Thu Mar 07, 2024 4:19 am
A sample set of a large Rudolf von Beckerath organ is available from Sonus Paradisi.
The organ in the St. Andreas church, Hildesheim (DE) was built by the most prominent representative of the German post-war organbuilding. It is one of his largest preserved instruments, and definitely the best one. It has 63 speaking stops with a total of 4,734 pipes on four manuals and pedal.
The organ has the typical features of its time: narrow reeds, smooth foundations voiced with an expressive "chiff", and a plethora of unusual aliquotes that represent the progressive element of organ design in search of new colors that one encounters in many instruments from this period. The organ has numerous mixtures and mutations, but unlike many other organs from the same period it is not voiced to "scream" or "pierce". The plenums on each manual are formidable, but balanced and beautiful. The arrangement of the five divisions follows the North German organ building tradition, the so called "Hamburger Prospekt". The organ is strictly built on the Werkprinzip design, so much so that there is no coupler between HW and Pedal. The organ does not need one, because the Pedal is a complete division by itself (and therefore we did not add it in Hauptwerk). A German organ expert advised: "It is particularly important to me that this excellent organ is preserved in its uniqueness. It is not a modern universal organ like Billerbeck or Görlitz, where you can add couplings, stops, etc. almost as desired. If you understand the principle of a baroque organ and its divisions, then you also understand this organ. And this is what you should convey to users: think, pause and recognize the principle of the divisions."
The sound of this organ unites remarkably well with the church acoustics. The reverberation time is almost 8 seconds! The generous acoustics of the church contribute to the power and beauty of the sound.
Compare yourself the sound of this organ with other extra large Sonus Paradisi virtual organs:
The organ in the St. Andreas church, Hildesheim (DE) was built by the most prominent representative of the German post-war organbuilding. It is one of his largest preserved instruments, and definitely the best one. It has 63 speaking stops with a total of 4,734 pipes on four manuals and pedal.
The organ has the typical features of its time: narrow reeds, smooth foundations voiced with an expressive "chiff", and a plethora of unusual aliquotes that represent the progressive element of organ design in search of new colors that one encounters in many instruments from this period. The organ has numerous mixtures and mutations, but unlike many other organs from the same period it is not voiced to "scream" or "pierce". The plenums on each manual are formidable, but balanced and beautiful. The arrangement of the five divisions follows the North German organ building tradition, the so called "Hamburger Prospekt". The organ is strictly built on the Werkprinzip design, so much so that there is no coupler between HW and Pedal. The organ does not need one, because the Pedal is a complete division by itself (and therefore we did not add it in Hauptwerk). A German organ expert advised: "It is particularly important to me that this excellent organ is preserved in its uniqueness. It is not a modern universal organ like Billerbeck or Görlitz, where you can add couplings, stops, etc. almost as desired. If you understand the principle of a baroque organ and its divisions, then you also understand this organ. And this is what you should convey to users: think, pause and recognize the principle of the divisions."
The sound of this organ unites remarkably well with the church acoustics. The reverberation time is almost 8 seconds! The generous acoustics of the church contribute to the power and beauty of the sound.
Compare yourself the sound of this organ with other extra large Sonus Paradisi virtual organs:
- Rotterdam (Marcussen),
Billerbeck (Fleiter),
Görlitz (Mathis),
Doesburg (Walcker),
Bellevue (Casavant)
San Francisco (Skinner).
