Rohrpommer German Rohrgedecktpommer German

Irwin lists Rohrpommer with the following description:

A half-covered Gedecktpommer of large scale, at 16' or 8' on both manuals and pedals. It resembles the Rohrflöte in structure. The third harmonic (the “Twelfth”) this stop makes is perfectly tuned by natural forces, unlike the rank of Twelfth pipes, and therefore gives a degree of blend unheard elsewhere except from one of the Quint Flutes. Volume of the third harmonic in proportion to the fundamental varies quite a lot between examples of thie stop, and some Gedecktpommers really have rohrs in their stoppers without the term rohr appearing on the stop knob. The third harmonic can be as loud as the fundamental in this stop and in the Gedecktpommer. However, this stop is a little easier to blend with the other flue stops, such as the Diapason, Gemshorn, and the Flutes, than the Gedecktpommer. This stop might be called Rohrgedecktpommer. Compared to a separate rank of 2-2/3' pipes, this source of the third harmonic has some advantages:

1. its third harmonic is in perfect tune with the unison;
2. it does not have a separate train of harmonics based on the 2-2/3';
3. its fundamental can be voiced almost out of existence;
4. it 1-3/5' harmonic (based on the 8' rank) is also a useful binder;
5. it lacks the hard tone in some of the open Twelfths.

Irwin's point (b) is misleading; every one of the harmonics in a 2-2/3' rank are also present in an open 8' rank (if tuned properly). Sumner lists Rohrpommer as ‘16 ft., 8 ft., 4 ft., or 2 ft. Similar in construction to [Rohrgedackt], but bright, quinty with “acid edge”.’

Examples

Osiris contains 14 examples of Rohrpommer: eight at 8', five at 4', and one at 16', all of which date from the second half of the 20th century. No examples of Rohrgedecktpommer are known. Contributions welcome.

Rohrpommer 16', Great; Second Reformed Church, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA; Lauck 1993.

Bibliography