Kuhn Organ Builders Ltd, 2006
Transformation
www.orgelbau.ch/ope=801320
II/P/34
Switzerland, Argovia
Klosterkirche, Keilbalganlage der Grossen Orgel
Which way the wind blows ...
The idea of a good organ wind has varied greatly over the centuries and, naturally, has always been influenced by the musical requirements and technical possibilities of the time. Over the past few years, authenticity has become a major consideration when passing judgement on historical instruments. With this in mind, Kuhn Organ Builders produced a detailed documentation of the Great Organ of the Monastery church in Muri during the revision work on this instrument. Through this, new findings concerning the wind supply to the instrument in the 18th century were established.
At that time, Joseph and Viktor Ferdinand Bossard constructed a seven-fold wedge bellows system. During the restoration work in the 1970's, the best possible wind supply system available at that time was constructed: since then diaphragm bellows have been employed for a stable wind supply. In year 2005 Kuhn Organ Builders reconstructed Bossard's system and gave the instrument back its original wind. The Kuhn-designed bellows control system allows, in spite of it being motor-powered, an authentic wind supply with repeated gusts of wind from the bellows, identical to the wind which, historically, would have been supplied by an organ pumper.
This situation made the organ particularly interesting: it offered a unique opportunity of comparing a «modern» wind supply system using diaphragm bellows with a «historical» seven-fold wedge bellows system. We have taken advantage of this rare opportunity and have shared it with other specialists during our seminar entitled «Organ Wind».