Riga Cathedral

Riga Cathedral
Riga Cathedral with Riga Castle and Daugava River in the background
Riga Cathedral
56°56′57″N 24°6′16″E / 56.94917°N 24.10444°E / 56.94917; 24.10444Coordinates: 56°56′57″N 24°6′16″E / 56.94917°N 24.10444°E / 56.94917; 24.10444
Location	Riga
Country	Latvia
Denomination	Lutheran

Roof-level view from the southwest, taken from vintage picture postcard

This article is about the Protestant cathedral of Riga. See other articles for the Roman Catholic cathedral and the Orthodox cathedral.

Riga Cathedral (Latvian: Rīgas Doms) is the Protestant cathedral in Riga, Latvia. Built near the River Daugava in 1211 by Livonian Bishop Albert of Riga, it is considered the largest medieval church in the Baltic states. It has undergone many modifications in the course of its history. David Caspari was rector of the cathedral school in the late 17th century. His son Georg Caspari also served at the cathedral.

It is often known in English as the Riga Dom Cathedral (although it has no dome, the nickname comes from the Latvian Doms and German Dom meaning "cathedral")

Certainly one of the most recognisable landmarks in Latvia, the Cathedral is featured in or the subject of paintings, photographs and television travelogues.

Pipe Organ

Main article: Dome Cathedral Pipe Organ

The organ of the Riga Cathedral was built by E.F. Walcker & Sons^[1] in 1882–83, and was inaugurated on 31 January 1884. It has four manuals and one pedalboard. It plays 116 voices, 124 stops, 144 ranks, and 6718 pipes. It includes 18 combinations and General Crescendo^[2].

A tape of composer Lūcija Garūta playing the organ for a cantata during World War II captured the sound of battle outside Riga Dom.^[3]

Boys choir

The Riga Dom Cathedral Boys Choir has performed internationally, recording the Riga Mass by Uģis Prauliņš and other works.^[4]

References

1. ^ Gerhard Walcker-Mayer Riga Cathedral organ as viewed by Walcker March 2003
2. ^ Magle, Frederik. "The Walcker Organ in Riga Cathedral". http://www.magle.dk/music-forums/801-walcker-organ-riga-cathedral.html. Retrieved 11 July 2007. 
3. ^ Strimple, Nick (2005). Choral Music in the Twentieth Century. 
4. ^ Riga Dom Cathedral Boys Choir

External links

• (Latvian) Riga Cathedral official website
• (Latvian) Photographs of the Riga Cathedral