Friday, March 30, 2007

Austria: Bruckner Organ






This stamp was issued 26 April 1996 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Anton Bruckner (1824-1896). Bruckner was long associated with the St. Florian Abbey in Linz. The organ there is today lovingly called the "Bruckner Organ." The organ dates as far back as the 15th century. The current instrument was begun by Franz Xavier Krismann in 1770. At its completion then, the instrument had 74 ranks of pipes. Work continued over many years with several builders adding their imprint to the instrument. It currently has four manuals plus pedal and includes nearly 100 ranks of pipes.

Austria: St. Stephen's


Issued on 12 December 1946, this stamp is from a set of 10 semi-postal stamps. The additional price paid for each stamp aided in the reconstruction of the St. Stephen Cathedral in Vienna. There are actually currently three organs in the Dom: a choir organ from the 1950's; the west gallery instrument most recently updated in the 1960's, and a large instrument from 1991 in the nave. The instrument shown on this stamp is an older version of the west gallery organ, originally built in the 1880's by Walcker.  The organ is located in the west gallery and was re-built by the Kauffmann firm in 1960.
Shown at the bottom is the nave organ built by Rieger.