This article features the 2013 stamp featuring the organ from Yanhuitlán, Oaxaca, Mexico from the church of Santo Domingo. Organ stamps are fairly common and a great resource into their variety is the Pipe Organs of the World on Postage Stamps blog by Michael R. Barker. You can see other articles on this site about organs on stamps from Austria, France, Germany, and Belgium, among others.
This stamp is part of a set of six featuring historic organs of Oaxaca. The set actually is a tribute to the work of the IOHIO (Institute of Historic Organs in Oaxaca). This organization restores and preserves historic instruments in Oaxaca. Of particular interest to stamp collectors, the organization is housed in the Oaxaca Philatelic Museum (MUFI). This is the final article about the Oaxacan organ stamps. You can read Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, and Part Five.
The stamps are the design of Sergio Barranca and M. Cristina Anguiano using the photographs of D. Hillbert. The range in price from 7 Mexican pesos to 13.50.
Oaxacan Organs, Scott Number MX 2858a-f
Oaxacan Organs
An excellent resource about the importance of Oaxacan organs (and these specifically) is this article by David Warren Steel that I highly recommend. I want to quote his opening paragraph to add some important description:
“The state of Oaxaca is one of the most culturally diverse in all Mexico; it is also one of the richest repositories of historic pipe organs in the New World: some 65 organs have been identified, nearly all in a distinctive regional style, with some instruments dating back to 1690 or earlier. While most are in various states of deterioration, and some are clearly endangered, seven have been restored in recent years to playing condition.“
Musically, the organs in Oaxaca are special and I will quote steel again:
“The musical resources of these organs are modeled on those of Spanish organs in the 17th century. Oaxacan organs have a single manual, and no pedal keyboard. The keyboard is recessed in a rectangular “window” in the case; up till around 1850, this consisted of 45 keys, or four octaves, from C to c”’ with short octave in the bass. The organ is divided between middle C and C-sharp: stops are drawn separately above and below this dividing point. In fact, on most Oaxacan organs, the selection of stops varies from treble to bass, with some stops available only in one hand. Pitch is low, around A=392 Hz.”
The Church
The impressive Church of Santo Domingo de Yanhuitlán, Oaxaca, dates back to the sixteenth century. Dominican monks chose the site for a church and for a convent for their order in 1538, a mere decade after their arrival in Oaxaca. The church is remarkable, although it appears somewhat unassuming from the outside. The building is quite tall with a gothic-style vaulted ceiling.
Inside, the building houses a remarkable collection of colonial-era baroque artwork, including a wonderful altarpiece that reaches to the church’s very tall ceiling. There are also two side chapels or altars with equally magnificent altars. You can learn more about the remarkable church here.
The Organ
The following information is taken from the IOHIO website. The organ is from the late seventeenth century and by an unknown organ builder. The instrument has a single keyboard manual with 47 notes. Its pitch is a=415. The restoration of the organ was by Pascal Quorin and funded by the Fomento Cultural Banamex.
DISPOSITION
Left hand: 23 notes C-c’
1. Flautado mayor 8´
2. Bardón 8´
3. Octava 4´
4. Tapadillo 4´
5. Docena 2 2/3´
6. Quincena 2´
7. Diez y novena 1 1/3´
8. Veintidosena 1´
9. Címbala 2/3´
10. Lleno
11. Trompeta real 8´
Right hand: 24 notes c#’-c’’’
0. Clarín 8´
1. Flautado mayor 8´
2. Bardón 8´
3. Octava 4´
4. Tapadillo 4´
5. Docena 2 2/3´
6. Quincena 2´
7. Diez y novena 1 1/3´
8. Veintidocena 1´
9. Címbala 2/3´
10. Lleno
11. Trompeta real 8´
You can hear this rather magnificent organ in the video below:
