"Buenos Aires Cathedral"
The church and organ history
E. F. Walcker & Cia , Op. 263, 1871
The Organ
This organ was built by the german house Walcker in 1871. It was the first of several
german instruments that would arrive to Argentina during the following years.
Before being purchased by our Cathedral this unusual mechanical cone valve system organ was
installed in a Church in Berlin. It was officially inaugurated in 1873 and the organist Jaime
Xarau performed the first works listened in this instrument in Buenos Aires.
The cost of the organ was 260.000 argentine pesos and they were payed by the National
Government. The sound is completely representative of the german romantic aesthetic but it
includes some french elements. The materials used for the instrument construction are of
incredible quality. We can recognize the careful and refined work the organ builder
did during the development of each of the pieces and their final assembly.
This instrument was retained in the Argentine Customs during a long time and it was necessary
for President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento himself to push on burocracy to allow the organ
being released.
It remained intact until 1887 when some minor alterations were introduced by the italian organ
builder Alberto Mateo Poggi. These changes are documented in some publications belonging from
that time.
The Church
The Buenos Aires Main Cathedral history is long and complex: various buildings constructions,
demolitions, tumblings down, style changes, etc affected the evolution of this temple. In 1593
a small church was built in the same place where the current temple is located. Other buildings
were replacing the previous ones in 1603, 1620, 1671, 1727 and 1752.
The church as we know it
today was inaugurated in 1791. The facade in neo-classic style was not concluded until 1852.
Inside the building, an italian renacentist style predominates but we can also find details of
french ornamentation. The people involved in the Cathedral construction and ornamentation were
Prospero Catelin, Pierre Benoit, Francisco Parisi, Carrier-Belleuse, José Dubourdieu, Pedro Mena.
The Cathedral building - picture taken by David Merello - August 2003
