A Baroque organ is a pipe organ built in the Baroque period in a specific style and to specific specifications. This time period spanned roughly 1685 to 1750. During this period, there were many innovations in art, music, and architecture, and the pipe organ’s design changed dramatically, increasing its size, power, and musical range. Johann Sebastian Bach, a well-known Baroque composer from Germany, collaborated with master organ builders to create some of the finest organs ever created.
The music of the Baroque period was ornate and richly textured. The Baroque organ, which was most often associated with religious music, was far more powerful than its Renaissance forerunners. It was frequently used as a solo instrument or as part of a “concerto grosso,” which featured two or more solo instruments and an orchestra. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, written in 1727 and featuring two organs, is considered one of the masterworks of Western sacred music.
The organ became a “pleno,” or full organ, as it evolved during the Baroque period. A full-scale Italian pipe organ, for example, could have up to 600 pipes and over 2000 parts. Thousands of pipes and as many as seven manuals, or keyboards, are connected to the organ pipes in some of the largest organs built during the period. The organs’ exterior design tends to resemble the baroque cathedrals where they were frequently used. A pipe organ of the time was meant to be both a work of art and a musical instrument.
The Baroque organ underwent many technical changes in tandem with its expansion in size. Collaborations like Bach’s with master organ builder Gottfried Silbermann aided in the implementation of some of the changes. Silbermann designed and built organs for use all over Europe.
An increase in the number and design of organ stops, as well as the arrangement of manuals and pipes, was a significant change. Organ “stops” allow pressurized air to enter the pipes and are controlled the organist. Stops that could imitate the sounds of other instruments began to be developed. They were also multiplied, allowing for a wider range of sounds.
Separate keyboards for the feet, made up of pedals, have been expanded to allow for more sound control. Racks were used to organize the pipes. Each rack had a different pitch, wood type, and volume.
Many of the Baroque organ design innovations are still in use today. Organs from the time period that have survived are considered works of art, and many of them are on display in museums. Some of the designs have been updated to fit today’s needs.