Estonia: Organ festival

This post updates and corrects information in my original post about this stamp. I've left the old post in place despite its errors of fact.

Some years ago organists in Estonia began an international organ festival. Andres Uibo was instrumental in bringing about this event. In 2006 that nation's postal authority issued a stamp to promote the 20th anniversary of that event. The stamp features a close-up of a few organ pipes on the right side, and a view of the facade of the cathedral organ in Tallinn. It is denominated in both Estonian kroons and Euros.

The organ has an interesting history (click on toomkogudus, click on muusikatoo, lick on orel in left column.). It was built by Ladegast in 1878, 3 manuals and 48 ranks. It was refurbished in 1914 by Sauer, adding new ranks (now totaling 71 ranks), replacing the mechanical action with a pneumatic action, while preserving the winding system and the facade.

In 1994 a campaign was begun to preserve the instrument. Funds were raised and work began in 1998 by Scheffler. The organ was re-dedicated in late-1998.

This site has good information about the organ also. Google translate seems to do a decent-enough job with the Estonia originals.

Comoro Islands

The Comoro Islands lie off western Africa as an island group. They were individual island entities until French colonization. For a time after the colonial era they were aligned with Madagascar. Three, Anjouan, Grand Comoro and Moheli united as a sovereign state in 1975. It became an Islamic state in 1979.

Comoro issued a set of stamps honoring "great composers" in 1978. The set included JS Bach, Mozart, Berlioz, Verdi, Tchaikovsky, George Gershwin, and a souvenir sheet picturing Beethoven. This set (Scott 301-307) used "Republique des Comores". Following the shift in politics in 1979, the set was issued again with an overprint of the new national name (Scott 454-458) and in some cases new values. The Beethoven souvenir sheet was not re-produced.

On the present stamp JS Bach is shown seated at an organ console. The instrument is not identified, and its not readily apparent what instrument it may be.

Belgium: Memling painting

Belgium issued this stamp (Scott 1560) as part of a set of two in 1994. This one features a detail from a painting by Hans Memling. The detail shows a woman holding an infant, a second woman on the left, and a musician playing a portatif in the background. It's not quite clear if the musician is indeed holding the instrument or if it rests on a table of some type. But it does meet the design features typical of portatifs: short compass, single set of pipes. The winding mechanism is not shown. I am not familiar with this painting, so I would be happy to hear information about the persons in the painting and any other details related to it. The other stamp in the small set of two features the Belgian composer Guillaume Lekeu (1870-1894). He died at a tragically young age of typhoid fever. Most of his pieces were for piano and strings, along with a dozen orchestral works.

Andorra: Mozart

The French/Spanish principality of Andorra, located in the Pyrenees mountain, issued this stamp (Scott 409) in 1991 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In addition to a line of music notation, there is a group of orchestral musicians (including a conductor who is playing a stringed instrument while leading the group. There is also a scene of a city (Vienna or Salzburg?), a row of keyboard keys, and a curious star pattern with what appear to be people walking toward it. Finally there is an anonymous row of organ pipes. This is curious in itself, because Amadeus Mozart is not known for playing the organ, though he may have; nor is he known for composing works for the instrument. The only works remotely connected to the organ are works for musical clock (with flute pipes) which have been arranged for standard pipe organ. It would be interesting to know what the stamp's designer had in mind with these various elements.

Germany: Children's choir, update (Part 2)

I've sent an email to the Cantor of the Church of the Ascension in Munich, asking if this church is indeed the locale for the stamp issued in 1988 featuring a children's choir and organ. Just for kicks, here is my English version of my query along with what Google translate did with it, plus a couple of my own corrections. I hope it makes sense to Herr Cantor!

I would like to know if the interior of the Himmelfahrtskirche has appeared on a German postage stamp. I have a stamp issued by Germany in 1988. It shows a children's choir and pipe organ inside a church. The stamp designer told me it was the Himmelfahrtskirche in Munich. However the image on the stamp does not resemble the interior of the church as shown on the website. However, I noticed that the church underwent renovations 1988-1992 and an organ dedication in 1994. So I wonder if the stamp shows the interior of the church before renovations to the facility. Otherwise, is there another Himmelfahrtskiche in Munich that is shown on this stamp. Thank you for any insight you can share.

Ich würde gerne wissen, ob das Innere der Himmelfahrtskirche auf einer deutschen Briefmarke erschienen ist. Ich habe einen Briefmarke von Deutschland im Jahr 1988 ausgegeben. Es zeigt einen Kinderchor und Orgel in einer Kirche. Die Briefmarke Designer sagte mir, es war der Himmelfahrtskirche in München. Allerdings wird das Bild auf der Briefmarke nicht ähnelt das Innere der Kirche als auf der Website gezeigt. Allerdings bemerkte ich, dass die Kirche renoviert 1988-1992 und eine Orgelweihe im Jahr 1994 unterzogen. Also ich frage mich, ob Die Briefmarke in das Innere der Kirche vor Renovierung der Anlage zeigt. Ansonsten ist es eine andere Himmelfahrtskirche in München, die auf dieser Marke angezeigt wird. Vielen Dank für die Einsicht kann man teilen. Ich hoffe, meine internet-Deutsch ist verständlich!

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
 

Iceland: Pall Isolfsson

 

Iceland issued this stamp honoring Pall Isolfsson on 14 August 1991, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the death of the musician. This stamp (Scott 744) was part of a set of two, the other honoring Ragnar Jonsson, an arts patron. The Jonsson stamp is configured horizontally compared to the Isolfsson's stamp vertical orientation.

Pall Isolfsson studied organ in Germany and Paris, after which he returned to Iceland. In 1938 he became organist of Reykjavik Cathedral and appointed director of both the Reykjavik Conservatory and the Icelandic Radio. His published works include piano pieces, chorus music and cantatas.

This stamp includes no representation of an organ. It took considerable searching to learn of Isolfsson's connection to the instrument.  The current instrument in the Reykjavik Cathedral is a massive instrument by the German firm, Klais, installed in 1992. I have not found any information about the instrument Isolfsson might have actually played.

Germany: Mendelssohn

Germany issued this stamp (Scott 1980) in 1997 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the composer's death. The image depicts Mendelssohn in profile on the right, with a score facsimile on the left. Without studying the music too closely, the music doesn't seem to be from one of the composer's organ works, though I would welcome correction by anyone willing to compare. Otherwise, the stamp does not include any elements that relate to the organ. The selvage includes the composer's signature and a five line/four space pattern that is likely intended to bring to mind music staves. Mendelssohn was famous for bringing about a revival of interest in the compositions of JS Bach. Too he composed a compelling oeuvre of organ music.