Great Pipe Organs of Luxembourg

Third set in the series of pipe organs

This third collection of special postage stamps traces in sound and vision the History of some of the most beautiful pipe organs of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and is part of a special series which began in 2006.
The Great pipe organ of the Cathedral represent a quintessential model in the tradition of organ makers in the 17th and 18th centuries, a sort of anthology of colors and tendencies which organ makers were able to spread across all of Europe. Georg Westenfelder knew how to intelligently make all the seemingly incompatible basic components coexist under a higher logic in an important organ which was manufactured with a superb know-how and a devoted meticulousness for each color and each particular detail. Optically, the organ is a rare beauty and the craftsmanship of the small Positive-casework integrated in the stone balustrade is a master work of art in cabinetry. The richness, and recently corrected temperament for a more flexible definition, make this organ a favorite with musicians cherishing German, Dutch, and Spanish repertoires as well as others from the eras mentioned.

Vianden pipe organ

The casework of the Vianden organ, designed in the style of instruments found in Picardy in the same era, dates from 1793. Initially it was an organ with a single keyboard. In the 19th century, a pedal section was added. The present instrument is played by a console located between the main casework and the pedal stops behind, thus the organist hears the sound from the Grand and Positive section slightly indirectly. Fortunately, the original placement of the organ on the pillar of the platform could be located. In fact, Müller Brothers had moved it to another place on the platform during a renovation in 1904. In 1953 the organ builder Georges Haupt from Lintgen began the last expansion, adding several contemporary style stops. It was only because of the meticulous reconstruction according to the old style, that Georg Westenfelder could provide the church with an instrument whose sound resources are finally once again in perfect harmony with the superb casework and the exquiste acoustics.

Mondorf-les-Bains church organ

The first organ that we have been able to discover in the Mondorf-les-Bains church dates from 1878. It was built by Dalstein-Haerpfer of Boulay (F). Numerous restorations and remodelings followed, including several to the casework, diminishing somehow the characteristics of this instrument. In 1983 the firm Gebrüder Oberlinger of Windesheim started the construction of a new organ in Mondorf-les-Bains, which used the casework in its last version. Also kept were certain old stops of Dalstein-Haerpfer. The present stop list is molded around a rather neo-baroque model, nevertheless updated for more recent period details, such as a swell division and two stops inspired by the French repertoire.

Junglinster

The Junglinster instrument has a magnificent casework dating from 1783. Originally, this instrument seems to have been installed at the Marienthal Cloister; it was a two manual organ without pedals and had ten stops. In 1887, the manufacturer of the actual version Charles Wetzel of Strasbourg, installed the organ at Junglinster. It was only in 1939 that the organ in Junglinster received a pedal with a stop of 16', now making 14 stops available for the organist. George Haupt of Lintgen conducted this last upgrade.

Postage stamps in detail

Issue: Luxembourg, 2 December 2008
Stamp design: Advantage Communication SA, Luxembourg (L)
Printing: Multicolored high-resolution offset by Cartor Security Print
Stamp size: 40 x 31.5 mm
Sheet Layout: 10 stamps per sheet with decorated borders

More information

Postage Stamps 2008
Luxembourg
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Greetings from Luxembourg
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Education and Animal Protection

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