University of Michigan Historic Organ Tour 55 Jeffrey K. Chase

rofessor Marilyn Mason’s Historic POrgan Tour 55 last July featured vis- its to , Vienna, Salzburg and , all enchanting cultural capitals or signifi cant cities of the former Haps- burg Empire. Participants, greeted by our excellent, handsome and witty guide Almar Otjes, assembled July 11 in Bu- dapest, the city of caves, spas and cof- feehouses, for the beginning of a musi- cal and historical adventure replete with congenial camaraderie, noteworthy or- gans, historic sites, and interesting food and wine. Budapest is also the home of the Aquincum Organ, the oldest known extant pipe organ in the world, dating from circa 228 A.D. and unearthed only in 1931. Its name derives from the an- cient Romans’ designation of its prov- ince (now known as ) containing a plethora of thermal baths. This small organ is considered to be the prototype Jerry Jelsema, Mary Morse, Marilyn Mason, Dana Hull, Ronald DeBlaey, Marian for all European organs. After this sin- Archibald, Gale Kramer and Katharine Babcock happily ascending the steps to St. gular early appearance, the organ wasn’t Florian Abbey on a rainy day (photo by Béla Fehér) Interior of the impressive Bartók to reappear again in Hungarian lands National Concert Hall in Budapest (photo for a millennium and a half—until the largest organs in Europe. A special fea- the side of the Danube, which was by Béla Fehér) fi nal defeat of the Ottoman Turks in ture is a sostenuto for all divisions. (See Béla Bartók’s last residence in Hungary. 1686—because, under the domination “A Concert Organ for the Béla Bartók It is now a museum honoring Bartók’s of the Turks, churches were converted to Hall in Budapest,” by Burkhard Goethe, memory and displaying many of his col- , where organs were forbidden. The Diapason, October 2008.) lections and personal possessions. Synagogues are rarely known for their Leaving Budapest on the way to Vi- Organs in Budapest organs because, unlike churches, syna- enna, we visited the attractive Baroque Eager to begin our itinerary, we pro- gogues rarely house an organ. But the very Tihany Abbey and its two-manual organ ceeded directly from the airport to the beautiful Great Synagogue in Budapest in a nearly 250-year-old case. This mon- organ at St. Antal, a built in 1947, (also known as the Dohány Street Syna- astery’s deed of foundation is the oldest with a rather plain interior except for its gogue), with the largest seating capacity Hungarian document preserved in its ceiling of interestingly painted decora- of any synagogue in Europe (1,492 seats original form. Although mainly written tion. We were impressed by the good for men and 1,472 seats for women), con- in Latin, it does contain some Hungar- acoustics and clarity of organ sound. This tains a 1996 Jehmlich of Dresden organ ian words and expressions and is con- organ, restored in the 1990s, lacks sub- (Op. 1121) with two separate consoles. sidered to be the oldest written linguis- tlety of sound and is, therefore, especial- Both (a Catholic) and Camille tic record of the . ly good for loud and bombastic music. Saint-Saëns (a Jew) performed on the Joined there by Prof. István Ruppert, The largest church building in Buda- original organ in this synagogue. we journeyed not far from Lake Balaton pest (and the second largest in Hungary) to a nearby winery owned by Prof. Rup- is St. Stephen’s , built between Basilica pert’s cousin, where we participated in 1857 and 1905. It is named to honor Esztergom is one of the oldest towns in a wine tasting and lunch. Satiated with Stephen (c. 975–1038), the fi rst King Hungary and was its capital from the 10th good food and drink, we continued on of Hungary, whose mummifi ed fi st is century until the mid-13th century. The to visit the three-manual organ at Zirc housed in its reliquary. Prior to playing red marble Basilica of the Blessed Virgin and then the 1989 Aquincum, Ltd., this four-manual Angster/Rieger/Varadi Mary Taken into Heaven and St. Adal- three-manual organ at the Holy Ghost and Son organ, we were introduced to its bert, built from 1822 to 1869, is the main Church in Györ, built during the Com- resident organist István Koloss (among church of the Archdiocese of Esztergom- munist occupation. whose teachers was Marcel Dupré), who Budapest, the largest church building in demonstrated the organ. (It was also Hungary, the third largest in Europe, and Vienna there that we were introduced to the the seat of the Roman in The twin-spired Votive Church in Vi- A model of the 1996 restoration of the young organist Norbert Balog, who as- Hungary. It is also the tallest building in enna was built near the site of a failed 228 A.D. Aquincum water organ on sisted us on our visits to the other organs Hungary, and its altarpiece depicting the assassination attempt on the life of display in the Bartók National Concert in Hungary on the itinerary.) Of special Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, young Emperor Franz Joseph in 1853. Hall in Budapest (photo by Béla Fehér) interest are this organ’s horizontal cop- by Michelangelo Grigoletti, is the largest This church was constructed over 23 per trumpet pipes. painting in the world painted on a single years (from 1856 to 1879) and, in com- which houses two organs—a 1991 me- Other organs visited in Budapest were piece of canvas. memoration and gratitude for the fact chanical key and stop action four-manual those in the churches of St. Anthony of This basilica’s organ is an 1856 Moos- that Franz Joseph survived that attempt Rieger organ, which is one of the largest Padua and of St. Anthony at Bosnyak er, currently undergoing renovation and without even a scratch, his brother Arch- instruments of its kind in Austria, and a Square; the four-manual Rieger organ enlargement. It has fi ve manuals and duke Ferdinand Maximilian (who later 1960 Michael Kauffmann four-manual, (1902) in St. Peter’s Franciscan Church; (only) 85 of the planned 146 stops, and became Emperor Maximilian of Mexico) 125-stop electric action organ with more the neo-classic Empire-style Great Lu- contains the largest organ pipes in Hun- dedicated this church, whose name “Vo- than 9,000 pipes and which was fi nanced theran Church on Deák Square (the old- gary (about 35 feet long). If completed tive” means an offering given in thanks by public donations (could this have est Lutheran church in Budapest), which as planned, it will be the largest organ for deliverance from a hardship or dif- been done today?!). houses the fi rst mechanical organ in Bu- in Hungary and the third largest organ fi cult circumstances, as thanks for the The Vienna Konzerthaus was opened dapest; and St. Matthias Church, with its in Europe. At the time of its construc- survival of his brother. in 1913 with a fi ve-manual Rieger organ four-manual Rieger-Kloss organ. tion in 1856, this organ was the largest in The organ in the Votive Church is an of 116 stops and electro-pneumatic ac- Of particular interest was the new fi ve- Hungary with 49 stops, 3,530 pipes and 1878 Walcker with three manuals, 61 tion, which was restored in 1982. The manual mechanical/electric action organ three manuals. The present instrument stops, and 3,762 pipes, mechanical action lavishly decorated St. Charles Church in the Bartók National Concert Hall. preserves several stops from the organ and cone valve chests. Damage during (Karlskirche), begun in 1715 and com- This fi ne organ, inaugurated in 2006, has Liszt had played. World War II necessitated restoration, pleted in 1737, was commissioned by 92 stops, 470 wooden pipes, 5,028 tin During some free time many attend- and by 1952 Molzer had, with the excep- the Emperor Charles VI to thank God pipes, 1,214 reed pipes, and is one of the ees visited the house on Csalán Road, on tion of the wind supply, restored it to its for answering his prayer to end the 1713 original condition. Today it is regarded Black Plague. It is a splendid Baroque as one of the most distinguished historic edifi ce designed to glorify the power and Le Chemin de la Croix – Marcel Dupré landmarks of the art of European organ rights of the Habsburg Empire and con- building. Our attendees had the good tains an 1847 Seyberth organ that was Marilyn Mason, Organist fortune of presenting a noontime con- restored by Hradetzky in 1989. Malcolm Tulip, Narrator and Professor of Theatre cert on this organ. St. Michael’s Church contains a three- Poetry of Paul Claudel That afternoon we took a side trip to manual, 40-stop gilded pipe organ (1714) Eisenstadt to visit the Esterhazy Palace, by Johann David Sieber; the largest Ba- where Haydn had worked and which to- roque organ in Vienna, it was played by February 8, Baylor University, Waco, Texas day houses the acoustically near perfect the 17-year-old Haydn in 1749. It was in (Midwinter Organ Conference February 8–10) Haydn Saal; and, just up the street, we this church that Mozart’s Requiem was February 15, Rosary Cathedral, Toledo, Ohio visited Haydn’s house, which is now a mu- fi rst performed as a memorial to its com- seum containing Haydn memorabilia. poser on 10 December 1791. In 1986–87 March 9, Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan (8 pm) The next day contained a very full itin- Jürgen Ahrend undertook a large-scale erary, with visits to organs in fi ve church- restoration of this instrument. Contact: [email protected] 734/764-2500 es and one concert hall. The fi rst stop The Gustav-Adolph Kirche, named to was Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral, honor a Swedish general who, in 1643,

20 THE DIAPASON

Feb 09 pp. 20-21.indd 20 1/12/09 1:31:13 PM ual, 28-stop organ (1671–73) in a for- mer Hussite church that is now called Church of Our Lady Before Tyn. Mundt, originally from Cologne, was one of the many foreigners who made Prague his home and who helped to shape the vi- brant cultural life of this distinctive Bo- hemian metropolis in the north part of the Habsburg Empire. It is reported that when Mundt signed the contract for the construction of the Tyn Church organ, he claimed that this instrument would have no equal in the kingdom. The con- Bartók’s desk, on which is displayed sensus is that this, the oldest pipe organ his typewriter and cylinder player, in in Prague and one of the most represen- the Bartók house in Budapest (photo by tative 17th-century organs in Europe, Béla Fehér) was the organ jewel on the tour. St. Ignatius, built from 1665–87, is a typical Baroque Jesuit church. Its stuc- cowork and statues of Jesuit and Czech saints are intended to awe people with the power of the Jesuit order. The historic organ in SS. Simon and Interior of the Great Synagogue in Budapest showing the double balconies (photo Judas, formerly a church and now a con- by Béla Fehér) cert hall, was the last organ visited and the other Prague exception to organ me- of the most monumental organs in the were informed that our recital was to diocrity. It is reported that both Haydn Central European region and, until 1886, begin in about 10 minutes, so, with no and Mozart played this instrument. Not was the largest organ in the Austro-Hun- time to acclimate to the organ, we were relative to organs but noteworthy was garian Empire. At Bruckner’s instigation, “on stage” before the public. The recital a Bentley with a boot on its tire parked in 1873 Matthäus Mauracher, Sr., rebuilt went off well. That’s show business! outside the building. That was indeed the organ to four manuals and 78 stops. St. Vitus Cathedral, a huge gothic a sight to behold! One would think that Today, after two subsequent renovations, church, was begun in the Middle Ages, anyone who could afford a Bentley could it has 7,386 pipes. An unusual feature of but for various reasons completed only afford to pay a ticket. this instrument is that the reeds are not in 1929. Continuously full of tourists and Like a meal with great food, with under expression. the din of their footsteps and conversa- second and third helpings, the visits to The last abbey visited is the yellow tion, it is the home of a rather undis- the organ buffet in Budapest, Vienna, Benedictine Baroque fortress Abbey tinguished Josef Meltzer three-manual Salzburg and Prague, and the generos- Melk, constructed in the early 1700s. organ built in 1929–31. From there we ity of the respective resident organists, Of the great organ built by the Viennese visited organs in St. Stephen’s Church provided plenty of time to sample and builder Gottfried Sonnholz in 1731, only and in St. Nicholas Church, where we savor the varieties and fl avors of the the case remains. In 1929 this organ was played another recital, but this time with various organs. ■ subject to “modernization.” In 1970 a the advantage of rehearsal time. new instrument by Gregor Hradetzky of Our Lady of the Snow, founded by Jeffrey K. Chase is a practicing attorney in Krems with three manuals, 45 stops, and Charles IV in 1347, was intended to be Ann Arbor, Michigan, with a concentration in 3,553 pipes on slider chests was installed the grandest church in Prague, but only the area of estate planning. He is a member of in the old case. The organ in the vestry the chancel was ever completed. This the bar of the United States Supreme Court. was built in 1986 by the Reil Brothers of church played an important role in the Prior to becoming an attorney, he earned a Mary Morse, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, bachelor’s degree in music literature and a the Netherlands and placed in the exist- history of the Hussites, who were the fol- master’s degree in musicology. He has been a singing, and Steven Hoffman, of ing baroque vestry cupboards. lowers of Jan Hus, a pre-Luther Protes- Cheyenne, Wyoming, accompanying on published feature writer and music critic for A visit to old Salzburg is like a time tant reformer. The Michigan Daily and The Detroit Free the organ in the Tyn Church in Prague warp into history. Nestled picturesquely In contrast, it was a real treat to play (photo by Béla Fehér) Press and has also written for High Fidelity, in the Austrian Alps, Salzburg was a prin- the Johann Mundt (1632–90) two-man- THE DIAPASON and The American Organist. cipality under the rule of its Archbishop marched with his army to Vienna in the until joining Austria in 1816. The Kajen- war of religions (the Thirty Years War), tanerkirche, constructed between 1685 was built about 1835 and, seating 1,500 and 1697 and incorporating an abbey people with its double balconies (as has and a hospital, was built for the Cajetan The OHS Catalog the Great Synagogue in Budapest), was Order, whose purpose was to recall the the largest non-Catholic church in Aus- clergy to an edifying life and the laity SHEET MUSIC ◆ BOOKS ◆ RECORDINGS tria. When it was built, Protestant church- to the practice of virtue, and to combat es were not permitted to have an entrance the teachings of Martin Luther. This from the street, so the main entrance was church contains a one-manual Christoph off the yard (now it is on the street side). Egedacher organ from 1672 that was re- It contains a Carl Hesse two-manual, 32- stored by Rieger in 1982. stop tracker organ from 1848. Salzburg’s Franciscan Church, the See the latest UPDATES The Schottenkirche (The Scots “people’s church,” experienced its last Church) was originally built for the major renovation by the noted Salzburg Irish Benedictines. (In the 12th century, architect Hans von Burghausen at the to The OHS Catalog! when Ireland was known as “New Scot- beginning of the 15th century. It is noted land,” Irish monks were invited to come for its magnifi cent hall choir, which ef- to Vienna from Regensburg.) Since that fectively refl ects the fusion of light and Get on our mailing list at time the building has suffered many ca- darkness, one of this church’s special fea- sualties, and the structure extant today is tures. The tower houses one of the old- wwwwww.OrganHistoricalSociety.net.net not the original church on this site, but est preserved bells made by the master wwwwwwwww.OrganHistoricalSociety.net.net.net a Baroque-style edifi ce built from 1638– bell-founder Jörg Gloppischer in 1468. 1648. The altarpiece in the Lady Chapel The organ is a three-manual Metzler and we will send you updates contains Vienna’s oldest votive painting from 1989. of the Virgin. The great Baroque or- From there we walked the short dis- featuring NEW and favorite ganist Johann Fux worked here about tance to the Salzburg Cathedral, where 1690. In this church on June 15, 1809, we played the three-manual west gal- a memorial service, at which Mozart’s lery 1988 Metzler organ, and also the organ sheet music, books, Requiem was performed, was held for two-manual Pirchner pillar organ from Joseph Haydn, who had recently died in 1991. That afternoon we took a side trip recordings and more. Vienna. The Schottenkirche choir organ to the Shrine of Our Lady of Maria Plain, is a two-manual, 20-rank Mathis instru- a place of pilgrimage for more than 300 ment from 1994. The main organ is now years that is situated on a hilltop with a a three-manual, 49-rank Mathis instru- spectacular view overlooking Salzburg. Over 5,0005,0005,000 titles in stock! ment from 1995. Originally the home of a 1682 Egedacher instrument in its choir gallery, today it Salzburg houses a 1955 two-manual organ built Order online at The next day was our abbey day as by Georg Westenfelder of Luxembourg we drove from Vienna to the charming based on the presumed disposition of the town of Salzburg, birth city of Mozart. Egedacher organ. The existence of the wwwwwwwww.ohscatalog.org Our fi rst stop was at the twin-towered original Egedacher pipes of the Copel 8′ Augustinian Abbey of St. Florian, the helped with the reconstruction. The hall- largest abbey in Upper Austria, where marks of the current organ are its mar- the young Bruckner had been organist, velous sound and its sensitive action. where he had written many of his com- Organ Historical Society positions, and where, at his request, he Organs in Prague P. O. Box 26811 • Richmond, VA 23261 is buried under the organ he loved so Surprisingly, with two exceptions, the Open Monday-Friday 9:30am - 5:00pm ET dearly. There are three organs in the ab- organs we experienced in Prague were Telephone (804)353-9226 bey. The great organ, an instrument built disappointingly undistinguished. When E-mail: [email protected] by the famous Slovenian organ builder we arrived at St. Aegidius Church at Franz Xavier Kristmann in 1771, was one about 4:20 on a Sunday afternoon, we

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Feb 09 pp. 20-21.indd 21 1/12/09 1:31:34 PM