Most sources describe the Schwiegel as a soft flute stop of 8', 4', 2', or 1' pitch, formed of cylindrical metal pipes, each surmounted by a conical section, similar to the Spillflöte. Schlimbach, however, describes it as being similar to the Querpfeife in form, and voiced like the Bauerflöte. Grove and Williams list still other forms, including conical, double cones, and overblown (harmonic). Grove dates it from 1550 in south central Germany; Williams traces it as far back as 1511. Audsley claims its name derives from the German word schweigen, meaning “to be silent”, but Grove traces its origin to the high German suegela, meaning “flute”. The instrument called schwegel was, according to Williams, a fipple flute with three finger holes. The spelling Schweigel is mentioned only by Irwin, and is almost certainly a misspelling, though a few examples do exist (see below).

Variants

Examples

Osiris contains seventeen examples of Schwegel, two at 8' pitch, one at 1' pitch, one II-rank mixture, and the rest at 2' pitch. The same source contains two examples of Schweigel, ten examples of Schwiegel at 2' pitch, and eight at 1'. No examples are known of Largior, Schwägel, Schwegli, Swegel, Schwiegelpfeife, or Stammentinpfeife.

Schwegel II (1' + 2/3'), Drittes Clavir (bass); Monastery Church, Zwettl, Austria; Egedacher 1731.

Schweigel 2', Positiv; First Baptist Church, Jackson, Missouri, USA; Keates-Geissler 1990.

Schweigel 2', Swell; Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA; Steinmeyer 1931.

Schwiegel 1', Oberwerk; Grosser Saal, Vienna, Austria; Ladegast 1872. (May be a later addition.)

Schwiegel 2', Positiv; Stadtkirche, Weimar, Germany; Walcker 1908.

Fistula Largior [8'], manual; Chiesa di San Filippo, Castelfranco di Sopra, Italy; Bruschi 1652. A large scale flue. This is the only known example of this name.

Bibliography