Santo Domingo Nuxaá
Region: Mixteca Alta
Church construction date: 18th century (bell 1730, bell tower finished 1782)
Organ construction date: 1809
Organ builder: J Ysidro Baldive (Puebla)
Last played: before 1930
Organ classification: 8´ stationary organ
Tonal base: 8´ principal
Pitch: a = 392 Hz?
Case measurements: height 3.75 m, width lower case 1.48 m, width lower case with hips 2.21 m, width upper case 1.91 m, depth 0.84 m
Keyboard: 45 notes C-c''' with a short octave, registers divided c'/c#'
Bellows: missing, had been located in the loft above the organ
Similar organs: Quilitongo, Huautla, Teotitlan de Flores Magón (1839)
The organ of Santo Domingo Nuxaá is part of a group of four similar 8´ organs whose mechanics were built entirely or partially in a shop in Puebla and transported to Oaxaca. The organ case with its characteristic Oaxaca hips and a carved lambrequin decoration on the lower case seems to have been made by a local carpenter. Features indicating Puebla influence include an upper chest wider than the lower, a curved upper case profile with a rounded pipeshade capping the central tower, a rectangular (not Maltese) cross on the first pallet of the windchest, the particular Puebla stop names, rectangular rather than round trackers, and metal wind conduits to feed the principal rank. The stops for the left-hand flautado and the right-hand horizontal reed (clarín) are located on the sides of the key desk. The clarín seems to have been added later since its base is off center.
SPECIFICATIONS (proposed)*
Left hand: 21 notes C-c’ with a short octave
1. Flautado mayor 8´
2. Octava clara 1° 4´
3. Octava general 2° 4´
4. Quincena brillante 2´ (docena 2 2/3´?)
5. Octavillo claro (Quincena 2° 2´)
Right hand: 24 notes c#’-c’’’
1. Clarín 8´
2. Flautado mayor 8´
3. Octava clara 4´?
4. Octava general 2° 4´? (docena 2 2/3´?)
5. Octabillo claro (Quincena 2° 2´)?
*the paper labels for the left hand stops are legible, but not for the right hand, and they seem to be erroneous