Published: 2020-03-26

Contribution of Fr Professor Jan Chwałek in organology and the art of organ building

Maria Szymanowicz
Liturgia Sacra. Liturgia - Musica - Ars
Section: Muzyka w liturgii
DOI https://doi.org/10.25167/ls.1845

Abstract

Fr Jan Chwałek was born on January 7, 1930 in Wola Baranowska, died on November 30, 2018 in Babule, and was buried at the parish cemetery in his hometown.
In the years 1961–2005 he was a lecturer at the Institute of Musicology of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, in 1984–2005 the head of the only one in Poland Chair of Instrumentology. At the beginning of his scientific career he dealt with Gregorian chant, and after gaining independence – organological issues.
Particularly noteworthy is the book Budowa organów [Organ Construction], the only such work in Polish literature. It contains a description of the mechanisms and organ voices, and individual issues are illustrated with technical drawings. Fr Chwałek developed a method for testing the sound structure of organs using a horizontal and vertical scale, and described in detail three tuning systems for keyboards.
He was also an organist, he built nine organs. In some of them he used unusual construction solutions. He designed several dozen new organs. He participated in the conservation of historic instruments in Kazimierz Dolny, Olkusz and Jędrzejów. He performed several dozen organ conservation works, mainly in the Sandomierz diocese.

Keywords:

Fr Jan Chwałek, organs

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Citation rules

Szymanowicz, M. (2020). Contribution of Fr Professor Jan Chwałek in organology and the art of organ building. Liturgia Sacra. Liturgia - Musica - Ars, 54(2), 597–613. https://doi.org/10.25167/ls.1845

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