Kuhn Organ Builders Ltd, 2019
New organ
www.orgelbau.ch/ope=114690
III/P/31
Germany, Baden-Wurttemberg
Münster, Chororgel und Auxiliarwerk
Building a new chancel organ and auxiliary division for Freiburg Minster was an extremely exciting, honourable job. The church interior, which is impressively large, is equipped with an organ installation consisting of four independent organs. They can be played both separately and jointly from a main console.
Chancel organ
The existing chancel organ was built in 1964/65 and originally stood in the first bay of the north side of the chancel. In the course of alterations to the choir in 1990/91 the organ underwent considerable changes, and was placed in a new case on the gallery in the first bay of the chancel on the south side. In view of the expense of an impending overhaul, the principal decided that a new organ should be built.
The new organ was installed in the same location and was given two facades, exactly like E.F. Walcker's chancel organ that stood here from 1881 1964. The main facade faces the chancel, the lateral facade faces the passage leading round the chancel. The organ does not have its own console but is played from the main console.
The tonal concept favours the task this organ has to fulfil during church services. Its main job is to accompany choirs, schola choirs and cantors. The new chancel organ is seen as an independent instrument that extends and enriches the world of sound offered by the minster organ facility as a whole.
Auxiliary division
The auxiliary division has been designed to supplement the "Marienorgel" ("organ of Our Lady"). This organ was built by Rieger in 1965 as the main organ in Freiburg Minster, and is located in the ideal position for this task. However, due to the specification and scaling, the organ is lacking in a certain fullness and warmth of tone in the lower and middle ranges. The new auxiliary division will strengthen this area of the Marienorgel whilst supplementing it with characteristic reed stops that were not previously available.
The auxiliary division has been installed in the old archive room in the southern lateral tower on the opposite side to the Marienorgel. The sound flows out through the archive room windows into the nave.
Translation: RS 2019
