Baroque organ in Berne: Festive inauguration and concerts!

Baroque organ in Berne: Festive inauguration and concerts!

The parish of Berne has devoted itself to the preservation of its precious baroque organ with a lot of dedication and commitment. After comprehensive restoration work, which has been necessary after 45 years since the last renovation, the organ will be inaugurated on Saturday, June 21, at 3 p.m. in the St. Aegidius Church. The work included a general cleaning and redesign in order to remove technical defects and the consequences of dust and woodworm that had ensured limited sound quality. These measures have significantly improved the mood and address of the whistles, explains klosterorgel.de.

For the festival service, the talented cantor Natalia Gvozdkova will take over the musical accompaniment. At this special event, the history of the instrument is also shown in a scenic way. In this way, visitors can not only experience the sounds, but also the rich history of the organ up close. In the future, the restored organ will reproduce the authentic sound of the repertoire of Dutch and German composers of the 16th and 17th centuries, which will also be shown in the upcoming Bern evening music in 2025.

a musical weekend

After the re -inauguration, the music lovers can look forward to a number of concerts. On Sunday, June 22nd, the renowned Cologne organist Léon Berben will play on the Bernese organ. This concert is part of the efforts to promote the musical legacy of the Church. In addition, on August 16, a concert for organ and baroque trombone with Natalia Gvozdkova and Tural Ismayilov from Hamburg and on September 21st a performance by Krzysztof Urbaniak from Bremen/Kraków will be on the program.

A special highlight will be the second Bernese organ concert by Léon Berben on December 28th, in which a new CD recording of the Bernese organ with works by Dieterich Buxtehude is also presented. The evening music begins at 7 p.m. and invite all interested parties to enjoy the recovered splendor of the organ and immerse themselves in the world of baroque music.

The details of the restoration

The measure for restoration included a back laying of the organ by 1.20 m back to ensure a better view for the audience and to create more space for the choir and orchestra. The game table also got an update with new swivel levers and a modern pedal slave. The pipes were thoroughly cleaned and revised, and to maintain the original sound, the registers were also redesigned.

With a wooden platform construction that enables the organ to be completely accessed, and magnificent brochures that can be admired at church festivals and organ tours, the parish of Berne not only expects a new chapter in its musical history, but also numerous visitors who want to experience this tone journey up close. The swing with which the work was carried out testifies to a good hand to preserve this cultural heritage, which is of great importance for the community.