San Miguel Ahuehuetitlán
Region: Mixteca Baja
Church construction date: 1793
Organ construction date: ca. 1852
Organ builder: from the Castro organ-building company, Puebla
Last played: unknown
Organ classification: 4´ stationary organ
Tonal base: 8´ stopped flute (bardón)
Pitch: a=415 Hz
Case measurements: height 3.55 m, width upper and lower case 1.99 m, depth 0.98 m
Keyboard: 53 notes C- e’’’ LH chromatic, registers divided c’/c#’
Bellows: two wedge bellows located behind the organ
Similar organs (Puebla): Ihualtepec (1852), Tamazola (1885), Zapotitlan (1888), Tepelmeme (1891)
The organ of San Miguel Ahuehuetitlán, along with the organs in Ihualtepec, Tamazola, and Zapotitlan, are located in relatively close communities in the flat northwestern region of Oaxaca state near the border with Puebla. They were built by the Castro family organbuilding company in Puebla, which dominated organ building in this area throughout the 19th century. Castro organs were well made and elegant in appearance, yet immediately distinguishable from Oaxaca organs. Their particular features include the straight sides of the case (without hips), square or rectangular panels rather than carved decoration on the case, symmetrical perforations or lattice grids on the sides and back, a bowed profile above the interior towers, stop knobs in zig-zag arrangement, an extended keyboard, and metal tubing to feed the façade pipes. The stop names and the cornet register are typical of Puebla, but not Oaxaca, organ building.
This organ is a slightly enlarged and more elaborated version of the equally elegant Ihualtepec organ dated 1852 and seems to have built around the same time. The three accessory stops were controlled by knobs on the façade under the keyboard and were connected to the wind trunk rather than the chest. The "little bells" (campanitas) accessory stop is unique in Oaxaca, even if built in Puebla, although the attached metal bells no longer exist. The labels written on the case are nearly illegible and the windchest was unfortunately, inaccessible for documentation.
SPECIFICATIONS (proposed)
Left hand: 25 notes, C- c'
1. Clarín (bajoncillo) 4´
2. Flautado mayor 4´
3. Bardón 8´
4. Octava clara 2´
5. Nasardo
6. Octava parda (tapadillo)
7. Docena 1 1/3´
8. Octava brillante
9. Octava 2´
10. Quincena 1´
Right hand: 28 notes, c#'- e'''
1. Clarín 4´
2. Corneta IV 4´
3. Flautado mayor 4'
4. Bardón 8´
5. Octava clara 2´
6. Octava parda (tapadillo) 2´
7. Docena 1 1/3´
8. Nasardo
9. Octava brillante
10. Quincena 1´
Accessory stops: Tambor (drum), Pajaritos (nightingales), and Campanitas (little bells) activated by knobs under the keyboard