Kuhn Organ Builders Ltd, 2024
New organ
www.orgelbau.ch/ope=114820
II/P/21
Germany, Rheinland-Pfalz
Marienkirche
A new chancel organ for St. Mary's Church
Our first contact with St. Mary's Church took place in 2008. Right from the start, it was clear that the chancel organ should provide a musical counterpart to the High Romantic style of the main organ. Our goal was to create a late Baroque instrument in a contemporary translation, equipped with a modern case, modern console proportions and a swell organ.
We began again in 2019 with an initial visit to the site. The actual planning commenced in 2021 and we have continually worked on the project ever since. Various ideas were weighed up in an intensive process and ultimately, decisions were taken in close cooperation with the Organ Committee.
The organ case was kept as slender as possible in its overall depth and, in order to visually emphasise this feature, all front flats are straight, without any round or pointed towers.
The main design element of the front is the pointed arch. Each of the four upwardrising flats is terminated at top and bottom by a pointed arch.
The centre of the front is marked by a mirrored double flat of small front pipes. A band runs behind these pipes along the entire vertical length of the organ front ending at the console. An identical, short transverse band crosses this at the centre of the front. The flat glass elements mounted on the band are a special design, together with the colorful design of the organ by the artist Anne Hitzker-Lubin, feature that relates to the paintwork in the church and to the church window above the organ.
In technical terms, the organ was conceived to be symmetrical. There is not much floor space for the organ and very little room for the placement of the two divisions. However, there is ample space in the vertical direction, which is why we decided to arrange the manual divisions one above the other, a simple yet sophisticated design concept.
The specification is essentially based on an early 19th century acoustic concept with southern German influence. Voicing was done in the Baroque style, providing a very interesting tonal contrast to the historical Klais organ.
The result is a highly individual organ that will enrich the church music of St. Mary's Church and hopefully continue to fascinate in the future. Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone involved in the project, first and foremost to Prof. Dr. Erwin Roeder!
Translation: RS 2024