Orgelbau Th. Kuhn AG, 1998

Restoration

Organ built by
Orgelbau Th. Kuhn AG, 1932 / 1955
Windchests
slider chests
Key action
electrical
Stop action
electrical
Inauguration
04.07.1998
Expert
Rudolf Bruhin
Voicing
Paul Cartier, Louis-François Widmer

Stop list


www.orgelbau.ch/ope=801100

Fribourg

III/P/47

Switzerland, Fribourg
Eglise du Collège St-Michel

© pictures Orgelbau Kuhn AG, Männedorf, Charles-André Schleppy

Orgelbau Th. Kuhn AG, 1998

Restoration

Organ built by
Orgelbau Th. Kuhn AG, 1932 / 1955
Windchests
slider chests
Key action
electrical
Stop action
electrical
Inauguration
04.07.1998
Expert
Rudolf Bruhin
Voicing
Paul Cartier, Louis-François Widmer

A neo-classical organ becomes historic

After many years of discussion, negotiation and a thorough report the organ of Collège St-Michel was finally restored in 1997/1998. This was possible thanks to a multitude of ideas which displayed great willingness. It was surely not easy to make a decision concerning this organ a brief history of which is given below. Facing the restoration costs for an organ that is no longer in its original location and which is mounted in a rebuilt organ case, would it not be advisable to go a step further and replace it? It was decided to preserve the existing organ, which is of historical interest because its musical and technical qualities (a return to slider chests) mark an important turning point in the history of organ building.

A brief history

1932: Th. Kuhn built an organ for the Abbey of Hauterive near Fribourg (III/P/45). For this construction, technically everything was new, but old elements were re-used: the organ case by Mooser dating from 1826, a part of the pipework from that time and other elements deriving from additions and changes made by Scherrer (1857), Spaich (1883) and Wolf (1913).

1955: The organ was reinstalled by Th. Kuhn with electro-pneumatic stop and key actions in the church of the Collège St-Michel. An existing organ case was reused. It came from the old instrument which was built by organ builder Michael Bihler of Constance between 1762 and 1764. The elegant old case had to be dismantled and modified to adapt it to the acquired organ, which was much bigger. From the old Bihler organ, speaking front pipes of the Octave Bass (the only reconstruction of 1955) and a dummy front pipework of the detached positive were preserved. The positive case is divided, the reversed console being placed in the front section.

1998: Technically the organ was completely reconstructed and restored. In particular, the windchests had to be brought to the workshop to be made air-tight because dry atmosphere had caused damage; the used leather of the barker motors and the key and stop actions had to be replaced and curative and preventive treatment against woodworm etc. had to be carried out. The only necessary and desired change was new cabling: an electric key and stop action and an electronic capture system were installed.

Musically, the restored organ remains as was intended in 1955. The tonal colour dates from 1932 and remains a typical and very rare example of the neo-classical style that is a product of the «Orgelbewegung».

The instrument with its wide diversity of tonal palette is now available to organists and their repertoire.


Stop list


www.orgelbau.ch/ope=801100