Riga Cathedral pipe organ, Monumental pipe organ at Riga Cathedral, Latvia
The Riga Cathedral pipe organ is a large instrument installed in the gallery of Riga Cathedral, in the Central District of Latvia. It has over 6,700 pipes, two separate consoles, and more than 120 stops operated through a mechanical action system.
The instrument was built between 1882 and 1883 by E.F. Walcker & Sons, replacing an earlier organ that had been destroyed in 1547. That earlier organ was considered the largest in the world before it was lost.
The organ is deeply connected to worship and has shaped the sound experience of the cathedral for generations. When you walk through the building, the massive facade with its many pipes and the prominent position in the gallery immediately catch your attention.
The best way to hear the organ is from the main nave, where the sound travels most fully through the building. Attending a concert or a service gives the most complete experience of the instrument in use.
The pipes are made from an unusually wide range of materials, including pine, fir, maple, oak, beech, and pear wood, as well as several metal alloys. Their lengths range from around 10 meters down to just 13 millimeters, which accounts for the broad tonal range of the instrument.
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