Orgelbau Th. Kuhn AG, 1996

New organ

Windchests
slider chests
Key action
mechanical
Stop action
mechanical
Inauguration
30.06.1996
Expert
Rudolf Meyer
Case design
Hans-Peter Keller
Voicing
Kurt Baumann

Stop list


www.orgelbau.ch/ope=113660

Lyss

III/P/30

Switzerland, Berne
Ref. Kirche

© pictures Orgelbau Kuhn AG, Männedorf

Orgelbau Th. Kuhn AG, 1996

New organ

Windchests
slider chests
Key action
mechanical
Stop action
mechanical
Inauguration
30.06.1996
Expert
Rudolf Meyer
Case design
Hans-Peter Keller
Voicing
Kurt Baumann

Architectural design

A spectacular helicopter crash, in which the machine collided with the church on 2nd September 1992, gave rise to the need for a new organ. Not only was the old instrument destroyed, but extensive repairs and reconstruction work to the building itself were also necessary. However, more or less unscathed was a very colourful stained-glass window in the centre of the choir wall which was constructed at the same time as the church itself (1934), and which is a focal point of the interior of the building.

The previous organ was divided between two cases, a common design for the electro-pneumatic period of organ building, with a free-standing console in the middle. Since an analogous design, but incorporating a fully mechanical system, presented certain difficulties, the idea of locating the organ on the gallery at the back of the church was first considered, but later discarded. We took up the challenge of designing a modern organ housed in two separate cases. Through the rounding off of the towers, one's attention is focused towards the central stained-glass window. The console is built into the right-hand case, which houses the Hauptwerk and the Solo. The Schwellwerk and the Pedal Organ are in the left-hand section of the instrument.

Tonal design

Based on English and French models, a particular type of three-manual instrument was realised. As its basis is a small (in terms of the number of ranks) organ with Hauptwerk, Schwellwerk and Pedal Organ, incorporating just 22 stops. A so-called Solowerk with 7 further stops can be played on a third manual. These further «reserves of sound» can, on one hand, be played separately on this manual, but, on the other hand, they can also be coupled to both of the other manuals and the pedals. Thanks to this design, a considerably greater number of sound combinations can be achieved with the 29 stops than would otherwise be possible with a two-manual organ with the same, or even greater, number of stops. For this reason electric registration aids were not required.

Translation 2008: SJR


Stop list


www.orgelbau.ch/ope=113660