Orgelbau Th. Kuhn AG, 1979

Restoration

Organ built by
Johann Nepomuk Holzhay, 1797
Windchests
slider chests
Key action
mechanical
Stop action
mechanical
Inauguration
09.09.1979
Expert
P. Hugo Weihermüller
Voicing
Kurt Baumann

Stop list


www.orgelbau.ch/ope=800500

Neresheim

III/P/48

Germany, Baden-Wurttemberg
Klosterkirche

© pictures Orgelbau Kuhn AG, Männedorf

Orgelbau Th. Kuhn AG, 1979

Restoration

Organ built by
Johann Nepomuk Holzhay, 1797
Windchests
slider chests
Key action
mechanical
Stop action
mechanical
Inauguration
09.09.1979
Expert
P. Hugo Weihermüller
Voicing
Kurt Baumann

The abbey church of Neresheim, inaugurated on 9th September 1792 had to wait another five years before the main organ, built by Johann Nepomuk Holzhay (1741-1809) could be first brought into use. This last great 18th century builder from Schwaben signed the contract for the Benedictine monks of Neresheim on 6th August 1792 and worked on the instrument until the end of 1797. After the closure of the monastery in 1803 up until the return of the monks in 1920, the church and the organ belonged to the royal house of Thurn and Taxis. After the completion of a total restoration of the church between 1966 and 1975, the organ was also restored. The firms of Rudolf Kubak and Hubert Sandtner from Dillingen were given the task of dismantling the instrument and the firm of Gustav S. Bier from Giengen/Brenz was entrusted with the restoration of the pipework. After a number of unpleasant incidents, eventually Kuhn Organ Builders were commissioned to restore the technical systems, rebuild the organ and to carry out the voicing. This work lasted from 1977 until autumn 1979 and substantiated the international reputation of the company for the restoration of valuable historical organs.

As is the church itself, the organ is a very special combination of the late Baroque and Classical styles. The interplay with the west window is reminiscent of Gabler's fine example in Weingarten, although here clothed in a stricter form. The number of dummy pipes and overlength pipes is considerably larger than in Weingarten. The Oberwerk stands on the central axis above the free-standing console, the Hauptwerk in the two large towers directly to the sides, the substructure of these also housing the Echowerk, which is out of view. The Pedal Organ is to be found in the two outermost, and somewhat smaller, towers. The joinings between the Hauptwerk and Pedal Organ are purely decorative. Besides Baroque elements, the stoplist clearly shows early Romantic characteristics. Tonally the organ is, therefore, also typical of this time of transition, a fact which does not make it any less interesting.


Translation 2008: SJR