The Great Organ

The large organ at the west gallery is a new construction of world-renowned organ builder G. F. Steinmeyer & Co. (Oettingen, Bavaria) from 1962 and has five manuals, a pedalboard, 86 stops and 6,697 pipes. Its unique features include the Zimbelstern and the tubular bells installed in 2015.

Based on the organ type by Johann Gottfried Hildebrandt (1768), Steinmeyer developed a large organ which can be used for a broad repertoire of styles. As with the organs before it, the facade extends into the central axis, with stepped and flowing sections along the sides which envelop the centre like a gown and thus blend seamlessly with the light baroque room designed by Johann Leonhard Prey and Ernst Georg Sonnin.

The instrument was technically overhauled during the work carried out in 2009 and 2010. Much of the key action (the link between the keys and the individual pallets) was rebuilt. Components of aluminium and plastic were replaced with systems, primarily in hardwood, which have proven their worth over the centuries, making it easier to bridge the distances, some of which are extremely long.

The sound structure of this organ, the so-called ‘disposition’, was left largely untouched, as it is logical and offers an extremely large and now rare selection of principals, mixtures, flutes and reed stops. The quality of the pipes and the voicing (the fine-tuning of the individual pipes) also proved to be of high quality. With the wind supply stabilised and the voicing carefully tuned, something extraordinary was achieved today: the tonal voicing of 1962 remains completely intact, but now its beauty and subtle nuances can be enjoyed to the full for the first time. Despite its impressive size, the instrument radiates noble elegance and warmth.

In 2015, organ builder Johannes Klais (Bonn) installed a glockenspiel at the rear wall of the organ, which works with 25 tubular bells (chimes ranging from d0 to d2) and can be played electrically at the primary console.

I. Positiv C–g3

Quintadena 16’
Principal 8’
Spitzflöte 8’
Oktave 4’
Rohrflöte 4’
Nasat 2 2/3’
Oktave 2’
Flachflöte 2’
Mixtur 6-8fach 1 1/3’
Cimbel 3fach 1/6’
Fagott 16’
Trompete 8’
Vox humana 8’
Tremulant

II. Hauptwerk C–g3

Principal 16’
Oktave 8’
Quinte 5 1/3’
Oktave 4’
Quinte 2 2/3’
Oktave 2’
Cornett 5fach 8’
Mixtur 6-8fach 2’
Scharff 4fach 2/3’
Trompete 16’
Trompete 8’
Trompete 4’

III. Schwellwerk C–g3

Bourdon 16’
Principal 8’
Violflöte 8’
Schwebung 8’
Oktave 4’
Flute travers 4’
Oktave 2’
Quinte 2 2/3’
Terz 1 3/5’
Septime 1 1/7’
Mixtur 4-6fach 1 1/3’
Bombarde 16’
Trompete 8’
Hautbois 8’
Clairon 4’
Tremulant

IV. Kronwerk C–g3

Hohlflöte 8’
Spitzgamba 8’
Principal 4’
Spitzflöte 4’
Nasat 2 2/3’
Oktave 2’
Gemshorn 2’
Oktave 1’
Terzian 2fach 1 3/5’
Scharff 6fach 1’
Regal 16’
Krummhorn 8’
Zinke 4’
Tremulant

V. Brustwerk C–g3

Quintadena 8’
Gedackt 8’
Principal 4’
Blockflöte 4’
Oktave 2’
Quinte 1 1/3’
Sesquialtera 2fach 2 2/3’
Scharff 5-7fach 1’
Cimbel 2fach 1/3’
Dulcian 16’
Bärpfeife 8’
Schalmey 4’
Tremulant
Zimbelstern (2009 erweitert)

Pedal C–g1

Principal 32’
Oktave 16’
Gemshorn 16’
Subbass (2009) 16’
Oktave 8’
Gedackt 8’
Oktave 4’
Koppelflöte 4’
Nachthorn 2’
Bauernflöte 1’
Hintersatz 5fach 4’
Rauschpfeife 3fach 2 2/3’
Mixtur 6-8fach 2’
Posaune 32’
Posaune 16’
Dulcian 16’
Trompete 8’
Trichterregal 8’
Trompete 4’
Vox humana 4’
Singend Cornett 2’

Tubular bells d0–d2 (can only be played at the primary console on manuals I–V, positioned at the rear wall of the Great Organ)

Manual couplers and sub-coupler III coupled (2009), primary console only

Super-coupler III coupled (2009), primary console only