Documenting the Goršič Pipe Organ in the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Zagorje ob Savi

In July 2020, as part of the project of researching the Franc Goršič organ legacy, we documented the organ in the parish church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Zagorje ob Savi. This organ is Goršič’s 62nd work, dating from 1895.

The organ is the work of Franc Goršič (the last new organ) with the inscription “Op. LXII. in Ljubljana 1895”. It has 25 singing registers. It costed 5100 goldinars (florins). It has two organ cases, the work of Vurnik (800 goldinars (florins)).In 1926, Jenko from Št. Vid above Ljubljana cleaned the organ, re-tuned it, replaced the pipes (238 kg) taken in the First World War and inserted a new ‘trumpet’ register.
Parish Chronicle

Original inscription on the organ console in the church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Zagorje ob Savi (Franc Goršič, Op. 62, 1895)
Photo: Organistica

Scope of documentation

Technical documentation included the following measurements:

basic dimensions of the church, choir, organ case, and console
tuning and temperature
wind system
windchests and the pipes arrangement on the windchests
the measurements of the pipes and pipe scales

Sound documentation of the instrument
Photodocumentation of the individual parts and details of the organ

Hubertus von Kerssenbrock’s console (1985) with elements of the original console (1895) in the church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Zagorje ob Savi
Photo: Organistica

Data and findings

Documented: July 7, 2020

Original number of pipes: 1380 (wood: 262, metal: 1118)

Current number of pipes: 1758 (wood: 424, metal: 1334)

The organ is mechanical with a cone chest (except III. manual, which has a slider chest)

Original number of windchests: 12 (I. manual: 6, II. manual: 2, pedal: 4)
Current number of windchests: 13 (I. manual: 6, II. manual: 2, III. manual: 1, pedal: 4)
Wind pressure: I. manual and pedal: 85 mm water column, II. manual: 80 mm water column, III. manual: 72 mm water column
Tuning: a¹ = 428,3 Hz at 14°C, humidity 67% (November 21, 2022)
Wind system:
- I. manual and pedal: one double bellows with three onefeeder bellows (electric blower, Könyves Ferenc és Fia Györ, Type: LVM-021-120/ 380, 120 mmWS, 21cbm/ min)
- II. manual: one double bellows
- III. manual: own electric blower with concussion bellows
- The entire organ: 8 concussion bellows

The following modifications to the organ are known:

During the First World War, the prospect pipes (Principal 8′ and Geigenprincipal 8′) were taken away from the organ.
In 1926, the organ builder Franc Jenko built in new prospect pipes and added a Trompete 8′ register where the Rohrflöte 4′ register had been. He moved the Rohrflöte 4′ register to the place of the newly added windchest on the ground floor of the organ case.
In 1985 the organ was rebuilt and enlarged by Hubertus von Kerssenbrock (1932 – ) from Munich. The enlargement was carried out by:
- a third manual (positive) was added
- the original console replaced with a new one
- the register of the Trumpet 8′ replaced with a new one
In November 2022, organist and organologist Aleš Razpotnik returned the Rohrflöte 4′ register to its original place and moved the Trompete 8′ register to the Jenko’s windchest on the ground floor of the organ case.

Notes:

prospect pipes are not authentic
despite the alterations in the register tracker, the original pneumatic fixed combinations and part of the crescendo or riser mechanism are still preserved
the Cornett II-III 2 2/3′ and Mixtur IV 2′ registers stand out in terms of intensity, so we assume that their sound is not original