Pipe Organ Mutation Stop History

[Tom Williams]

Stream of consciousness:

• I saw a Hammond clonewheel e-mail ad
  
• started thinking about a solid state Hammond (X77?) I played in the 1980s that had a couple of extra tan drawbars not present on traditional Hammonds (e.g., an 8/9' pitch).
  
• started surfing/svengling for pipe organ mutation stops
  
• ended up with this unanswered question:

 

What is the oldest/earliest example of a pipe organ mutation stop? Did Bach have a 2-2/3' Nazard available?

[bourniplus]

It would seem that JSB had access to three 2-2/3' stops on the Thomaskirke organ of 1722:

http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Topics/Bach-Organ.htm

I don't know when mutation stops became common, but some of the French organ litterature of the 17th century specifically asks for them. I would guess that the 2-2/3' stops started to appear around the same time as the 2' ones!

Last year while I was in Italy (doesn't that sound good!) I had the opportunity to try the old organ in Santa Maria in Vallicella church in Rome. I'm pretty sure it's from the 17th century, is mostly original with a historically conscious restoration. It has a 2-2/3' stop. It's still fully functionnal and can even be pumped by hand even though it has an electric blower. If I only knew how, I'd post pictures of it, and especially the single manual which has both D#/Eb, and G#/Ab! (yes, 14 keys per octave!)