Kuhn Organ Builders Ltd, 2004
New organ
www.orgelbau.ch/ope=114020
IV/P/71
Japan, Kanagawa
MUZA Kawasaki Symphony Hall
Asymmetrical avant-garde
The new concert hall in Kawasaki saw the realisation of a completely new idea. The rows of seats in the auditorium rise up in the form of a spiral, the stage is placed in the centre over which the organ presides. It means more than a simple proof of faith in us to be entrusted with such a monumental commission. Only the best of materials and highest quality of work suffice when such a testimony of our western culture and of the work of our company is to be placed on another continent.
The appearance of this concert hall organ is based on the avant-garde design of the room itself. The asymmetrical structure can be perceived most clearly in the arrangement of the pipes in the various sections. This once again cites the terracing of the seats in the auditorium. The individual groups of pipes are also staggered in depth so that the façade truly reflects the architectural features of the hall.
No less than the complete repertoire of European church music was to be rendered playable on this organ! Therefore tonal elements akin to both the Baroque and Romantic epochs are incorporated into the instrument. Likewise it also unites stylistic features of French and German organ culture in the naturally evolved symbiosis which is characteristic of the Swiss organ building tradition.
Despite its four manuals and 71 stops, this instrument has a mechanical action. To meet the specific demands of a concert hall, there is also an additional console fitted with an electronic transmission system.
