The first Salicional Pianissimo in Slovenia was made in 1887 by Franc Goršič for the organ in the Ljubljana Marijanišče (Collegium Marianum boys’ school). This is evidenced by a report by Josip Smrekar in the publication Cerkveni glasbenik (CG 1887, No. 6, p. 46) from 1887.
“Solicional pianissimo, a mechanical register, hitherto unused in Carniola, which weakens by half the Salicional 8′, and with every other change it undulates, or as the students say, perform ‘Voix celeste’.”
Josip Smrekar
According to the information gathered so far, during his active career as an organ builder, Franc Goršič made the Salicional Pianissimo on five organs, namely:
- Graz, Austria, Chapel of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (Franc Goršič, Op. 49, 1887)
Source: Nove orglje (1887, Slovenec, Vol. 15, No. 141, p. 3) - Ljubljana, Marijanišče (Franc Goršič, Op. 51, 1887)
Source: Marjaniške orgle (Josip Smrekar, 1887, Cerkveni glasbenik, Vol. 10, No. 6, p. 46) - The parish church in St. Margarethen an der Raab (Franc Goršič, Op. 52, 1888)
Source: Nove orglje (p. Angelik Hribar, 1888, Slovenec, Vol. 16, No. 178, p. 4) - Radovljica (Franc Goršič, Op. 53, 1889)
Source: Nove orglje (1889, Slovenec, Vol. 17, No. 129, p. 2) - Mengeš (Franc Goršič, Op. 54, 1890)
Source: Nove orglje (p. Angelik Hribar, 1890, Slovenec, Vol. 18, No. 116, p. 3)
In the Goršič organ located in the church of St. Michael in Mengeš, the Salicional Pianissimo register was removed during past renovations and rebuilds of the organ. As we want to restore this historic organ to its original state as closely as possible, the Salicional Pianissimo register will be reconstructed during the restoration of the Mengeš organ, following the example of the Goršič organ in Radovljica, which was restored in 2018 by organ builder Brane Košir.