Organ Works

The parish church of 1628 in the town of Weilheim is one of the most significant sacred buildings in the Pfaffenwinkel in Bavaria, and, from an historical standpoint, its unusual style is a notable example of mannerism in architecture. Here we see the stricter forms of the Renaissance beginning to loosen and developing further towards the liveliness of the Baroque.

The rich musical life of the church, which has an outstanding acoustic, requires an organ with top-class tonal substance, something which the previous, worn-out instrument was unable to provide.

The tonal concept of the new organ is based on the South German musical tradition, combined with influences from other regions. Its character is marked above all by colour, fullness, clarity and brilliance derived from the reed registers. The acoustics favour a noble rather than an over-powerful sound, with elegant flutes and strings in the foreground. The tonal palette is extended by a variety of mutations and individual colours. The proposed specification fulfils the musical demands of both liturgical and concert use.

The position of the three windows on the rear wall of the church provide an opportunity to divide the organ into four separate sections. The three cases on the gallery will contain Manuals I to III with mechanical action, as well as the Pedal with electric action. The Hauptwerk in the centre is flanked by the Positiv on the left and the Schwellwerk on the right, both with parts of the Kleinpedal. The musical picture is completed by Manual IV (Solo), a Fernwerk placed in a swellbox behind the high altar and containing overblowing (harmonic) registers offering special tonal effects. The result should be a broadly dispersed tonal spectrum, with the Solowerk adding liturgical accompaniment in South German tradition within the choir area of the church. The free-standing console at the front of the gallery will provide good visual and aural oversight.

The case design will present itself as a self-confident, modern, but harmoniously integrated solution without historical borrowings. The facades form a light, translucent veil of irregularly arranged pipes and thin poles. The curved floor plan and upper lines take up the elegance of the church interior, while the warm color of the design elements allows the organ front to recede within the architecture.

The congregation has set up a website to present the project: https://www.unsereneueorgel.de/