# Organ performances - noteworthy organs



## Guest

I have had the good fortune, on a few occasions. to listen to some organ performances in venues that allowed me to really appreciate the instrument. While I love my recordings - particularly of Bach's organ works as performed by Helmut Walcha - there is nothing quite like hearing the instrument in situ. While in Salt Lake City, Utah, a couple years back, I had the opportunity to listen to a small organ recital in the Tabernacle there, which I greatly enjoyed. Many years back, I had the good fortune to be in Germany, specifically in the city of Weingarten, a short drive north of Lake Constance. On a bluff overlooking the city is a spectacular Basilika that houses an impressive organ, and I took the opportunity to hear it performed. 

Organ recitals, and concerts, often can be very inexpensive (sometimes even free, as was the case in both of my examples). I don't know of a good way, though, to find out about such performances, or even to find out if there are any noteworthy instruments in my neck of the woods. It isn't like with Symphony Orchestras, and such, which have websites and calendars. Any help here? Are there such resources to help find such performances?


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## ptr

Not knowing where You are situated makes it hard to give "specific" pointers..

Here are a few on-line resources that may be of use:

*Organ Focus*

*Organ Recitals* (Mostly UK)

*Organ Matters* (A bit UK'ish to) 

I haven't used any of them extensively, being an oft travelling OrganNut I usually do my own on-line research to find organs/recitals at the places where I'm bound. Another thing I often do is seek out organs that I have heard on CD, fx. I was given a CD with the very interesting Stellwagen Baroque Organ in the St.-Marien-Kirche in Stralsund (on the German Baltic Coast). Some time later I had to journey from Copenhagen and Berlin on my own and chose many hours of Car and ferry (instead of a 45 min flight) to be able to schedule good time for meeting and hearing that organ.









(Pic loaned from wikipedia)

/ptr


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## Ukko

I am congenitally suspicious of 'cathedral' organs - the reverb tends to blur things too much - but recently acquired a CD of Kevin Bowyer playing Alkan in Salisbury Cathedral. Great sound. You must go there _DrMike_. You can combine that experience with an examination of Stonehenge, out in the Plain.


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## Guest

I'd love to see Stonehenge - one of these days. Maybe there will be a scientific conference in England that I will "need" to attend.

I can understand about the reverb, but just the ambiance, and "feeling" the organ playing as much as hearing it, has been exhilirating.

Incidentally, this is the organ I heard in Weingarten, Germany, at the Basilica of St. Martin. It was built by Joseph Gabler between 1737 and 1750.








Oh, and I am located in Alabama, in the Southeastern U.S.


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## ptr

DrMike said:


> Oh, and I am located in Alabama, in the Southeastern U.S.


That is a lovely baroque organ!

This might be useful resource for you: *Pipe Organs of Central Alabama*

Something to start from at least!

/ptr


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## SiegendesLicht

I have had the good fortune to hear this organ:









in the church of St. Michaelis (Hamburg). In all honesty I don't know what it was that they played (I definitely need to broaden my knowledge of organ music) but it sounded breathtaking.


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## ptr

Hilltroll72 said:


> I am congenitally suspicious of 'cathedral' organs - the reverb tends to blur things too much...


I'm the complete opposite! The diffusion of the Cathedral Reverb is what makes the experience great!

Agree about the Salisbury Willis Organ, it is magnificent! I did a Willis Organ Tour in the UK four years ago, 12 Cathedrals in 16 Days, very rewarding!! Salisbury was one of them.

/ptr


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