here, especially masterfully. The Sweelinck was a good choice. But it seems that a little of it would go a long way with my nerves(!)

[@Rl469]

An exquisite instrument and exquisite playing. Thank you!

[@ianbrowne8871]

Good to see you on home turf! A gem of an organ well suited to the acoustic of the church. Whatever the size, the organ needs to sing and this one certainly does. Looking on YT so many churches seem to go in for instruments bloated in size. Small is beautiful in this case,

[@HobbyOrganist]

Very sweet! There's also a nice organ n Gyomore Hungary played by a young boy who was written up in his local newspaper, he has a youtube channel, it has the tiniest console I ever saw! the organ is by Frank Strahmer

[@artie360]

A beautiful organ both musically and visually. Wonderful playing. Thanks for posting

[@jacquelinehera3233]

Quite a history. Lovely colors from the restoration; octaves are quite striking and with the build of the principals are quite bright! Nice improv with selected/coupled stops. Could you see much through the facade? Genevan Psalter (#42) with the Gedackts would be nice to hear.

[@gsten2116]

Has anyone sampled this gem? I'd love to play it on hauptwerk.

[@guru13hr]

I really love small and historic organs.

[@Gregory473]

Wonderful!

[@Gregory473]

Church is so beautiful!

[@kerikelly]

Please visit the Taylor & Boody in Marquand Chapel at Yale!

[@bkarosi]

That is off limits for recordings

[@AC-sj4fq]

Hey, B, I just wanted to let you know there’s some historic organs in Mexico you should check out! Thx

[@bkarosi]

Do you have a contact? PM me

[@marcelobrunorodrigues7630]

Hi, Balint, here's Marcelo once again. This tiny church with this instrument perfectly fitted for it reminds me in some aspects the organ I played most often in Germany, the one at the St. Agatha's Parish Church in Angelmoddedorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen. Here is its disposition: MANUAL: Bourdun 8', Flauto traverso 8', Praestant 4', Flauto dolce 4', Octave 2' and Mixtur 3 Chor (= 1 ⅓' + 1' + ⅔'). PEDAL: Subbass 16', Pommer 4' and Manual-Pedal coupler. Have you already visited it?

[@bkarosi]

Hi, no I haven’t played it but will look it up. Thank you

[@purplealice]

It has a very good tone, considering its antiquity.

[@bloguetronica]

This could be considered a small full size organ, if it was not tuned for the principal 4' stop.

[@evatody1902]

Restaurlása után a Budapest Deák téri evangélikus templomban hallhattuk !

[@demifilius]

That is a verry smal church organ

[@AndreSefarad]

It’s very interesting 🙏🏻

[@aBachwardsfellow]

So is it a "large 4' positive" because the 8' (Gedackt? Pordon?) pipes are stopped and therefore only about 4' in physical length? I would have thought a 4' positive would only have a 4' stop. Gedackt 4' -- or Copel 4' ? At 4:52 -- and now add the Principal 4' Or Octave 2'? Very nice instrument and demo - a bit difficult to follow ...

[@alfredbackhus6110]

There are many organ positives with a 4' Praestant and an 8' Bordun/Quintadena/Gedackt

[@aBachwardsfellow]

@@alfredbackhus6110 I understand -- but why would they be called a 4' positive? Why not just a positive organ?

[@alfredbackhus6110]

@@aBachwardsfellow Well I'm far from being an expert but I think it's meant this way: The organ with its 4 foot praestant/ 4 foot facade and 6 registers is kind of large concerning the small chapel it is situated in. Yet, it is not an objectivly large positive without this context. There actually are positive Organs which do not have a 4' praestant although it this is kind of common, especially in case of the positive being a part of a larger organ. Yet there are other kinds of Positives, for example the organ could have a 2' facade. So it is usefull to state the size of the praestant/principal. This is the register which is determining the overall size of the organ facade. An 4' principal is drastically larger then a 2'.

[@aBachwardsfellow]

@@alfredbackhus6110 - that would seem to make sense - thanks!

[@guscox9651]

Yeah like alfred said, you name it by the lowest principal rank. I think its a german thing. Usually on a german organ pedal is 32', gt is 16', choir is 4' and i guess swell is 8' Edit: wrong

[@ExAnimoPortugal]

I kinda want one at home

[@mymanjosquin]

what style of tuning is employed?

[@bkarosi]

1/5th comma meantone

[@timdaugherty5921]

i want to pet this organ!!

[@bobh5087]

Did I miss who the organ-builder was? Or is it not known?

[@bkarosi]

Unknown builder. It was restored by Aeris

[@bobh5087]

@@bkarosi Thank you. 👍

[@guru13hr]

This is a protestant church.

[@renaldtremblay8333]

Les pubs emmerdantes, on n'en veut plus!

[@bifeldman]

Caviar

[@stephenarnold6359]

But not, I hope, to the general

[@ivansantrizos8483]

that staircase looks like there might be just a couple OSHA violations.