Pipe Organs
The organ of the "Basilica di N.S. Assunta in Carignano" is a sumptuous instrument that represents one of the most significant transition step for the art of organ building in Liguria.
It was built by the Flemish organ master Willem Hermans, a Jesuit priest, in the years 1656-60. The wonderful carved case, by G.B. Santacroce, G.B. Isola and S. Giustizi, is fully suited to the Flemish syle that W. Hermans represented throughout Europe.
The two doors were painted by Paolo Brozzi e Domenico Piola. Unfortunately, over the centuries, the organ has undergone many transformations the last of which was operated by the Brothers Lingiardi of Pavia in 1905. Despite the use of the original phonic material, the current situation, however dysfunctional, is violently in contrast with the beautiful aesthetics of the case and with the history of the Basilica.
It would be very desirable to realize an intervention of reconstruction of the instrument according to the canons of the Flemish school by recovering the original phonic material. Unfortunately this is very unlikely to happen, unless the various authorities become aware of the importance that such intervention could be for the city of Genoa and his musical life.
The restoration performed by f.lli Marin in 2011 raised some perplexities.