Kuhn Organ Builders Ltd, 2012
New organ
www.orgelbau.ch/ope=114450
III/P/30
Switzerland, Zurich
Kath. Kirche St. Antonius
Light, Colour, Sound
The Church of St. Antonius in Wallisellen was designed by Karl Higi from Zurich in 1958. He created a church interior which is timeless in its simplicity and bathed in a glowing atmosphere of light from the large stained glass windows, a significant work of art created by Ferdinand Gehr.
The new organ stands on the acoustically advantageous organ gallery, opposite the choir. We developed the design of the organ façade in a long process in close collaboration with the architect Pierre Ilg and the organ committee. Size, shape and materials used (tin, sycamore and cherry wood) were carefully incorporated into the existing design of the church. A fan-shaped façade has been created, which, with some of the tin pipes arranged on a slant, reaches up to the heavens, thus taking up the themes featured in the choir of the church. The newly designed organ gallery balustrade plays an important role in allowing the design of the organ to be viewed to full effect, enabling the room, glass art and organ to be appreciated as a complete work of art.
The tonal design of the new organ is not based on a particular historical model, but is the result of careful consideration, the basis of which being the musical practices of today and the diverse demands on an organ for church service and concert use. It should be possible to perform music in various styles convincingly on the new instrument. Therefore the organ is not conceived as a style copy, but quite intentionally - as clearly reflected in its visual appearance - as a modern instrument for our time.
According to the wishes of those commissioning the instrument, the musical focal point of the new organ has its roots clearly in the French tradition of the 19th century. For many years our company has dealt intensively with the French style and its tonal characteristics, a style which differs in many details from that of the German tradition. In the scaling and voicing we could profit considerably from our great experience gained in restoring original instruments from this epoch and in building numerous large new organs in this style. As is usual in the French tradition, the Pedal organ has relatively few stops; through the use of the pedal couplers the pedals can, however, be used in a very versatile way. The second and third manuals stand on a twin windchest and these divisions are housed within the same swell box. This design saves a considerable amount of space and offers, thanks to the double use of the swell box, an unusually wide variety of tonal possibilities.
However, most important to us are not the stilistic considerations but the wish to create an outstanding musical instrument which has the power to move listeners attending church services and concerts with its sound.
Translation: SJR 2012
