Kuhn Organ Builders Ltd, 2002

New organ in historical style

Windchests
slider chests
Key action
mechanical
Stop action
mechanical
Inauguration
17.11.2002
Expert
Pater Urban Stilllhard, OSB
Voicing
Raymond Petzold


www.orgelbau.ch/ope=113960

Bozen

I/P/11

Italy, South Tyrol
Deutschhauskirche

© pictures Orgelbau Kuhn AG, Männedorf

Kuhn Organ Builders Ltd, 2002

New organ in historical style

Windchests
slider chests
Key action
mechanical
Stop action
mechanical
Inauguration
17.11.2002
Expert
Pater Urban Stilllhard, OSB
Voicing
Raymond Petzold

A new queen in an old gown

In the Deutschhauskirche in Bozen, northern Italy, we were met with a demanding task, namely building a new organ using historical construction principles. The aim was to freshly interpret a historical model - a new creation, but clearly based upon evidence provided by the original structure of the organ. The task demanded both restoration experience and creativity.

Up until the 20th century the Deutschhauskirche had housed an instrument built by Franz Xaver Fuchs dating from 1799. During our initial research into the project we found that only the clear white and gold casing, noble but light in appearance, remained from this organ. This enabled us to establish the original positions of the console, bellows and windchests. The later built pneumatic cone chest organ was in such poor condition, caused partly through the very tightly confined space in which the systems had been housed, that it needed complete replacement - by an organ based on the aesthetic principles of 18th century southern Germany.

Both the construction and the materials pursued this ideal: sponselled solid wood windchests, three wedge-bellows and a key and stop action built completely out of wood. Certain forms of construction amongst the pipework were based on a model provided by a preserved Fuchs organ in Tschierv (Graubünden, Switzerland).



www.orgelbau.ch/ope=113960