Kuhn Organ Builders Ltd, 2011

New organ

Windchests
slider chests
Key action
mechanical
Stop action
mechanical
Inauguration
28.04.2012
Case design
Hans-Peter Keller
Voicing
Thierry Pécaut


www.orgelbau.ch/ope=114370

Kaltbrunn

II/P/11

Switzerland, Saint Gall
Privathaus

© pictures Orgelbau Kuhn AG, Männedorf

Kuhn Organ Builders Ltd, 2011

New organ

Windchests
slider chests
Key action
mechanical
Stop action
mechanical
Inauguration
28.04.2012
Case design
Hans-Peter Keller
Voicing
Thierry Pécaut

Chamber organ with open 16 foot

The construction of a chamber organ always poses a great challenge for the organ builder, as top priority has to be given to meeting the client's own ideas. The available space is usually restricted, so that meticulous planning is required.

The organ in question offered the best possible conditions. Even though we had to be very economical with the floor space, the room is 5.2 m high, so that we were able to develop our design upwards and arrange the two manuals one above the other.

With its 11 speaking stops and 3 borrowed stops in the pedal division the instrument is relatively large for a chamber organ. The ingenious specification includes a number of foundation stops in the 8 ' and 4 ' range and is thus colourful and varied. The challenge for our voicer was to design the tone such that the individual stops sound characteristic and colourful, whilst the overall tone is nevertheless a wonderful fusion and adapted to the acoustics of the room in such a way that the organ never seems too loud.

A special feature of this organ is the open bass flute (Bassflöte) 16 ' in the pedal. It is the only independent pedal stop; the largest pipes form the lateral facade. In a chamber organ a 16 ' open stop is very rare, and it was only achieved here by exploiting the height of the room. The resulting tone of this bass flute carries great conviction. Thanks to the open design it is characterized by its clarity and lends the tone of the organ an elegant, adaptable foundation.

Another special feature of the tone of this chamber organ is the Celesta. This is a classic Celesta (built by Messrs. Schiedmayer, Stuttgart) and can be played from manuals I and II. It makes itself heard as an additional timbre and effectively supplements the tone of the organ. The celesta is not located in the organ itself but is placed at a distance in a gallery, rather like an echo organ.



www.orgelbau.ch/ope=114370