The Pilgrims’ Chorus in the Lower Rhine

Saint-Louis-en-l’Isle Church, Paris, France

Carolyn Shuster Fournier is a French-American organist and musicologist living in Paris, France where she is titular of the Aristide Cavaillé-Coll choir organ at La Trinité Church. An international concert organist, she wrote her doctoral thesis on Aristide Cavaillé-Coll’s secular organs. Her writings on French music and organs have appeared in numerous journals.

Choosing a builder

Situated next to the famous Isle de la Cité, the Isle Saint-Louis in Paris, France, is known for its quaint shops and delicious Berthillon ice cream. Upon entering its church, one is struck by the well-lit interior, a drastic contrast to the inner darkness of the nearby Notre-Dame Cathedral. Bernard Aubertin’s organ case shines brilliantly in the Saint-Louis-en-l’Isle Church. (See Photo 1.)
The original 1745 Lesclop organ had been melted down during the Revolution in 1789. In 1798, the church was sold as a national property. In 1817, the city of Paris purchased the church and cleaned it. In 1888, the parish priest, abbot Louis Bossuet, acquired a new organ case, which was placed at the end of the nave. Its first level later lodged a small 15-stop Merklin organ. In 1923, Charles Mutin installed a 34-stop organ in this vast organ case. According to the organist Marie-Thérèse Michaux, it was in such poor condition when she arrived in 1975 that she was obliged to play on the Gutschenritter choir organ.
In 1976, the city of Paris began to plan the purchase of a new organ for the Saint-Louis-en-l’Isle Church, one especially suited to the 17th- and 18th-century Germanic repertory, notably the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.1 In 1977, Georges Guillard2 was named as a second organist of the church. He launched a project for the new organ that proposed the German builder Jürgen Ahrend, well known authority on Baroque-style organs. An association was founded with Monsieur Henry Ecoutin as president. According to Jean-Louis Coignet, the technical advisor for historical organs of the city of Paris since 1979, at that time the rules for constructing an organ in Paris were not very strict, and the city had intended for Jürgen Ahrend to build this organ. Unfortunately, various disagreements between the builder and the administration, notably with the head architect who did not approve Ahrend’s proposed organ case, led to postponing the project on numerous occasions.
In the meantime, the legislation concerning public markets and transactions had become much more rigorous. In July 1997, it was therefore necessary to launch a competition to determine the builder of this new organ. Jean-Louis Coignet established a program of work for the invitation to tender, detailing the 41 stops to be included in this three-manual organ:3

RÜCKPOSITIV (56 n.)

8' Principal
8' Gedackt
8' Quintatön
4' Octave
4' Rohrflöte
2' Waldflöte
11?3' Sifflöte
II Sesquialtera
IV Scharf
8' Krümhorn

HAUPTWERK (56 n.)

16' Principal
16' Quintadena
8' Oktave
8' Salicional
8' Rohrflöte
4' Oktave
4' Spitzflöte
22?3' Nasat
2' Oktave
IV–VI Mixture
16' Dulzian
8' Trompete

OBERWERK (56 n.)

8' Gedackt
4' Principal
4' Rohrflöte
2' Oktave
13?5' Terz
11?3' Quint
III Zimbel
8' Vox Humana

PEDALWERK (30 n.)

16' Principal
16' Subbass
8' Oktave
4' Oktave
2' Nachthorn
IV Mixture
32' Dulzian
16' Posaune
8' Trompete
4' Trompete
2' Cornet

Accouplements: OW/HW, RP/HW, OW/PW, RP/PW
Tremblants: RP et OW

Around a dozen European organ builders submitted proposals. Unfortunately, Jürgen Ahrend committed an error during the tendering and, consequently, was disqualified. On January 28, 1999, the city chose the French builder Bernard Aubertin.

Bernard Aubertin, Organ Builder, Maître d’Art

Bernard Aubertin (see Photo 2) was born into a family of woodworkers going back to the Napoleon Bonaparte era, originally from Moselle. After studying in Strasbourg, he designed organ cases for various firms, notably for the Felsberg Orgelbau in Switzerland. In 1978, at the age of 25, he founded his own company to build mechanical-action organs with top quality materials in a traditional manner.4 He installed his shop in two large wings of a historic Romanesque priory dating from the mid-twelfth century in Courtefontaine, the region of eastern France known as the Franche-Comté, in the department of the Jura (between Dijon, Dole and Besançon). A fervent collector of 0.60 m gauge railway equipment, several narrow tracks on his property enable him to easily transfer heavy equipment and materials. He now employs up to 14 workers, including his wife Sonja, who is his secretary and accountant. In 1995, the French Cultural Minister named Bernard Aubertin Maître d’Art. On November 10, 2005 the city of Paris gave him the Médaille de Vermeil.
Aubertin organs are installed in the following locations in France, Portugal, Scotland and Japan: the Besançon Conservatory (1979 and 1981), the churches in Sarralbe (1987), Viry-Châtillon (1989), Saint-Vincent in Lyon (1994, with Richard Freytag), Saessolsheim (1995), Vertus (1996), Sainte-Catherine Church in Bitche (1997), Saint-Loup-sur-Thouet (1998), Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire (1999), Saint-Marceau in Orléans, the Nice Conservatory (2001), Saint-Louis-en-l’Isle in Paris (2005), a 24-stop house organ in Faro, Portugal (2003), the University in Aberdeen, Scotland (2004), and for concert halls in Japan: in Shirane-Cho (Yamanashi, 1993), Kobe (destroyed in the 1995 earthquake), Ichigaia, Karuizawa and Zushi.5 Bernard Aubertin has also restored historic organs with a strict adherence to their original nature in Pontarlier (1982), West-Cappel (1984), Arbois (1985), Orgelet (1987), Seurre (1991), Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye (1992) and Saint-Martin-de-Boscherville (1984). In addition, he builds cabinet organs.6
Instead of constructing direct copies of 17th- and 18th-century historic organs from northern and central Europe as well as France, Aubertin uses them as inspiring models. The craft logo of the Aubertin organ firm sums up his production: it depicts an oak tree being blown by three forge bellows at its roots, with songbirds perched in its branches. (See Photo 3.)
His organs are made of natural materials: solid French oak for the organ cases, the windchests, the wind trunks, the sliders, the trackers, stickers, backfalls and for parts of the stop action; some of the bass pipes are made with chestnut, fruit tree or spruce wood. The sliders are made as wind-tight as possible with covers of soft leather; the stop action may be set between pads of felt, and the lower parts of the windchests are sealed with large cowhides. The metal pipework is made mainly of alloys with a low tin content (35% or less). Some narrow-scale stops, such as the Gambe, the reed stops, and the façade pipes may contain up to 75 to 96% tin. All of the metal pipes are varnished to protect them against handling and long-term oxidation.
Among the unusual stops found in Aubertin’s organs, the Quintinal is a Quintadena in the bass and more string-like in the treble. At his organ in Vichy, the 32' reed stop in the Pedal is labelled “Napoleon.” His use of imitative harmonic flute pipes, overblown without piercing, such as the 2' Traversine at the Saint-Marceau Church in Orléans, is a copy of a 17th-century stop in the Jacobikirche in Hamburg. For his three-manual, 27-stop organ at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, he incorporated two little pipes that imitate the bagpipe drone. (See Photo 4.)
Several of Aubertin’s organs (Vertus, Orléans and Saint-Louis-en-l’Isle) are tuned in the mild 1800 Young temperament with six pure and six tempered fifths, suitable to a large part of the organ repertory. His organ at the Saint-Denys Church in Viry-Chatillon is tuned in the Kirnberger III temperament. The pitch is often set at A=440 Hz. The balanced, suspended key action is light and responsive. His standard wind pressure for the manual divisions is 95 mm (33?4 inches), and for the pedal generally 105–115 mm (43?8 inches). The 56-note keyboards are covered with boxwood, ebony or bone. The 30-note pedalboards are straight. The Positif keyboard is coupled to the primary manual à tiroir (in a drawer fashion).
Aubertin has a special talent for designing each of his organ cases to blend harmoniously with the building. He often incorporates particular decorative emblems (often various astronomical elements: stars, planets and flames of fire) into his sculptured elements. At the Saint-Louis-en-l’Isle Church, the Trinitarian symbol in the glory that is located in the apse is reproduced in the center panel of the organ case. Likewise, the mystical lamb that overhangs the Positif de Dos corresponds to the lamb on the altar. Another one of Aubertin’s characteristic hallmarks: the pipe mouths of his tower pipes are often decorated with dancing golden flames. In addition, he labels the names of the stopknobs in his own handwriting, in a dark blue (a Prussian blue) and red ink on paper or parchment.
The construction and installation of the new Aubertin organ at the Saint-Louis-en-L’Isle Church In accordance with Jean-Louis Coignet’s initial invitation to tender, Bernard Aubertin had the possibility of making a limited number of modifications in the stoplist, providing that the number of stops did not exceed 45. It was also possible to propose limited changes in the tonal plans, for example, an Unterwerk instead of an Oberwerk. On March 12, 1999, Aubertin submitted an estimate of a 41- or a 45-stop organ. The latter was accepted on August 20, the feast day of St. Bernard. The first order of service for this 45-stop organ was signed by Jean-Louis Coignet, the technical advisor for historical organs, on August 25 (the feast day of St. Louis and Aubertin’s birthday). The work officially began on the organ on September 27, with a delivery deadline of 30 months. Aubertin collaborated well with Jean-Louis Coignet and François Lagneau, the architect of the historical monuments. However, since the Saint-Louis-en-l’Isle Church is classified as a historical monument, the various architectural agreements and work concerning the restoration of the tribune, the staircases, the arches and the two stained-glass windows near the organ took a great deal of time, three years longer than anticipated. From March 2000 to September 2001, the work was interrupted because the Mutin organ had not been dismantled, rendering it impossible to measure the organ tribune, necessary to determine the exact layout of the new organ. The city decided to restore and reincorporate two statues of angels from the former organ case into the new one. Discussions began with Aubertin to add six more stops to the new organ. According to Aubertin, in spite of an obtained tacit agreement, the future May 2001 elections paralyzed any official document concerning these additional stops. From January to August 2002, the work was interrupted again to carry out the photogrammetrical measurements of the church. In August 2002, Aubertin visited several early historical German organs with the American organ builder Gene Bedient, notably the 1750–1755 Gottfried Silbermann at the Hofkirche in Dresden and the 1746 Zacharias Hildebrandt organ at the St. Wenceslas Church in Naumburg. These visits enabled him to choose the six new stops he wished to install in the Saint-Louis-en-l’Isle organ. From September 2003 to October 2004, other numerous delays occurred to allow the restoration of the tribune.
In the meantime, Aubertin constructed this organ with the six new additional stops: Allemande 4' in the Rückpositif, Cornet VI in the Hauptwerk, Sifflet 1' and Unda Maris 8' in the Unterwerk, and Bourdon 16', Bourdon 8' and a Tierce rank to the Mixture IV–V in the Pedal. He considers that these additions provide supplementary musical possibilities and augment the flexibility of the instrument for interpretation and improvisation. He explains them in the following manner:

The Rückpositif Flûte allemande is made of stopped pipes of triple length. Its sonority recalls the attacks and the strange sounds of the glass harmonica, whose moving glass containers are made to vibrate with the musician’s moistened fingers. This stop combines very well with the others, adding its characteristic attack.
The Hauptwerk Cornet, known as a maritime cornet because it is used along the coast from the English Channel to the Baltics, includes two 8' ranks in this six-rank stop: one 8' is open and the other one is stopped with very long chimneys. This solo stop fills out the upper range of the keyboard. Its average-size pipes provide a certain elegance. It can easily be combined with the two Hauptwerk reeds to form a sort of Grand Jeu.
In the Oberwerk, the Sifflet 1', found in numerous organs played by J. S. Bach, is the highest pitched stop in the organ and reaches the limit of audible sounds. Its use with other stops allows sonorities close to that of certain percussion instruments, metallophones (Stahlspiel) or small bells. The Unda Maris 8', an undulating Principal stop known since the sixteenth century, in Dresden and Naumburg, is used in fantasies and certain meditative pieces throughout the centuries. Its combination with the foundation stops is appropriate for romantic and contemporary music.
In the Pedal, the Bourdon 1' is a soft, deep stop that can fill out the others without adding heaviness to the entire sound. The large and soft Bourdon 8' with the Bourdon 16' allows a clear and light bass, it gives clarity without dominating the Violon 16' or the Principal 16' and gives the impression of a 32' when used with the Bourdon 16' and the Quinte 102/3'. The addition of the Tierce rank to the Pedal Mixture adds spice and definition to the sound of these pipes, located at the extremities of the organ case. This mixture can also serve as a cantus firmus when used with the Prestant 4'.

In addition, Aubertin added an Appel Anches Pedal at the console that allows the organist to prepare powerful pedal stops and then to add them by simply activating this pedal. This is extremely useful with sudden dynamic changes, often encountered in North German Baroque music. In addition, the Voix humaine stop on the Unterwerk is enclosed in a box whose cover can be opened by activating another pedal.
On November 11, 2004, the completed organ was inaugurated in the Aubertin workshop by Francis Jacob, organ professor at the Strasbourg Conservatory and an organ consultant for the Aubertin firm. In December, Michel Chapuis played it for a delegation from the city of Paris. Finally, in February 2005, the organ was transported to Paris. On March 2, the sub-director of the patrimony of the city of Paris authorized Aubertin to install the six previously approved stops, at his own personal risk. The city had spent all of their remaining funds for this construction on the considerable amount of work that had been carried out by the architects. The organ installation was completed on March 11. After the tuning and voicing of the instrument, the city acknowledged its reception of the 45 agreed-upon stops on March 18. After some final minor adjustments, the official reception of this organ took place on May 9.
Here is the stoplist of this 51-stop organ, with the six added stops in italics:

I. POSITIF DE DOS (RÜCKPOSITIF) (56 n.)

8' Montre
8' Bourdon
4' Quintaton
4' Prestant
4' Flûte à cheminée
4' Allemande (an overblown Bourdon)
2' Flageolet
11?3' Flûte
II Sexquialtera
IV Mixture
8' Dulciane

II. GRAND-ORGUE (HAUPTWERK) (56 n.)

16' Principal (façade pipes)
8' Octave
8' Gambe
8' Flûte
4' Prestant
4' Flûte cônique
22?3' Quinte
2' Octave
IV–VI Mixture
VI Cornet (Open 8', Chimney Flute 8', 4', 22/3', 2', 13/5')
16' Basson
8' Trompette

III. INTERIOR POSITIF (UNTERWERK) (56 n.)

8' Bourdon
8' Principal (beginning at F)
8' Traversière (overblown)
8' Unda Maris
4' Octave
4' Flûte
22/3' Nazard 2' Traversine
2' Octave
1' Sifflet
13/5' Terz
11/3' Quinte
III Mixture
8' Voix humaine
16' Fagott

PEDALE (30 n.)

16' Bourdon
16' Principal
16' Violon
102/3' Quinte
8' Bourdon
8' Octave
4' Prestant
2' Flûte 2
IV–VI Mixture (the Tierce rank was added)
32' Dulciane
16' Buzène
8' Trompette
4' Cornet

Keyboard couplers : I/II (à tiroir), III/II, II/III
Pedal coupler: Great to Pedal
Tremulant I et III et Tremulant II
Appel Anches Pedal
Expression for the Voix humaine

Inauguration

In May, two new organists were chosen to share this post with the organist Marie-Thérèse Michaux: Vincent Rigot7 and the 20-year-old Benjamin Alard.8 On June 19, the organ was blessed by an auxiliary bishop in Paris, Monseigneur Pierre d’Ornellas, and the parish priest, Father Gérard Pelletier. During this ceremony, the three church organists improvised and performed, and George Guillard premiered a commissioned piece by Jacques Castérède entitled L’Hommage à Saint Louis for organ and brass trio. On June 22, this organ was inaugurated by Benjamin Alard, Vincent Rigot, and Michel Chapuis. Alard performed Buxtehude’s Ciacona in C-minor, Rigot interpreted Alain’s Litanies, and Chapuis’ improvisations demonstrated the various tonal colors of the organ. He then played works by Buxtehude, Böhm, Bruhns, and Bach. A recording of J. S. Bach’s Clavierubüng III by Francis Jacob, a member of Bernard Aubertin’s team, was released for the inauguration of the organ.9
On September 18, 2005, a day consecrated to historical monuments in France, Aubertin gave a presentation with Régis Allard, and then Vincent Rigot improvised and gave a concert for a packed church. The organ association of the church,10 presided by Monsieur Robert Ranquet, organized five concerts for the first Europa Bach Festival in Paris and its region from September to December 2005. They were given by given by Pascal Rouet, Carolyn Shuster Fournier, Eric Ampeau, Frédéric Desenclos and Francis Jacob.

The search for a patron

Now that the Saint-Louis-en-l’Isle organ is installed and inaugurated, will this organ continue to sound as the builder conceived it, remaining intact for present and future generations? If the funding does not arrive after one year, Bernard Aubertin has said that he might be obliged to remove the added stops from the organ, even though he considers them to be indispensable to the entire balance of this instrument. He hopes that a patron will eventually cover their expense, amounting to 170,000 euros. It took 23 years to choose a builder for the organ at the Saint-Louis-en-l’Isle Church and six years to construct and install this instrument. During those 29 years, from 1976–2005, the city of Paris financed the construction of other new organs at Sainte-Jeanne-de-Chantal Church (Alfred Kern, 1977), Saint-Jean-Baptiste-de-Grenelle Church (Théo Haepfer, 1988), the reconstruction of the monumental gallery organ at Saint-Eustache Church (Van den Heuvel, 1989), Notre-Dame-du-Travail Church (Théo Haepfer, 1990), Saint-Pierre-de-Chaillot Church (Daniel Birouste, 1994), Saint-Ferdinand-des-Ternes Church (Pascal Quoirin, 1995), the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris-C.N.R. (Gerhard Grenzing, 1996) and at Notre-Dame-du-Perpétuel-Secours Church (Bernard Dargassies, 2004). In addition, the city of Paris financed numerous restorations and renovations.
This article renders homage to the various members of Aubertin’s team who worked on this organ at Saint-Louis-en-l’Isle: cabinetmakers Loïc Gaudefroy (Best Worker in France), Thomas Gaudefroy, and Thomas Guinchard; organ builders Michel Gaillard, Olivier Mondy, Jean-Marc Perrodin, Daniel Rey, and Anke Saeger-Blaison; pipemaker Jérome Stalter (Best Worker in France); organist Francis Jacob; apprentice Alexandre Aubertin; and administrator Sonja Aubertin; as well as craftsmen: Serge Bisson who did the wood carvings; Benoït Camozzi, the assistant sculptor; and Marie-Odile Valot-Degueurce, who applied the gilding to the decorations.
The author thanks Bernard Aubertin, Jean-Louis Coignet, and Robert Ranquet for providing her with information for this article.

The Aubertin organ of Saint-Louis-en-l’Isle, Paris

by Bernard Aubertin, Organbuilder, Maître d’Art, English translation by Carolyn Shuster Fournier

Introduction

The new 51-stop organ that I have built for the Saint-Louis-en-l’Isle Church in Paris is in the style of a 17th- to 18th-century German instrument. I designed it according to the most renowned works of J. S. Bach’s favorite organbuilder Zacharias Hildebrandt (1688–1757), a student of Gottfried Silbermann. The balance between the various families of stops, with its 16', 8', 4' stops and a 32' reed stop in the Pedal, is entirely in keeping with the cantor’s wishes: Majestät und Gravität.
This organ incorporates some of Hildebrandt’s innovative stops: the Violon 16' (in the Pedal) and the Gemshorn 4' (the Hauptwerk Flûte cônique) as well as some Nordic contributions: in the Rückpositiv, the Sexquialtera II is narrow-scaled, the Mixture IV is a high-pitched Scharf, the Flageolet 2' is a Waldflöte, the Dulciane 8' is an Oboe (Hoboe); in the Unterwerk, the Fagott 16' is a Dulcian, and in the Pedal, the Cornet 4' recalls the Cornet 2', as well as the Dulciane 32' reed stop in the Pedal, which Gottfried Silbermann never built. In addition, this new organ contains some colorful stops described in Praetorius’s Syntagma Musicum (1619), notably a Querpfeif (the Unterwerk Flûte Traversine 2') and the Schweitzerpfeif (the Hauptwerk Gambe 8').
The entire organ uses mechanical action and is constructed with noble materials, solid oak and chestnut woods. Knowledge of the practices of our predecessors is absolutely indispensable, especially since they were based on a sensibility that is completely different from our own.

Technical Description

The organ cases

While the organ case conforms more to the curved surface of the 1745 organ gallery than to that of a German organ, its internal structure was conceived in a spirit that respects the Werkprinzip: the Rückpositiv projects over the gallery rail, the Unterwerk is placed above the keyboards, surmounted by the Hauptwerk, with the large 16' pedal towers on the sides.

The windchests

The various windchests are laid out in the following manner:

The Rückpositiv is at the level of the organ gallery.
On the first floor of the gallery, the Pedal foundation stops are placed in the front part of a large double windchest with the reeds behind. The Dulciane 32' is placed against the wall with the Violon 16' on a similar chest underneath. In the center, two diatonic V-shaped windchests are used for the Unterwerk stops.
On the second floor, the Hauptwerk bass pipes are placed on three windchests in the center, followed by two diatonic windchests with the upper pipes located towards the center.

The mechanical key and stop actions

The mechanical key and stop actions are as simple and efficient as possible. The 56-note keyboards are covered with bone for the natural keys and ebony for the sharps. The 30-note flat pedalboard is made of oak.

The wind

Due to the shallowness of the organ gallery (and consequently the organ cases) and to the total lack of adjoining space, the wedge-shaped bellows were placed near each of the windchests. The blowers are suspended in two double isolated boxes placed on the floor of the organ gallery, underneath the large pedal towers. A ventil pedal, which cuts off the air in the pallet box, enables the organist to bring on or put off the prepared stops. The wind pressure is 95 mm for the keyboards and 115 mm for the pedal. This strong wind permits narrow note channels, trunks and conveyances leading to pipes that are tubed off. The windchest pipe valves are relatively thin, allowing a sensitive touch.

The pipework—the voicing

All of the pipework has been made by artisans. The following stops are made of 75% and 96% fine tin:
• on the Hauptwerk: Principal 16', Octave 8', Gambe 8', Basson 16' and Trompette 8';
• on the Unterwerk: Unda Maris 8', Voix humaine 8', Principal 8' and Octave 4';
• on the Rückpositiv: Montre 8' and Prestant 4'.
The rest is made of a tin-lead alloy with a high lead content or of hammered lead, the languids of the flue pipes with 3% lead. All of the capped pipes are soldered on. The wooden pipes are made either of oak or of chestnut. The bodies of the Buzène 16' and Violon 16' pipes are made of spruce from the Vosges. The principal stops have a clear sound in spite of their rather high mouths. All of the wooden pipes have metal lips, that is, the inner edge of the lower lip is planed down and garnished with a metal bar, thus providing:
• an immediate attack;
• a high development of harmonics, notably in the lower pipes, where the human ear can scarcely distinguish the precise pitch of the notes;
• finally, a considerable economy of wind, which is very important in the lower registers of the manual keyboards, limiting the key depressions and maintaining a light touch.
The metal pipework is voiced as naturally as possible with a minimum of nicking on the languids. The feet are slightly closed in the bass pipes.
The design consisted, more of less, of a quadruple plenum:
• the Hauptwerk plenum is deep, full and effective and can be reinforced by the Basson 16' reed stop;
• the Rückpositiv plenum has a much clearer attack, is very present and can be colored by the Sexquialtera II;
• the Unterwerk plenum is more restrained, but can be brightened by the Quinte 11/3', the Sifflet 1', the Terz 13/5' or deepened by the Fagott 16';
• finally, the Pedal plenum is deep, dark, and full, and can be spiced with the Mixture Tierce.
Each principal stop possesses its own characteristic sound, in accordance with the previously described divisions. When the 16', 8' and 4' principal stops are played together with the 16' and 8' Bourdons and the Quinte 102/3', they produce a deep, full and poetic sound.
In addition to these standard stops, there are colorful flute stops, harmonic, with or without holes, and a very narrow-scaled Gambe in the Hauptwerk with its characteristic attack. The Rückpositiv contains a third 4' stop named (Flûte) Allemande. This is, in fact, a harmonic Bourdon whose body length is triple that of an ordinary Bourdon. This stop recalls the Glasharmonika with its strange attacks and its succession of rich harmonies. The same applies to the Traversine 2' with its double length without a hole whose crystalline sonority is doubled by a supplementary pseudo-lower octave sound.' Some of these stops are unknown in France and yet they were used as early as 1560 in northern Europe. As for the Unda Maris on the third keyboard, it also appeared as early as the mid-16th century from Italy to Scandinavia under different names: Voce Umana, Biffera, Piffaro, Unda Maris, Schwebung. This stop allows sounds that are clearly less Baroque. Finally, a colorful Violon 16', with its precise attack, provides definition to the Pedal division.
The tuning of the organ is A=440 Hz at 20°C. The organ is well-tempered with six pure fifths and six tempered fifths according the system of Thomas Young (1800), based on the same principle as the Tartini-Vallotti system (Venice, 1740).

The reed stops

On the Hauptwerk, the conical Basson 16' (C–G half-length) is narrowly scaled, ranging from a deep to a brilliant sonority. In addition, a rather bright Trompette stop can be combined with the double Cornet 8' to form a sort of Grand Jeu. These reeds can be easily combined with the plenum.
On the Unterwerk, a Fagott 16' with a cylindrical body and leathered shallots can serve as a foundation to the plenum but can also be used for smaller combinations. A colorful Voix humaine 8' is installed in an individual expression box that tones down the upper harmonies of this Renaissance Régale. Combined with the 16', 8' and 4' foundations, this stop has the distinctive feature of swelling these foundation stops when one opens the box and thus offers possibilities that are not Baroque at all.
The Rückpositiv contains a well-rounded and colorful Dulciane 8' that can be combined with any stop. The Pedal is quite full, due to four of its stops. A Dulciane 32' (from the family of stops with cylindrical-shaped bodies) provides the indispensable Gravität so cherished by the Cantor from Leipzig in large ensembles. A Buzène 16' (neologism of the Latin Buccin) provides a foundation for the entire building. If one could only place one reed stop in the entire organ, this would be the one. The conical shallots are made of casted tin and leathered. The feet and the blocks are made of oak, the bodies of spruce. All of these various elements combine to produce a well-rounded and full sound whose fundamental clearly stands out from the harmonics (contrary to the French Bombarde). Therefore, the upper harmonies have been weakened. The Trompette 8' with its conical-shaped reeds sounds well-rounded and deep in the bass and progressively becomes brighter in the upper registers. This is reinforced by the Cornet 4' made of tin, which is a very narrow-scaled Clairon in the bass registers and wide in the upper registers (in fact, the size of these thirty notes does not really differ). Each stop played alone sounds gentle and calm but when combined, the 16', 8' and 4' stops produce a majestic sound.
This instrument is by no means a copy of an ancient organ. It is not the latest in fashion. It should be considered as a creation in a given spirit, a creation that would likely bring to life a tradition without nostalgically claiming to bring to life a particular period or any other alleged bygone golden age.

Burkhart Goethe, church music director and organ-architect in Schwäbisch Hall (South Germany), was born in 1948. After an apprenticeship for six years (carpenter and organbuilder) with Alfred Führer, Wilhelmshaven, he traveled in Europe working on the restoration of North German instruments. Since 1982 he has been organ advisor of the Protestant church of Württemberg and teacher at the Freiburg National Academy of Music. He is the architect of more than 80 organ cases since 1978. Constanze Geiss is a journeyman organbuilder for Mühleisen Orgelbau in Leonberg, Germany, where she works both in management of the business and in organbuilding areas. She studied at the organbuilding college in Ludwigsburg and completed her apprenticeship with Mühleisen. She worked at the Brombaugh shop in Eugene, Oregon during 1999–2000. Ms. Geiss was assisted in editing the translation by David Petty, organbuilder in Eugene, Oregon. He and Ms. Geiss were colleagues at the Brombaugh shop during her time in the U.S.

In 2003 the Arcadom company requested 13 European companies to design an instrument for the new Béla Bartók National Concert Hall in Budapest, Hungary. Six companies then were looked at more closely; three of them were from Germany. After a series of journeys in order to gain as much knowledge about the companies as possible, the committee (five concert organists) decided to ask the joint venture of the Mühleisen company (Germany) and the organ manufacturer Pécs (Hungary) to build the organ. The two companies were known to each other because of various projects they had encountered with the Fraunhofer Institute, Stuttgart. Prof. Judith Angster, a descendant of the organ-builder family Angster in Hungary, is an acknowledged specialist on physical questions related to the technical parts of organs. She strongly supported the joint venture and was a big help in organizational matters.
The concert hall itself was designed by Gabór Zoboki and was finished in 2005. The fascinating oval building has the dimensions of a large cathedral: it is 25 meters tall and 52 meters long. The building’s interior is covered with wooden panels, creating a warm atmosphere. In order to guarantee an outstanding acoustic, the internationally known American advisor Russell Johnson worked on the design. The principal element is a huge detailed platform in the center of the room that can be lowered completely or in parts, which helps to create a suitable acoustic for special solo concerts. Along the sides of the room, 84 large chambers provide the reverberation needed for organ concerts. Since they can be evenly adjusted, the conditions for the organ builders were ideal.
Finding a musically suitable concept turned out to be more difficult. Two organ advisors with opposing ideas, István Baroti and László Fassang, were a challenge for the organ builders. On the one side, there was the idea of a large Hungarian organ in the style of the 1950s Orgelbewegung; on the other side there was the idea of a modern symphonic concert instrument. More journeys and concerts on various instruments and long discussions were necessary to finally agree on the disposition of a concert instrument.
During the years 2004–2006 the instrument was built by both companies, Pécs in Hungary and Mühleisen in Germany. The case, chests, wind system, frames and structural parts were made in Hungary, as well as all of the wooden and some of the metal pipes. All the design work, construction of coupler systems and details, electric and mechanical stop action, keydesk, reeds, and complete scaling was done in Germany. The Mühleisen Company also was in charge of the entire voicing process, working closely with both advisors. Since the concert hall was heavily used during the daytime, most of the installation and the voicing had to be done after 11 pm.

Façade
As seems to be typical during the last decades, the façade essentially was designed by the architect of the concert hall. Gábor Zoboki at first offered a post-Art-Nouveau-style façade, which would have worked well in the room and also resembled downtown Budapest with its Art Deco style. Unfortunately, the buyers were not convinced and had the Mühleisen company work on an idea of an open façade. The divisions in the back are of course all contained in their cases made of solid wood. The biggest façade pipes are the Majorbass 32? (starting at E) and the Principalbass 16? and Montre 16?, both starting from bottom C, all made of a high tin alloy. On the top (slightly shifted to the back), the Octavbass 8? and the Solo Principale 8? can be seen. The lower middle part (above the mechanical console) contains the horizontal reeds (Chamade 16?–4?). Therefore, the organ builders need not fear that the organ will be covered with curtains as is the case in various concert halls nowadays. The organ stays visible at all times.
The case is made of solid cherry and, in order to break with the strong vertical lines of the whole façade, the pipes of the inside corners of the main groups are slightly tilted towards the center of the organ. This subtle feature is often only seen with a second look.

Technical design
Twelve meters above the orchestra stage, the organ is installed on a large balcony. Its overall height is 15.6 meters, width 13 meters, and depth 4.4 meters. Inside the instrument, a good “infrastructure” made up of large stairs and wide walkboards guarantees good access to every part of the chests and pipes for maintenance. Every detail was planned; no big surprises were left for the people who worked on site.
Chests
The 18 mechanical slider windchests and some 29 single and support chests are positioned on top of large wooden construction beams, along the action lines. Behind the façade of the first story, one can find the Grande orgue. Separated by a large walkboard, the Récit expressif is positioned directly behind it. The Solo and the Positif expressif are located symmetrically on the second story. This whole complex is lined by the Pedal stops on the left and right sides, whereas the largest pipes of the 32? needed to be lowered into the “basement” of the organ.

Wind system
The wind system is divided into two divisions. The Grande orgue, Récit expressif, and Pedal are supplied by two large blowers and six large parallel double wedge bellows, which are built into the base of the instrument. Another blower and bellows on top of the swell box of the Récit provide the wind for the Positif expressif and Solo divisions. A high-pressure blower for the Tuba Mirabilis 8? with 450mm wind pressure is also located there. In all manuals, the wind pressure varies from the bass to the treble. The three 32? stops have their own extra wind supply. The whole system consists of four blowers and about 105 meters of wind trunks made of solid wood.

Action
The new organ in the Béla Bartók Hall has two different action systems. The main (attached) console with its ten couplers is played mechanically. The only exceptions are the Chamades and the 32? stops. The key action is balanced and is supported inside the chests with little pivot-rail bellows. They are also suspended. The fourteen octave couplers and the five Chamade couplers work electrically; the ten mechanical couplers can also be switched to electric usage. The second, detached concert console is exclusively electric; so is all the stop action. Solenoids work the sliders; the preset combination system and the couplers are run by a BUS system.
When the organ was shown to the press, the detached console was not available to be seen. Therefore the author could only feel and play the action of the main console. It is easy and light and allows good articulation on all four manuals. Even when using all mechanical couplers and playing tutti, the pluck stays elegant and precise, due to good coupler construction and well-adjusted balancier support.

Consoles
The main console combines the neat, clean look of a well-designed keydesk with ergonomic standards. The 139 stop knobs are designed as pull knobs. The detached console is a work of art in itself. It is made of solid cherry and shows many round, Art Nouveau-like lines. The pluck of the keys is simulated electrically in order to provide the best articulation possible.

Swell boxes
All walls and the shutters of the swell boxes are made of a special five-layered wall system approximately six cm thick. This was especially developed by the Stuttgarter Fraunhofer Institute. Both swell boxes work remarkably well.

“Hanging” façade pipes
Organ builders are often confronted with the following problem: large pipes are stressed by their own weight, especially around the mouth opening. Therefore inlays, hooks and supports are soldered to hold everything in place. Nevertheless, they often have the tendency to bend or collapse. The ideas of the creative Swabians help to prevent those matters. Already their large instrument in Stuttgart (Stiftskirche 2004 IV/84) was protected by a large contraption to take weight off the foot of the pipe. In three places the pipe is hooked to the top of the room, where it is held by counterweights. That lowers the static weight of the pipe, preventing collapse, and also enables one single person to lift the pipe in its rack.

Tonal design
It is always difficult to describe the sound of an organ. One simply has to hear it. What one can say about this particular instrument is that the tonal design works very well in the given acoustic, which has a tendency to swallow bass frequency pitches and therefore needs good foundation stops. During the voicing process, the scale of various stops had to be enlarged to meet these needs.
The principals, which account for 26% of the whole instrument (with its eight mixtures), are formidable and can fill the hall, but can also show their vocal mild sides. The Montre 16? shows itself very subtly without losing its tonal force. An outstanding stop is the Principale 8? of the Solo manual with its changing scale. It works very nicely in combination with the Voce humana. The separate wind supply of the 32? and 16? Pedal stops gives them remarkable speech in the room.
The 23 reed stops of the organ account for 25% of the stoplist. Not only trumpets and clairons belong to that group, but also five almost lyrical voices and the Chamades and the high pressure Tuba. Producing a highly differentiated and distinct sound is taken very seriously in the Mühleisen company. Many trumpet ensembles and various solo stops such as the Cromorne, Voix humaine, Clarinette and Basson-Hautbois make it a challenge for any organist to exhaust all the color possibilities. The Chamaden division with its Chamades 16?–4? resembles an “ultima ratio” to the tutti. The Tuba mirabilis seems in the British manner, darker and softer but still strong enough to add to the fortissimo of all other divisions. Another outstanding sound of a different kind is created by the Cor anglais of the Solo division. Its silken clarity reminds one of Ernest Skinner’s Orchestral Oboe. It is hard to understand why those fine stops are built so rarely nowadays.
The instrument also includes 13 string stops; two of them are celestes. This is a moderate number (14% of the overall stops), but nevertheless they are very characteristic in sound and can be used in many combinations. The Gamba of the Grande orgue is strong and precise, the Salicional of the Positif expressif soft, the Violon 16?, Geigenprincipal 8?, Gamba 8?, Aeoline 8?, Voix céleste and Violine 4? of the Récit expressif are all very distinct in sound. In the Pedal, the Contrebasse, Violon and Cello make a good ensemble. The presence of the Violon is impressive, its sound very clear.
Flutes make up 18.5% of the stoplist. Those 17 different colors are open, stopped or over-blowing pipes that have a progression in their scaling, following the French tradition to be used as solo voices. Some are built in the German tradition in order to blend and add color. In combination with string stops (for example, the Salicional and the Fl. traversière on the Positif expressif or the Gamba and the Flûte octaviante of the Récit expressif) they sound remarkably good.
The great number of mutations allows building a “Cornet décomposé” in all divisions except the Grande orgue, which has its own large Cornet. Taking a close look inside the Pedal division, one is strongly reminded of Oskar Walcker’s “Grand Bourdon.” The Großquinte (102?3?), Tercsept II (62?5?) and the Zinck III (51?3?) are able to underline the 32? and 16? sounds and have a great presence in the room.
An interesting steel-like, synthetic sounding voice is the Septnon of the Positif expressif, combined with Piccolo 1? and Tierce. The Solo division again follows Cavaillé-Coll’s idea of the “Clavier Bombarde” because its mutations (the Septième 22?7? included) are based on the 16? range. The large room handles all of this easily.
It would take ages in order to try and find all different kinds of registrations. To listen, the best seats are located on the opposite side of the room, in the balcony. It is even possible to hear calm noises or whispering from the console! Bravo to the great acoustics.

Successful joint venture
A great compliment must be given to both companies that have worked to create this wonderful instrument: the Organmanufactura Pécs Ltd. of Hungary and the organ building company Mühleisen of Leonberg, Germany. Both contributed their best creativity and skills. The outstanding quality of the Hungarian craftsmanship, creativity and motivated work attitude strongly supported the design work, organization and the voicing process by the Germans. It is quite probable that in the future, large organ projects will be given to companies that are willing to cooperate. Good communication and well-balanced work attitudes and standards are needed for these kinds of projects. It is of great importance to make agreements and also to draw close lines that each group has to stick to, in order to make things a “snug fit.” Too much back and forth, communicating about the same things all over again, would be too time-consuming. Prevoiced test pipes are hard to e-mail throughout Europe.

Coda
The new instrument of the Béla Bartók Hall in Budapest is definitely worth seeing and hearing. As a “Swabian from the Danube” with its French lifestyle, the instrument suits the great architecture. The inaugural concert featured four organists: Zsuzana Elekes, István Baróti, László Fassang, and Xavér Varnus on May 22, 2006. In June 2006, many internationally known concert organists played many concerts on the organ. Most of them used the detached, electrical console on the stage. Obviously, the possibility of playing in front of the audience is of more importance than the sensitive touch of the mechanical main console. But this also happens in other places, due to the fact that organists like to listen directly to their registrations in advance.
This is one sad aspect about designing and creating an instrument in two ways: having to face the fact that all the extra work and preparations are not honored. One could question the reason for the double construction. Shouldn’t one build symphonic organs completely electrically in the future, since there have been so many inventions lately that provide an almost mechanical touch? This thought obviously would not be the taste of many organ advisors.
Undoubtedly, the mechanical slider chest is a very good solution for smaller and middle-sized instruments. Luckily for recent German organ building, Cavaillé-Coll consequently built these chests during his work life. The primary wish at many times had been symphonic instruments by all means (with Barker levers or electric couplers that are rarely talked about). In the meantime, we can see that there are quite a few good German symphonic instruments from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There are great instruments with cone chests, membrane chests or various electro-pneumatic inventions that are not mechanical slider chest systems.
However, many large organ projects are requested to have slider chests (single-lever keys preferred), Romantic, symphonic layouts and everything that goes with it. This creates many problems for the organ builder who often also must deal with poor acoustics. Not all mechanical chests have been of outstanding quality throughout the decades. Why do they appear to be the one and only solution? There are many ways to get to Rome, also many detours probably.
In Budapest, they definitely found the right path! And, stranger, if you go and visit this great instrument and get the chance to play, try the main console. Even if your footwork cannot seen by the audience, it is worth it!

Five manuals and pedal, 92 registers

I. Grande orgue
16? Montre
8? Principal
8? Flûte harmonique
8? Bourdon
8? Gamba
4? Praestant
4? Rohrflöte
22?3? Quinte
2? Superoctave
8? Cornet II–V
22?3? Mixtur V–VII
11?3? Cimbel IV–V
16? Trompete
8? Trompete
4? Trompete

II. Positif expressif
16? Quintatön
8? Principal
8? Fl. traversière
8? Cor de nuit
8? Salicional
8? Unda maris
4? Praestant
4? Flûte conique
22?3? Quinte
2? Doublette
13?5? Tierce
11?3? Larigot
1? Piccolo
11?7? Septnon II
2? Mixtur IV–VI
16? Basson
16? Dulzian
8? Trompette
8? Cromorne
8? Clarinette
Tremolo

III. Récit expressif
16? Violon
16? Gedeckt
8? Geigenprincipal
8? Flûte harmonique
8? Bourdon à cheminée
8? Gamba
8? Aeoline
8? Voix céleste
4? Violine
4? Flûte octaviante
22?3? Nazard
2? Octavin
13?5? Tierce
2? Progressio II–IV
2?3? Cymbale IV
16? Bombarde
8? Trompette harm.
8? Basson-Hautbois
8? Voix humaine
4? Clairon harm.
Tremolo

IV. Solo
16? Rohrbourdon
8? Principale
8? Konzertflöte
8? Voce humana
51?3? Nazard
4? Octave
31?5? Tierce
22?7? Septième
22?3? Sesquialtera II
2? Flûte
22?3? Plein jeu III–V
8? Cor anglais
8? Tuba mirabilis
V. Chamaden
16? Chamade
8? Chamade
4? Chamade

Pedal
32? Majorbass
32? Soubasse
16? Principalbass
16? Contrebasse
16? Soubasse
16? Violon
102?3? Großquinte
8? Octavbass
8? Gedackt
8? Cello
4? Octave
4? Tibia
62?5? Tercsept II
51?3? Zinck III
22?3? Mixtur IV
22?3? Compensum VII
32? Bombarde
16? Bombarde
16? Basson
8? Trompete
4? Clairon

Mechanical couplers (also electrically activated):
I+II, I+III, I+IV, II+III, II+IV, III+IV,
P+I, P+II, P+III, P+IV.
Electric couplers:
I+V, II+V, III+V, IV+V, P+V,
I+II 4?, I+II 16?, I+III 4?, I+III 16?, I+IV 4?, I+IV 16?, II+III 4?, II+III 16?, III+III 4?, III+III 16?, IV+IV 4?, IV+IV 16?, P+III 4?, P+IV 4?

Manuals I–IV and pedal: mechanical action.
Manual V, the 32? stops and 16? stops in the façade: electric action.
Manual chests are divided bass/treble for different wind pressures.
Mechanical attached keydesk.
Second electric console on the stage.
Programmable crescendo pedal.
Pleno, Tutti, and reeds are selectable/programmable.
Reeds, mixtures, and couplers available on roller crescendo pedal.
Swell shutter coordination available on crescendo pedal.
Priority switching between crescendo pedals on both consoles when being played simultaneously.
Cancel button for every division.
Selectable dividing point in pedal division of second console.
Sostenuto in all divisions.
Combination action with 5000 possible combinations; memory stick connectivity.
Playback and recording possibilities on both keydesks.

Joel Kuznik has served as a college organist and professor, a church musician, a pastor, and as a business executive on Fifth Avenue, Wall Street, and at MetLife. After several years of retirement from business, he revived writing for professional journals, something he had done since his college days. After attending the Bachfest 2003 in Leipzig, he again began writing articles and reviews. With over 60 pieces in print ranging from reviews of concerts and festivals, travelogues, books on church music, concert hall organs, CDs and DVDs, he was recognized and named to the Music Critics Association of North America (MCANA) in May 2005. He is also a member of the American Bach Society and serves on the board of the Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity in New York City, where he has lived for 32 years. His organ teachers were Austin C. Lovelace, Frederick Swann, Ronald Arnatt, David Craighead, Jean Langlais, Marie-Madeleine Duruflé-Chevalier, and Anton Heiller. As a member of the AGO, he has served as dean of the Ft. Wayne chapter, on the executive board of the New York City chapter, and on the national financial board. He holds a BA summa cum laude from Concordia Sr. College (formerly at Ft. Wayne), a Min.Div and STM from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and an MM from the Eastman School of Music.

Mention Saxony to most organists, and they immediately think of the 18th century, Gottfried Silbermann and his catalogue of 31 extraordinary instruments, which are still being played.1 An amazing testimony! But today one hears more and more of Kristian Wegscheider, widely admired for his dynamic restorations of Silbermann organs as well as those of Hildebrandt, Schnitger and Ladegast—and whose reputation as a builder is so respected that he was considered for the new organs at St. Thomas, Leipzig and the Frauenkirche in Dresden.
Steven Dieck, president of C. B. Fisk, Inc., credits Wegscheider with being “very helpful in discovering the ‘secrets’ of Gottfried Silbermann and continues to be, not only for us, but also for any other organbuilder. There is no disputing that Kristian and his shop are the experts on the work of Gottfried Silbermann.”
Stefan Engels of Leipzig’s University of Music & Theatre notes that “Kristian Wegscheider is one of the leading organ builders of our time when it comes to the restoration of historic instruments from the 17th and 18th centuries. His knowledge of style, his talent for research, and his ability to relate to the distinct sounds of old organs is unique. It is a joy to experience this artist and his superb work.”
And, as Steve Dieck points out, Wegscheider has an international involvement and impact. “Once East Germany opened itself to the rest of the world, Kristian’s company became a member of the International Society of Organbuilders. Shortly after that, he helped to organize one of the ISO’s biennial congresses held in Dresden. He is currently second vice president of the ISO and again helped to organize the congress in September 2008, which began in Gdansk, Poland and worked its way by train and boat to Stralsund, Germany, where members of ISO visited significant organs.”2
“He continues to share his vast knowledge of the works of Gottfried Silbermann with his many organbuilding colleagues around the world. He has visited the U.S. many times, and was invited to collaborate with Fritz Noack in making a ‘Hildebrandt’ style organ for Christ the King Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas.”
And those who have been fortunate to hear Wegscheider’s restorations or new instruments would add, “This is a builder about whom Americans need to know more.”

Background
Kristian Wegscheider was born in 1954 in Ahrenshoop, a small resort town on the Baltic Coast of Northern Germany. After stints in the army and a year with a furniture-maker, he began his apprenticeship with the esteemed Jehmlich Dresden organbuilding firm, which dates back to 1808 and is associated with the restorations of the magnificent Silbermann cathedral organs in Dresden and Freiberg.
Kristian immediately took an immense interest in historic organs and worked on restorations in Berlin and Leipzig. He became head of Jehmlich’s restoration department and supervised restorations of the 1714 Silbermann in Freiberg’s Cathedral and the 1868 Lütkemüller organ at the Güstrower Cathedral.

Orgelwerkstatt Wegscheider Dresden
As Wegscheider writes for his firm’s website,3 the creation of his organ workshop in Dresden in 1989 coincided with the fall of the Wall and became possible with the parallel vehement political and social changes. These were indeed complicated times in the GDR, and the emergence of a new private company was no simple venture.
At the time it was not unusual in the GDR for restorations and even the repair of organs to be delayed up to 20 years. In 1987, that gave Wegscheider an idea, often treated perfunctorily and bureaucratically, to create his own workshop specializing in restorations and repair. He overcame numerous hurdles—among other things, getting a trade license and acquiring the space for engaging in a trade, and one couldn’t get one without the other.
In order to bridge the gap, Wegscheider worked for almost a year in the restoration workshop of the Museum of Musical Instruments at the University of Leipzig. With the assistance of friends and with some luck, however, the initial problems were overcome. That was all quickly forgotten, once work began in the spring of 1989 with the reconditioning of an old carpenter’s shop in Dresden’s Neustadt (“new city”).4 His first two coworkers were the organ builder and pipemaker Hartmut Schütz, who had also trained with Jehmlich, and his long-time friend and a carpenter, Matthias Weisbach. Requirements were completed in December of 1990, and Wegscheider was able to receive his certification as a master craftsman (“Meisterbrief”).
The workshop officially began operating June 1, 1989, and in September there was a big celebration with friends and colleagues. For this historic event, a narrow-gauge steam train was rented, and the area in front of the shop was transformed into an open-air theatre. When the borders opened that fall, a group of five made a week-long “discovery journey” into the “West” finally to hear and investigate for themselves organs they had often read and heard about, an adventure that just weeks before had seemed impossible.
During this week, the team was able to examine the old instruments of East Frisia (Ostfriesland, a costal region along the North Sea bordering the Netherlands to the west),5 which for them was like an “organbuilder’s paradise.” There they also inspected the shop of the famous Jürgen Ahrend, contacted the North German Organ Academy, and had discussions with organ experts, musicologists and organists. This all became invaluable in forming their own firm and served as the basis for artistic work. Additional “educational journeys” became a regular experience and took them to South Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and France. How exhilarating this must have been—the new freedom to explore and discover!

Wegscheider: first projects
The first project was a new instrument for the Allstedt Castle Chapel in Mansfeld. The small organ was to complement the Baroque room and conform to old established models of classical organbuilding. The shop was to do something that had never been done in East Germany before—to make an instrument completely from wood, tin, lead, leather and brass without using plywood, aluminum, nitrate lacquer, plastic and prefabricated mechanisms.
Also, this instrument would reflect Wegscheider’s long-held interest in providing two temperaments that can be played interchangeably: meantone for Renaissance music and well-tempered for Baroque. The idea originated in Charles Fisk’s dual-temperament organ at California’s Stanford University (1984),6 but this was to be the first such instrument in Europe, with Wegscheider working to improve the result both technically and musically.7
This new organ for Allstedt was followed by a number of restorations in the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg and Thuringia, while at the same there developed partnership work in Saxony. Much of the work, now with seven co-workers, involved restoring damaged organs, some long unplayable due to water damage or wood worms. Other builders had refused to work on them or recommended replacements, but to Wegscheider these instruments were too valuable to be discarded. Congregations, in turn, were grateful for the efforts of their municipalities to preserve these organs.
Expansion
By 1993 it was clear that the company needed new, larger facilities. The company had expanded to ten employees, with only 400 square meters of workspace and with insufficient height to assemble instruments. Finally a carpenter’s workshop was found in Dresden–Hellerau in the old village center of Rähnitz. During the move, the firm continued to work on a restoration of the Silbermann for the Bremen Cathedral (I/8, 1734)8 and an identical copy of it for the Silbermann Museum in Frauenstein, so that the dedication of the new workshop in July 1994 could take place in a concert using both organs with the Dresden Baroque Orchestra.
After all this excitement, work continued routinely, but always with interesting projects. One was the extensive renovation of the Schulze organ, with the reconstruction of a 32′ Posaune in Markneukirchen, a town in Saxony known as a center for making musical instruments as well as its Museum of Musical Instruments. Another instance was building a new 20-rank organ inside an historic case in Steinwedel near Hannover, which demonstrated what a builder like Wegscheider with experience in historical models could do.

Langhennersdorf, Nikolaikirche
But the high point of this period was completing the renovation of the organ at St. Nicholas Church in Langhennersdorf, a beautiful village near Freiberg. This Opus 1 by Silbermann’s apprentice Zacharias Hildebrandt (1722) as his Meisterstück (masterpiece) was built to certify him as an organbuilder. It is a revelation to hear—exciting, vibrant, present, colorful, and commanding.
But all this came after some blood, sweat and tears. Begun in 1989–90 during the turbulent reunification of Germany, this was Wegscheider’s first big contract and was threatened by obstacles beyond his control. However, he remained determined and continued working piece by piece as the church, which was committed to the challenge, raised funds. What exuberance there must have been at rededication on Reformation Day, 1996!

Langhennersdorf Nikolaikirche9
1722 Zacharias Hildebrandt (II+P/21)
1989–1996 Kristian Wegscheider

Hauptwerk
8′ Principal
8′ Rohrflöte
8′ Quintadena
4′ Praestant
4′ Spitzflöte
3′ Quinta
2′ Octava
III Mixtur
II Cymbeln
III Cornett (from c1)

Oberwerk
8′ Gedackt
4′ Rohrflöte
3′ Nasat
2′ Principal
2′ Waldflöte
1′ Sifflöte
11⁄3′ Quinte
II Cymbeln

Pedal
16′ Sub-Baß
16′ Posanenbaß
8′ Trompete

Tremulant
Shove coupler II/I
Pedal coupler I/P
Manual compass C, D–c3
Pedal compass C, D–c1

Choir pitch: a = 468 Hz
Modified meantone

Dresden-Loschwitz church
The lessons learned in Langhennersdorf would prove helpful in designing the 1997 organ for a church in the outlying regions of Dresden-Loschwitz. The organ was conceived as a large one-manual and pedal instrument that would combine the typical stops of Silbermann with other 18th-century Saxon builders in one division, but some stops are also playable on a second manual. The building, virtually destroyed in the 1945 Blitz by an errant bomb, has been restored with spectacular but simple beauty. The church—with its historic altar rescued and restored from the Sophienkirche, where Bach played two recitals (1825 and 1731), and where his son Wilhelm Friedemann was organist (1733–1746)—has its organ sitting center stage in the second gallery.
The impact of this small instrument is remarkable and a joy to hear. Just a day after playing and listening to the impressive Silbermann-Hildebrandt (III/47, 1755) at Dresden’s Hofkirche and the imposing new Kern at the Frauenkirche (IV/67, 2006), the sound of this little organ in the suburb of Dresden-Loschwitz moved 45 American organists last September to spontaneous smiles of delight and satisfaction. The stunning immediacy of the sound combined with the brilliance of the ensemble and the colors of individual stops was a joy to hear.
And then listening to Wegscheider himself—on how Silbermann swept into this part of Germany with the fresh bold sounds of France and dominated organbuilding, on the speech and design of his pipework, and clarifying differences of temperament in the area—was an informative revelation. The man has a large presence, an expansive expression of speech, and in his eyes the gleam of an inspired creator, all reflected in his restorations and new designs.

Dresden-Loschwitz:
Loschwitz Church10
1997 Wegscheider II+P/20

Manual I
16′ Bordun
8′ Principal
8′ Gedackt
8′ Flauto traverso
8′ Viola di Gamba
4′ Octave
4′ Rohrflöte
4′ Flauto amabile
3′ Nasat
2′ Octave
2′ Flöte
13⁄5′ Tertia
1′ Flageolet
III Cornett (from g)
III Mixtur

Manual II (stops from I)
16′ Bordun
8′ Gedackt
8′ Flauto traverso
8′ Viola di Gamba
4′ Rohrflöte
4′ Flauto amabile
3′ Nasat
2′ Flöte
13⁄5′ Tertia

Pedal
16′ Bordun
8′ Octavbaß
8′ Violonbaß
4′ Octavbaß
16′ Posaune

Tremulant
Manual shove coupler
Pedal couplers I/P, II/P

Manual compass C–e3
Pedal compass C–e
Pitch: a = 440 Hz
Tuning: modified Valotti
Wind pressure: 70 mm

Houston, Christ the King Lutheran Church
Wegscheider has been involved in several “Bach organs.” The first was in collaboration with the Noack Organ Company at Christ Lutheran Church in Houston, where he served as co-designer.

Christ the King Lutheran Church, Houston
Builder: Noack Organ Company, 1995
Co-designer: Kristian Wegscheider II+P/30

Hauptwerk
16′ Bordun
8′ Principal
8′ Viola di Gamba
8′ Rohrflöte
4′ Octava
4′ Spitzflöte
22⁄3′ Quinta
2′ Octava
III Mixtur
II Cimbel
IIII Cornet
8′ Trompete
8′ Vox Humana

Oberwerk
8′ Gedackt
8′ Quintadena
4′ Principal
4′ Rohrflöte
22⁄3′ Nasat
2′ Octava
2′ Waldflöte
13⁄5′ Terz
11⁄3′ Quinta
1′ Sifflet
8′ Krummhorn

Pedal
16′ Principal Bass
16′ Subbass
8′ Octaven Bass
4′ Octava
16′ Posaunen
8′ Trompete

The organ at Christ the King Church follows the example of Hildebrandt, thus adding a Bach organ of a new dimension on the North American continent.
Fritz Noack and the Noack Organ Company were selected to design and build the organ. Noack is an American builder born and trained in Germany and uniquely situated to bridge the Saxon past and the Texan present. Kristian Wegscheider of Dresden, restorer of important Silbermann organs, accepted appointment as a design consultant; Reinhard Schaebitz of Dresden, voicer in the restorations, assisted in the voicing; and most of the metal pipes were built near Dresden in the workshop of Günter Lau. The result is a wonderful instrument which not surprisingly, but quite remarkably, evokes the look, feel, and sound of an 18th-century Saxon organ. One can imagine Bach’s walking in, sitting down without missing a beat and, as was his custom, pulling all of the stops to see whether or not the instrument has “good lungs.”
This Bach Organ possesses attributes commonly found in organs built today in historical style—tracker action; mechanical stop action; keys suspended below the pipe chests; a flexible wind supply provided by bellows; flat rather than radiating pedalboard; narrower, shorter manual keys; no pistons or combinations; and tuning in a historic temperament. The Saxon style imposes a series of additional design characteristics. The entire organ is housed in one case, rather than in compartments for each division according to the Werkprinzip; the case design and beautifully executed carvings employ 18th-century Saxon conventions; and the case is built of pine and painted (blue-green, red, and gold leaf). The Oberwerk to Hauptwerk coupler is activated by shoving the Oberwerk manual forward, and the Oberwerk does not couple to the Pedal. The pipe scalings are taken from Hildebrandt’s, and the principal pipes have a high tin content rather than lead.11

Stuttgart, Musikhochschule
Another “Bach organ” was built by Wegscheider for the Musikhochschule in Stuttgart, which has a large collection of historic prototypes. One can see an overview at <http://www.mh-stuttgart.de/studium/orgel/ueberblick/&gt;.

Stuttgart: State University of Music and Performing Arts
2006 Wegscheider
II+P/21

Hauptwerk
8′ Principal
8′ Rohrflöte
8′ Viola di Gamba
8′ Quintadena
4′ Octave
3′ Quinte
2′ Octave
2′ Terz (from 2′) [listed as 2′ but actually 13⁄5′]
III Mixtur
8′ Trompete

Positiv
8′ Gedackt
4′ Spitzflöte
4′ Flauto dolce
2′ Gemshorn
II Cymbal
8′ Vox Humana

Pedal
16′ Subbass
8′ Principalbass
4′ Octave
16′ Posaunebass
8′ Trompettenbass
Manual compass: C, D–d3
Pedal compass: C, D–f
Pitch: a1 = 466 Hz
Tuning: Modified Pythagorean

In the winter 2005–06 issue of Spektrum, Prof. Jürgen Essl writes:

In the fall of 2006 organ music of Bach will ring out. Then the long-anticipated “Bach organ” will supplement the university’s instrument collection. The Dresden organ builder, Kristian Wegscheider, received the commission to build an organ of 21 stops on two manuals and pedal according to 18th-century Thuringian and Saxon models. It is intended to be the ideal instrument for presenting Bach’s organ music with its choice of stops, its style of construction, its keyboard range, its speech and intonation.
Kristian Wegscheider is an undisputed expert in this area, and it would be hard to find a more first-class organ. Naturally there is no absolute “Bach Organ.” Johann Sebastian Bach, as is well known, played on many organs and was frequently active as consultant and examiner. The composition of the organ is therefore also no copy of an existing historical instrument, but an approximation of the Bach sound world in a variety of ways. The new organ is based on Bach’s expert opinion of existing instruments of similar 18th-century size, e.g., (Gottfried) Silbermann and Trost, on the compositional characteristics of his organ music, the restoration experience of the organbuilder and last but not least on the size of the room.12

Essl added in an e-mail to the author, “Indeed there were a large number of special problems for which Kristian had a good solution and fought hard to get the right results.”

Freiberg, Petrikirche
Another recent collaboration, this time with Jehmlich, was the restoration of Silbermann’s largest two-manual organ, at the Petrikirche in Freiberg, completed and rededicated in July 2007.13 It is an instrument with pizazz, brilliance, and clarity, while individual stops retain character and color. It also happens that the best CD that effectively reflects Wegscheider’s work is a recent release of a recording at the Petrikirche on the Syrius label, Johann Sebastian Bach, Vol. 4, with works from the early Weimar period played with verve, imagination, and excitement by Helga Schauerte (Syrius 141433, €22.00; <[email protected]>; the Organ Historical Society carries other recordings by Schauerte).

Freiberg: Petrikirche
1735 Silbermann
1959, 1993/94 Jehmlich Brothers
2006–07 Wegscheider, together with Jehmlich Orgelbau
II+P/32

Hauptwerk
16′ Principal
8′ Octav Principal
8′ Viol di Gamba
8′ Rohr-Flöte
4′ Octava
4′ Spitz-Flöte
3′ Qvinta
2′ Octava
2′ Tertia (from 2′) [listed as 2′ but actually 13⁄5′]
IV Cornet (from c1)
IV Mixtur
III Cymbel
8′ Trompette
16′ Fachott

Oberwerk
16′ Qvinta dena
8′ Principal
8′ Gedackts
8′ Qvinta dena
4′ Octava
4′ Rohr-Flöte
3′ Nassat
2′ Octava
11⁄3′ Qvinta
1′ Sufflöt
Sechst Qvint Altra (4⁄5′, 13⁄5′ from c1)
III Mixtur
8′ Vox humana

Pedal
32′ Groß-Untersatz
16′ Principal Bass
8′ Octaven Bass
16′ Posaune
8′ Trompete
Tremulant
Manual compass: C, D–c3
Pedal compass: C, D–c1
Manual coupler II/I
Pedal coupler P/I
Tuning: 462.5 Hz
Temperament: Neidhardt II
(for a small city), 1732

In summary, restorations include organs by:
Gottfried Silbermann
Niederschöna, 1715/1993, I/14
Bremen Cathedral, 1734/1994, I/8
Jacobikirche, Freiberg, 1717/1995/2006, II/20
Reinhardtsgrimma, 1731/1997, II/20
Tiefenau, 1725/1997, I/9
Dresden Cathedral, 1755/2002, III/47, jointly with Jehmlich Orgelbau
Petrikirche, Freiberg, 1735/2007, II/32, jointly with Jehmlich Orgelbau

Zacharias Hildebrandt
Langhennersdorf, 1722/1996, II/21

Friedrich Ladegast
Biederitz, 1868/1997, II/12
Hohenmölsen, 1851/1998, II/24
Merseburg Cathedral, 1855/1866/2003, IV, 84, joint with Eule/Bautzen and Scheffler, Frankfurt/Oder
Pomssen Wehrkirche, 1671/2000/2007, 1/13

Wegscheider’s firm has built to date thirty new organs including:
Silbermann Museum, Frauenstein, copy of Bremen positive, 1994, I/8
Güstrow Cathedral, 1996, I/15 registers with bass drums, bells, cymbelstern, 2 cuckoos, drum, nightingale
Dresden–Loschwitz, 1996, II/20
Bremen Cathedral, 2002, I/8
Cologne–Michaelshoven, 2003, II/ 28 (in the style of Silbermann/Hildebrandt)
Stuttgart, Musikhochschule, 2006/2007, II/21, Bach Organ
Sacrow-Potsdam, Heilandskirche, 2008/ 2009, II/17 registers
Current work includes:
Fritzsche-Treutmann-Organ in Harbke (restoration in cooperation with Dutschke-Orgelbau), completed 12/07 and dedicated 5/08
Altarpositiv, Kreuzkirche in Dresden, dedicated 5/08
Stellwagen Organ in Stralsund St. Marien (1659).

Martin Ott Pipe Organ Company, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Spring, Texas
Opus 68, b. 1991

From the builder
Trinity Lutheran is a large Missouri Synod Lutheran Church located in Spring, Texas, north of Houston. The area was settled by Germans who brought with them their Lutheran faith and customs. The church, founded in 1874, is still located on its original property. As the church has grown, sanctuaries have been removed and new ones have been built. In 1991, our Opus 68 began as the hope of Melvin Schiwart, the music director at the time. Mr. Schiwart had been to Germany. He wanted a good quality German organ for Trinity Church, and his search led him to our firm. A mechanical action organ with a detached console was designed. Although the organ has German influences, it is an eclectic instrument in style and adapts well to its American environment. In 1994, the 49-rank, 39-stop organ was installed in the previous sanctuary’s balcony.
The church membership grew through the 1990s, and the organ continued to be an important part of worship. As plans were made for a new sanctuary, the congregation decided to relocate the organ into the new church. Moving the instrument to the new space enabled the church to keep ties with their past. The organ and the church bell were the only items moved from the old church to the new one. The cost for moving the organ was a small fraction of what a new instrument would cost.
From the very beginning, our firm was invited to participate in the design of the new worship space, specifically the layout of the balcony. We worked with architect John Gabriel, of Gabriel Architects, Inc., and acoustician Scott Riedel, of Scott R. Riedel & Associates, Ltd. The new sanctuary has 44,000 square feet and seats 1,325 parishioners in the nave. Of special concern was how the existing organ could be best incorporated in the new building both visually and acoustically. The music is performed from the “west balcony” opposite the chancel with the altar, pulpit, baptismal font and lectern. Mr. Gabriel designed the large new balcony to accommodate the organ, the choirs, and the orchestral musicians. He was enthusiastic about the organ project and understood the physical and logistic needs. The overall design of the organ remained unchanged. Crown molding was added to give the instrument a stronger visual presence in the new room. We also have added a 32′ Bombarde, a 32′ Untersatz, and a Zimbelstern with a rotating star. As the instrument was reassembled, we thoroughly cleaned every part. The reed pipes were disassembled and completely cleaned before reassembly.
Trinity Lutheran was very enthusiastic about the project. During the weeks we spent reconstructing the organ and voicing, many parishioners would visit to see the progress. Among these visitors was singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett, born near Trinity Church, who asked us many questions about organ building. Mr. Lovett attended Texas A&M University where he studied journalism and German. He also spent time in Germany for his studies. Through his conversations with me, Mr. Lovett learned that the Ravinia Festival in Chicago owned an Ott portative organ; and at the July 12, 2008 concert at this festival, Mr. Lovett used the organ for several pieces in front of a full capacity audience.
The revoiced and visually altered instrument at Trinity Lutheran Church certainly brings vigor in sight and sound to this new sanctuary. We have many people to thank for their assistance in the project: Senior Pastor Richard Noack, Dr. William Brusick, Mr. Melvin Schiwart, and all of the Trinity Lutheran parishioners who were supportive and helpful. I would like to thank all who worked on Opus 68.
1994: John Albright, Albert Brass, James Fantasia, Jeffery Fantasia, Richard Murphy, Earl Naylor, Martin Ott, Thorsten Ott, Mary Welborn. On-site help: new choir risers designed by Jack Rimes, built by Gerhardt Pipho and Melvin Schiwart; riser banisters by Rick Davis; pipe shades in organ towers painted by Duane Schiwart.
2008: James Cullen, Bill Dunaway, Marya Fancey, Larry Leed, Aleksandr Leshchenko, Eileen McGuinn, Earl Naylor, Martin Ott, Inna Sholka. On-site help: Paul Jernigan, Shawn Sanders.
—Martin Ott
Martin Ott Pipe Organ Company

From the acoustical consultant
Trinity Lutheran approached Riedel for consultation in architectural acoustics and sound system design services in August 2001. Our goal for acoustic design was to develop a space that supports and enhances the Lutheran liturgy. Important considerations include reverberation period, HVAC noise control, noise control between spaces and from the outdoors, sound projection from the music area, support for musical ensemble and congregation hymn singing, and speech intelligibility.
The completed Trinity Lutheran sanctuary has a reverberation time, during unoccupied conditions, of 3.5 seconds. This generous reverberance provides excellent sound distribution and enhancement of organ and traditional choral tone. It also benefits Lutheran liturgical practices, encourages congregational sung and spoken participation, and gives a strong sense of listener envelopment.
Excellent speech intelligibility is achieved through innovative sound system technologies and careful design practices. Digitally steerable line array speakers provide very clear sound in this reverberant environment with minimal visual intrusion. A digital signal processor automates the system and replaces older multiple component technologies.
While the organ and traditional choir are an integral part of the congregation’s worship life, the growing use of contemporary instruments in Trinity Lutheran’s music ministry will necessitate a lower reverberation period at times. Treatment options have been presented to facilitate a more contemporary music service, and may be implemented by the client. These treatments include adding modest sound absorbing wall surfaces in select areas of the room.
A flutter echo reflection pattern is audible in the center aisle, resulting from the smooth, curved “barrel vault” ceiling profile favored by the architect. This curve focuses sound energy toward the center aisle of the room, such that the flutter effects are much less noticeable in the congregation seating areas. The overall room shape is cruciform, with organ and choir located at the end of the long axis of the space, in a rear gallery; this facilitates a full and even distribution of musical sound throughout the environment.
We are honored to be part of the Trinity Lutheran Church design team, and we are proud to have assisted in creating an environment that enhances the Ott organ, all in the service of the church.
—Scott Riedel
Scott R. Riedel & Associates, Ltd.

From the minister of music
In May 2007, I was blessed to receive a call from Trinity Lutheran Church in Spring, Texas. One month later, after serving as minister of music for fifteen years at Grace Lutheran in St. Petersburg, Florida, I accepted the call to Trinity. Like Grace, Trinity is a benchmark church in the community that puts a high value on the role of music in quality worship. Throughout the northwest Houston area, Trinity is known for its particular strength in traditional, liturgical worship. To this end, an instrument was sought that would be capable of leading and enhancing this style of worship. All roads inevitably led to Martin Ott.
I am blessed to be the recipient of the hopes, the dreams and the fortitude of a congregation and former minister of music who put such high value on quality music and the instrument that will lead it for generations. Although I had studied on a Holtkamp tracker organ, I had never had the privilege of playing a Martin Ott instrument until my pre-call interview in March 2007. The organ, located in the former sanctuary, looked and sounded spectacular; and yet, it was unfinished. The missing extensions of the two 32′ stops and the absence of any crown molding on the casework were testament to the inevitable expansion that still lay ahead. For myself, one who has been trained in and enjoys improvising on hymns and hymn tunes, the variety of colors and the wide dynamic range made this organ a especially thrilling instrument to play. As a composer, it is also fair to say that having an organ like this is like having a world-class orchestra at your disposal.
While the organ’s weekly mainstay is the leading of over a thousand worshippers in great works of hymnody, our music ministry also calls upon the organ to gently accompany a soloist, add equal support to a majestic brass choir, and blend into and uphold the mighty forces of a full orchestra and chorus. All of these our organ does effortlessly. In this way, I am confident that the Ott Opus 68 pipe organ can provide the style of high quality music that Trinity has come to expect and appreciate over its many years of great musical leadership.
But the blessings don’t end here. While it is a rare opportunity for an organist to meet the creators of their instrument, it is indeed even rarer to have the opportunity to work close at hand with them. Because of the relocation of the organ, I have had the distinct privilege of establishing a close-knit relationship with Martin Ott and his highly skilled team. Over the four months of planning and physically moving the organ, I began to see the care and craftsmanship and the sheer love that Martin has for his instruments and for the churches that will be led by them. During even the most stressful moments of the project, his focus and faith in the outcome never wavered. This instilled great comfort in all of us, knowing that the end result would be beyond everyone’s imagination.
As minister of music at Trinity Lutheran Church, I can speak for all when I say that we are indeed fortunate to have Martin Ott’s Opus 68, which has the potential to bring the highest level of both sacred and secular music to its listeners—leading worship, lifting song, inspiring creativity, enhancing the Word, and energizing the soul.
—William R. Brusick, D.Mus.
Minister of Music
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Spring, Texas

From the pastor
The dream for a fine pipe organ at Trinity Lutheran Church began in the mid 1980s with our former (now retired) minister of music, Melvin Schiwart. His vision was that we would have a mechanical key action instrument ideally suited to lead robust congregational singing. In response to Mr. Schiwart’s leadership and vision, the congregation decided to establish a special organ fund to bring the project into reality.
Mr. Schiwart interviewed a number of leading organ builders in the United States and in Europe. In the early 1990s the congregation selected Martin Ott of St. Louis, Missouri, to design and build Trinity’s pipe organ.
Martin Ott’s Opus 68 was installed in our former sanctuary in 1994. In June 2008 it was moved into Trinity’s new 1425-seat sanctuary. The organ was expanded with additional stops and enhanced with beautiful casework.
The sanctuary has a classic basilica design and is constructed with internal surfaces that provide a rich reverberation. These features optimize the blessing that is the organ. Martin Luther commented that music often inspired him to preach. I must say that a rousing presentation by a capable organist of Ein feste Burg, At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing or Crown Him with Many Crowns has definitely inspired my preaching on more than one occasion!
The wonderful marriage of our organ and our new building has yielded many blessings. Our current minister of music, Dr. William (Bill) Brusick, and our pastors enjoy our worship planning sessions. It is fun and energizing to find creative ways to maximize the impact of this superb instrument.
Leading worship in the Name of the Trinity is a high and holy calling. Our magnificent organ is integral to our worship and enhances our worship immensely. It is a great treasure and we are keenly aware that we must exercise faithful stewardship of it to the glory of Jesus Christ.
—Rev. Dr. Richard C. Noack
Senior Pastor
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Spring, Texas

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Spring, Texas
39 stops, 49 ranks, 4 extensions

HAUPTWERK (Manual II)
16′ Bordun 56 pipes oak
8′ Prinzipal 56 pipes 75% tin
8′ Rohrflöte (1–12 Bdn) 44 pipes 40% tin
4′ Oktave 56 pipes 75% tin
4′ Nachthorn 56 pipes 40% tin
22⁄3′ Quinte 56 pipes 50% tin
2′ Oktave 56 pipes 75% tin
Mixtur IV–V 255 pipes 75% tin
8′ Trompete 56 pipes 50% tin
8′ Horizontale Trompete 56 pipes 80% tin
4′ Schalmei 56 pipes 75% tin
Zimbelstern  5 Schulmerich bells

SCHWELLWERK (Manual III)
8′ Viola 56 pipes 50% tin
8′ Viola Celeste tc 44 pipes 50% tin
8′ Holzgedackt 56 pipes oak
4′ Prinzipal 56 pipes 50% tin
4′ Gemsflöte 56 pipes 40% tin
Sesquialter II mc 64 pipes 40% tin
2′ Oktave 56 pipes 50% tin
Scharf III–IV 214 pipes 75% tin
16′ Dulzian 56 pipes spruce
8′ Trompete 56 pipes 75% tin
Tremulant

POSITIV (Manual I)
8′ Holzprinzipal 56 pipes oak
8′ Bleigedackt 56 pipes 25% tin
4′ Rohrflöte 56 pipes 40% tin
22⁄3′ Nasat 56 pipes 50% tin
2′ Nachthorn 56 pipes 40% tin
13⁄5′ Terz 56 pipes 75% tin
11⁄3′ Quinte 56 pipes 75% tin
Zimbel III–IV 180 pipes 75% tin
8′ Krummhorn 56 pipes 50% tin
8′ Horizontale Trompete (from HW)
Tremulant

PEDAL
32′ Untersatz (ext Subbass) 12 pipes spruce
16′ Prinzipal 30 pipes 75% tin
16′ Subbass 30 pipes oak
8′ Oktavbass (ext Prinz 16′) 18 pipes 75% tin
8′ Pommer (ext Subbass) 12 pipes oak
4′ Choralbass 30 pipes 50% tin
Mixtur IV 120 pipes 75% tin
32′ Bombarde (ext16′) 12 pipes spruce
16′ Posaune 30 pipes spruce
8′ Trompete (from Hauptwerk)
4′ Schalmei (from Hauptwerk)

Couplers
Schwellwerk/Hauptwerk
Positiv/Hauptwerk
Schwellwerk/Pedal
Hauptwerk/Pedal
Positiv/Pedal

Karl Wilhelm Inc., Mont St. Hilaire, Québec, Canada, Opus 157

St. John’s Catholic Church, Fenton, Michigan

This new 44-stop organ, Opus 157 by Karl Wilhelm Inc., was made possible by the generosity of longtime parishioner Mrs. Alvesta Veness and the William Bowman and Ann McGuire estates, as well as other benefactors and contributors from the congregation and the community. The organ project was led by Rev. David W. Harvey with the assistance of several other parishioners. Dr. David Wagner performed the dedication recital.

The organ consists of four divisions: the Great is in the center above the impost, the Swell is right behind the Great and is enclosed in its own case, the Rückpositiv is in the gallery rail, and the Pedal is on either side of the main case. There are 3,017 pipes in this instrument. The metal façade pipes are 70% tin and 30% lead, metal flute pipes are 40% tin and 60% lead. Open pipes are cone tuned; stopped pipes have fixed caps. The temperament is Bach-Kellner A440. The playing action of the organ is direct mechanical (suspended tracker). There are two manual couplers and three pedal couplers. Manual/pedal compass is 56/30. The stop action is electric and offers a complete set of registration aids featuring 32 levels of solid-state memory. Two cuneiform bellows and one electric blower provide the winding.

— Karl Wilhelm Inc.

Facteurs d’Orgues-Organbuilders

Karl Wilhelm Opus 157

St. John’s Catholic Church

Fenton, Michigan

GREAT C–g’’’

16’ Bourdon

8’ Prinzipal

8’ Rohrflöte

8’ Flute Harmonique

4’ Oktave

4’ Spitzflöte

22⁄3’ Quinte

2’ Superoktave

8’ Cornet V (c’–d’’’)

11⁄3’ Mixtur IV

1’ Zimbel III

8’ Trompette

4’ Clairon


SWELL C–g’’’ (enclosed)

8’ Principal

8’ Gambe

8’ Celeste TC

8’ Hohlflöte

4’ Principal

4’ Flute Harmonique

2’ Waldflöte

22⁄3’ Cornet III (TF)

2’ Mixtur IV

16’ Basson

8’ Trompette

8’ Hautbois

Tremolo


RÜCKPOSITIV C–g’’’

8’ Prinzipal

8’ Gedackt

4’ Prinzipal

4’ Rohrflöte

22⁄3’ Nasard

2’ Doublette

13⁄5’ Terz

11⁄3’ Larigot

1’ Scharf IV

8’ Cromorne

Tremolo


PEDAL C–f’

16’ Prinzipal

16’ Subbass

8’ Prinzipal

8’ Bourdon

4’ Choralbass

22⁄3’ Rauschpfeife IV

16’ Posaune

8’ Trompete

4’ Clairon



Note:

Prinzipal 16’ in the Pedal: C–E, open 8’ wooden pipes and common with Subbass 16’; F–f’, 70% tin and located in the façade.

Prinzipal 8’ shares the first octave with the Prinzipal 16’ in the Pedal.

Prinzipal 8’ of the Positiv has common pipes from C–G# with Gedackt 8’.

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, Lake City, Iowa

Calvary Lutheran Church, Brookfield, Wisconsin

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, Lake City, Iowa, has completed its Op. 72 for Calvary Lutheran Church, Brookfield, Wisconsin. Despite the low ceiling height at the rear of the church, a balcony was a part of the original design of the building. As part of a renovation project, the congregation removed the balcony and resolved to place a mechanical action organ in a free-standing position on the main floor. The choir and handbells would then be arranged about the organ.

Even without the hindrance of the balcony, fitting an organ into the broadly V-shaped space proved a challenge. Many different plans were made, finally resulting in a design in which the Swell is located behind and above the choir seating, the Great is placed forward in a separate case and the Pedal is situated behind the Great. The console, placed in the Great case, is so located that the organist can direct the choir. In spite of its seemingly scattered arrangement, the mechanical design of the organ is quite straightforward and all parts are readily accessible for tuning and maintenance. The design of the curving white oak casework echoes the arcing lines of the ceiling, which rises toward the front of the sanctuary.

The tonal design of the organ is intended to inspire enthusiastic congregational singing and to accompany a wide variety of choral literature. The instrument is voiced on a wind pressure of 76 millimeters, which is supplied from a large, parallel-rise reservoir. Tuning is in equal temperament. Metal pipes are made of the usual alloys of tin and lead; all wood pipes are made of poplar and cherry. The key action is mechanical; an electric stop action and multi-level combination action are provided. Several Pedal stops are made available at two pitches through a system of mechanical duplexing.
Calvary was assisted in this project by John Behnke, organ consultant, and Scott Riedel, acoustical consultant. Suzanne and Steve Hibbard were director of music and organist, respectively, at the time of the organ’s construction. Bill Bravener is the current director of music.

—John Panning



Photo credit: Lynn Dobson


GREAT (58 notes)

16’ Bourdon

8’ Prestant

8’ Chimney Flute

4’ Octave

4’ Nachthorn

2’ Fifteenth

11⁄3’ Mixture IV

8’ Trumpet

Swell to Great


SWELL (58 notes, expressive)

8’ Gedackt

8’ Salicional

8’ Celeste FF

4’ Principal

4’ Traverse Flute

22⁄3’ Nazard

2’ Piccolo

13⁄5’ Tierce

11⁄3’ Quinte

8’ Oboe


PEDAL (32 notes)

16’ Subbass

16’ Bourdon (Gt)

8’ Principal

8’ Gedackt (ext)

4’ Choralbass (ext)

16’ Posaune

8’ Trumpet (ext)

Great to Pedal

Swell to Pedal



Tremulant

Zimbelstern

Rieger-Orgelbau,
Schwarzach, Austria
Cathedral Church of St. Peter, Regensburg, Germany, 2009
It was an exceptional privilege for us to have been commissioned to build the new main organ for the Cathedral Church of St. Peter in Regensburg, Germany, especially bearing in mind that, in its 800-year history, this cathedral never possessed such an instrument. No less daunting, however, were the challenges of building an instrument of adequate size in a space of such significance for art and cultural history, an instrument that does justice to prevailing musical requirements and expectations, and simultaneously takes into consideration the architectural sensitivities of the magnificent Gothic building.
This is emphasized by the fact that it eventually took 25 years from the inception of this unique project to its actual realization. What was needed was an exceptional constellation of persons with the magnanimity for working together to mutually find the optimal solution, despite differing opinions and priorities.
Naturally, the first aspect is always the question, often leading to controversial debate, on the tonal architecture of an organ. What should a cathedral organ sound like in the 21st century? One must say that there is no single correct answer to this question. And, if the question can be answered at all, it certainly cannot be done in a few sentences. This subject is far too caught up in ideology for that.
Accordingly, together with the members of the international organ committee, we posed a somewhat different question: what should the new organ be able to do and what would be the appropriate musical expectations for the instrument? In so doing, it soon became clear that one would need a multifaceted, versatile instrument that would accommodate our ways of listening to music today, both for liturgical use and concert practice. It is simply a fact that, nowadays—and this distinguishes us from previous centuries—we do not just want to hear the currently contemporary style of music, but enjoy listening to a wider repertoire of good music from the past.
The tonal considerations taken into account for this organ are mirrored, we trust, in the choice and combination of stops, their scaling and voicing, as well as their allocation to the different divisions of the organ. Each of the three large manual divisions is based on a 16-foot foundation, broadened by a large number of variously colored 8-foot stops, an appropriate superstructure of mutation registers, and numerous reed stops of varied timbres.
The dynamic breadth of the instrument is increased by the balance achieved between the stops with their individual characteristics and the enclosure of the “small Great Organ” (i.e., the Positiv) in a swell box. The Solo division complements this musical structure by adding a tonal crown of distinctive solo voices and a powerful ensemble of reed stops. All this is underpinned by a sonorous Pedal division, rich in fundamental tone, which gives the organ a calm, supporting foundation.
Three requirements were set for the exterior appearance of the organ: it had to be in a “modern” style, “as small as possible,” and, for spatial reasons, was not to stand on the floor nor on a gallery, but be “suspended” from the vaulting! These requirements led, after various planning phases, to the design that has now finally been constructed.

Modern
We expressly did not attempt to include elements from the building in the design, but instead aligned the organ’s design to the architecture by creating a structural form emphasizing verticality and radiating lightness. As is easy to see, this meant avoiding visible casework as far as possible. Despite this, following tonal tradition, a complete case of solid oak is hidden behind the pipe façade.

As small as possible
This organ is as small as possible, and simultaneously as large as necessary. With a height of 60 feet, a width of 25 feet and a depth of 8.2 to 13.4 feet, this instrument has majestic proportions. Nevertheless, in the visual space of the cathedral, the organ appears to be made of filigree. The specific, curved and tapering layout conveys to the viewer the impression of an organ case of modest depth but, simultaneously, one incorporating movement. This impression is strengthened further by fan-shaped elements that open stepwise to form the optical basis for the greater part of the façade pipes, in addition to defining the view of the case from below.
The separate tonal divisions of the organ are arranged in five stories, one above the other, with the mechanical console situated in the middle, both for aural reasons and the technical requirements of the key action. The middle of the lowest level is devoted to the Solo Organ, which is flanked on both sides by the windchests of the Pedal Organ. The second level, directly above the Solo, houses the enclosed Positiv Organ and is followed by the third level with the console. The Great Organ (Hauptwerk) is positioned above the console, with the Swell Organ situated in the top story. On looking closely, one can recognize this arrangement of the tonal divisions in the organ façade.
The first of the organ’s two independent wind systems is positioned above the roof of the Swell Organ (right at the top), with the second being positioned behind the Solo Organ (right at the bottom). Separately from one another, the two wind systems provide stable yet natural “breath-like” wind to the upper and lower divisions of the organ respectively.
The organ possesses two independent consoles: the main console integrated into the structure of the organ, and a general console placed in the sanctuary of the church. The two are functionally identical and both can be used for playing the existing Choir Organ (30/II). The main console is provided with pure mechanical key action and mechanical couplers, whereas the complete key and stop actions, and also the control of the organ’s swell boxes from the general console, are purely electrical. The innovative REA (Rieger Electronic Assistant) system, developed recently by us, is used for this.

The suspended organ
As is known, this is not the first hanging organ. However, with its 80 stops and weight of 37 tons, it is surely the largest of its kind. To achieve this, it was necessary to introduce a steel suspension structure into the loft of the cathedral. To this structure are attached the four steel cables, each 1.18 inches thick, from which the organ is suspended, notably without also being attached to the wall. Attaching the organ case to the cathedral walls was not allowed by the heritage authorities, who insisted that the historical structure of the cathedral should not be changed.
Access to the organ’s main console, 49 feet above the floor, presented a further technical challenge. Given the heritage considerations, you have probably already guessed it correctly: there is no such access possibility from the cathedral. After considering the different options, we finally decided to plan for an elevator inside the organ. Now, the organist can “be raised” to the console comfortably in two minutes by the Panorama elevator while enjoying the unique view of the imposing cathedral nave.
The elevator’s 2.6 x 2.6 foot glass cabin is normally parked directly next to the console and is therefore hidden from view. Only when in use is a door on the side of the organ opened, to enable the cabin to move horizontally about 6.5 feet on a telescopic arm, out of the organ case, before descending 49 feet to the floor, without any support except the cable on which it hangs.
In building this unique organ, we have moved a step beyond our previous tonal, creative, and technical traditions. We trust that the exceptional goals we set ourselves have been met, namely, creating an organ that will be convincing for generations to come, and that will, in a certain sense, indicate the way forward; and that its sound and its visual appearance will delight many listeners and visitors and inspire many musicians.
This is the wish of all the employees of the Rieger firm, who spent countless hours creating this instrument.
—Wendelin Eberle
Rieger-Orgelbau

Photo credit: Michael Vogl

Rieger-Orgelbau GmbH
Hofsteigstrasse 120
A-6858 Schwarzach, Austria
Tel: +43 5572 58132-0
Fax: +43 5572 58132-6
[email protected]
www.rieger-orgelbau.com

GREAT (I) C–c4
16′ Principal
16′ Bourdon
8′ Principal
8′ Bourdon
8′ Doppelflöte
8′ Gambe
51⁄3′ Großquinte
4′ Octave
4′ Spitzflöte
31⁄5′ Großterz
22⁄3′ Quinte
2′ Superoctave
22⁄3′ Mixtur major IV–VI
1′ Mixtur minor V
8′ Cornet V
16′ Trompete
8′ Trompete
4′ Trompete

POSITIV (II) (expressive) C–c4
16′ Quintatön
8′ Principal
8′ Holzgedackt
8′ Flûte harm.
8′ Salicional
8′ Unda maris
4′ Octave
4′ Rohrflöte
22⁄3′ Nasat
2′ Octave
2′ Waldflöte
13⁄5′ Terz
11⁄3′ Larigot
1′ Sifflöte
11⁄3′ Scharff V
1⁄2′ Cymbel IV
16′ Bassklarinette
8′ Trompete
8′ Krummhorn
Glockenspiel
Tremulant

SWELL (III) C–c4
16′ Bourdon
16′ Salicional
8′ Diapason
8′ Cor de nuit
8′ Flûte harm.
8′ Viole de Gambe
8′ Voix céleste
4′ Prestant
4′ Flûte oct.
4′ Viole
22⁄3′ Nazard harm.
2′ Octavin
13⁄5′ Tierce harm.
11⁄3′ Plein Jeu V
16′ Basson
8′ Trompette harm.
8′ Hautbois
8′ Voix humaine
4′ Clairon harm.
Tremulant

SOLO (IV) C–c4
16′ Chamade
8′ Chamade
4′ Chamade
8′ Flûte harm.
8′ Grand Cornet V
8′ Clarinette
8′ Tuba episcopalis
Campane

PEDAL C–g1
32′ Principalbass
16′ Principal
16′ Violon
16′ Subbass
102⁄3′ Quinte
8′ Octave
8′ Cello
8′ Gedackt
4′ Choralbass
22⁄3′ Mixtur II–IV
32′ Bombarde
16′ Posaune
16′ Fagott
8′ Trompete
4′ Schalmey

Mechanical Couplers
II/I, III/I, IV/I, III/II, IV/II,
I/P, II/P, III/P, IV/P

Electric Couplers
II/I, III/I, IV/I, III/II, IV/II, IV/III
III/I 16′, III/I 4′, III/II 16′
III/II 4′, III/P 4′
Sub and super in each division
3 free couplers

Accessories
Rieger combination system:
20 users with 1000 combinations each with 3 inserts each
Archive for 250 tracks with 250 combinations each
4 adjustable Crescendi
Sequencer
Free couplers
Copy functions
Repeat functions
Division cancel
General cancel
Sostenuto

Consoles
Main console (mechanical)
General console (electric)

Additional features
Rieger tuning system
Rieger replay system
Connection of the Choir Organ
Divided Pedal at the general console
Wind pressures:
Great 110 mm
Positiv 95 mm
Swell 100 mm
Solo 90/130 mm
Pedal 105 mm