Pierre Lauwers

[Good choices, Bazuin ! if you like Schlagl, then it is time to launch a big action to rise Johannes Schnetzler, euh, John Snetzler's shareholder's value ! Egedacher's are fabulous organs. (and the Aa-Kerk as well). Pierre

If you propone them to build a Tromba chorus with a Harmonics (also with 1 3/5' and 1 1/7' ranks), I guess they would accept the challenge with the greatest pleasure. Pierre

The dissepeared (in 1938) Casparini organ of Görlitz, 1700. Pierre

My best wishes for 2010 include: 10 orders for new british organs on the continent by british builders 10 travels to central Germany organised for british organists 10 historic british organs rescued (from whatever period) and restored after german standards -that is, true to the origin up to the nails-. Pierre

Not to forget : Thuringia ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ2pZgMSMUI Part II: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aW0OlI1tLM...feature=related .....Quite different from Alkmaar & Co (without any prejudice to their value, of course!) isn't it ? Pierre

An historic organ, no doubt. It is to be hoped they won't imagine needs to blow wind in the room there and change all for the sake of "things must be changed" pathology... I have recordings of this fine organ, but this said, as far as Bach is concerned, it is about to the Antipodes to the organs Bach played. It is a 20th century organ, suited to the music of the 20th century before anything else. Pierre

"Orgelbewegung/Authentic " (Quote) A fine contradiction with only two words!!! :lol: Such "Octopuses" we still have a number in Belgium today. It was customary to glue some whistles on them (you know, that standard cheap work, the same everywhere), or to sawn the celeste to get a "Nazard" from it, but nobody would still do that today. We indeed live in a noisy world today; engines and traffic, loudspeakers, have deprived much of us of some hearing abilities, we are accustomed to overdone effects in modern big-budgets movies, so that it needs some effort to be able to taste Dulcianas and the like, hence the craze for loud chamades -and the coming back of the Tuba-. Once again, the "Baroque aequals Brightness" assumption is a false one. It is not fair to the incredible riches of the baroque organ, a shortcut not more to the point as "France= Froggs" and the like. The "orgelbewegt" organ is a style in itself, just another interesting, genuine page of the History of the organ. But it is not a "baroque" one. Now how does sound a good Octopus like ? Here is an example; indeed, this organ isn't an Octopus -it has 2' stops and Mixtures- but here are only 8' used: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDWkqZIE13k (The player is Cindy Castillo from Belgium) Van Bever (not: "Van den Bever"!) organs have big scaled fluework, all in Zinc save the treble plus occasional ancient pipework re-used from a previous organ. Pierre

As we say in my own language: Fronnlich Weinacht ze allen ! Pierre

As far as Bach is concerned, the interesting organs are in the "Neuen Ländern", the ex-DDR area also. Do a Google on "Wagner Orgel"(1) and "Trost Orgel", and you will soon find interesting contacts...Slightly less busy than more "trendy", but less "Bach-close", places. (1)- Use "advanced search" in order to be able to avoid the word "Richard"!!! Pierre

There is an historic video (from the french national archives) here, featuring the Reims Cathedral organ presented by its titular: This whole period, with its transnational connections, still need to be explained. There is the Gonzalez-Von Beckerath connection, there is the time Von Beckerath spended with Frobenius before going back again in France, there is the Klais "Bauhaus" style.....And probable connections between those people and Holtkamp in the U.S. We see there a common adventure, involving players we now see as distinct ones. In that matter we should not forget one of the inheritors of the Von Beckerath tradition is our host. Pierre

We do have a thread about the Reims organ on the french Forum. All are conscious this is an historic organ one cannot imagine whatever about... There are several "northern connections" with Victor Gonzalez; through R. Von Beckerath, it seems he also was influenced by Frobenius. There are, in particular, some strange Gonzalez Mixtures, flutey, and with only one break throughouth the compass, voiced by V. Beckerath, in early Gonzalez organs. This whole story should be investigated further. The language is so high a barrier in France that even the Von Beckerath influence is often ignored.... Pierre

The 1930's period was a difficult one for the french organ, so that, Alsace and Lorraine apart, true post-romantic french organs are seldom; needless to say, out of this limited number, a majority have been "corrected" by the "ta-ti-tuh-tah" tribe... One major exception is the organ of Verdun Cathedral, built by a firm Marcel Dupré ressorted to whenever he could Photo and specifications: http://frederic.chapelet.free.fr/verdun.htm Sound files are now available here: http://www.herisson.org/Verdun,%20ND,%20prog%201986.php .....From this Website (worth a visit, with others french organs from the Département du Nord): http://www.herisson.org/ Pierre

This must be, above all, seen as an open door -for all british builders- towards the continent. Leiden is not far from Belgium, so that this organ will be played and heard by belgians... Pierre

Of course we do not know yet how long this interest for the british organ will last. But in the mean time it could produce quite interesting cross-over styles. As I said, this nearly happened once, just before the Orgelbewegung, for example with Stahlhuth. Oscar Walcker could have followed, but he was himself in so "visible" a position in so *peculiar* times that he could not. Pierre

"Philipp Klais explained the company had been particularly keen to secure the Auckland project because it envisaged a style of instrument closely matching Klais’ own evolving thinking on the future of the concert organ." (Quote) YESSSS!!! Pierre

....I think I already mentionned Ieper Cathedral. Of course, save potato fields, there is nothing in the Polders ! As for Aachen, this is the Hofstat of my own language, minge bester Frenn'! (We say: "Oche"). There are even some organs there: http://www.aachendom.de/index229-0.aspx Moreover, Oche/ Aachen was the town of a significant organ-builder, Stahlhuth: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Stahlhuth ....A pupil of Josef Merklin in Brussels, he built after a peculiar style, uniting german, french and british influencies. you can have, for instance, french Flûtes harmoniques, german Principals and strings, a Tuba bought in England and Trompettes from Mazurie, Paris, in the same organ. It is, therefore, not surprising for such a town to be some years ahead of others! Pierre

Post edited (my mistake).

This was customary up to the end of the 19th century: Grossquintbass (or others names) 10 2/3' was labelled: 12' Grossquint 5 1/3' was 6' Quint 2 2/3' was 3' ....And the 19th sometimes 1 1/2' instead of 1 1/3'. This was so in all european Orgellandschäfte. Of course the pipes themselves did not differ in lenght from those of today! Pierre

Aethereal Bach ! Played on the former Narbonne cathedral organ, a post-romantic Maurice Puget, in the 70's: Pierre

As you already know, the fashion on the continent today goes towards the german and english romantic organs. So there is an interest for their repertoires as well. And besides the Tuba tunes and others decorative, circumstances-driven works, there are the deeper-meant works the british never liked too much (pedantry, disturbing, etc, etc, etc); this is what is sought after this side of the Chunnel, where Grigny is preffered to Balbastre. Pierre

So the organ Marketing works too well.... Back to the music ? Why does Howells please so much to the continentals ? Pierre

Even better: you won't get out today. (Serviceman will come on Monday, 9 A.M.). Pierre

YES!!! From a marketing point of view, Bach must be scraped save the only "good" Toccata. "Concentrate on value", guys. Remember: 20% of your customers make 80% of your income, and this, with 20% of your portfolio. So: drop 80% of your products and 80% of your customers, and so increase profits ! (Of course you'll do the same next year, and, and, and...) Pierre

"Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the (Schindler) heavens. ".... Pierre

"of the contributor to the August Organists' Review who suggested that recitals should consist entirely of "pieces with tunes" and that there should be no fugues?" (Quote) A somewhat caricatural version of my point: This is suicide ! After 25 years at work in the Marketing, I learnt something about it, ladies and gent'.... Pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap, and after us they can eat the stones! Pierre