Imagine you are an organ builder, and one day you get a call inquiring about a possible new organ install, and you ask where this organ would be located. And the caller says "the Thomaskirche in Leipzig". Would one be thrilled, or terrified?
I attended a Friday organ vespers service at St. Thomas Kirche in 2018 as part of the Houston/Leipzig Sister Cities delegation. Thought I had died and gone to heaven.
I was to Germany in 2000 for Oberammergau Passionsspiele. Leipzig was on the tour. It was nice to see this organ which had been placed, but they were tuning it. How wonderful for me!!
You have made it so easy to understand the capabilities of this fine organ. By listing the registration as you added one stop after another permits those who would love to play that organ get a feel for what it can do and how to properly build registration. Thank you.
Hello, I played on a smaller Woehl organ (II+P, 18 stops) for many years. This small organ has a lot of octave couplings to make the tonal dimension appear much larger. The traction of the manuals is extremely fine and smooth. It was always a pleasure for me to be able to play the instrument.
I'm very glad, that I discovered this channel. Every video (and first of all sound :-)) here is for me big joy and pleasure! My cordial thanks for this worthy work. Best wishes and God's blessing for further recordings. Greetings from the Czech Republic
Kedves Bálint (ha szólíthatom így)....Körmöcbányán találkoztunk annakidején, és most nagyon örültem ennek a "Bach-orgona" demónak, mert remekül , és közben szórakoztatóan (én inkább az "élvezhetően" szót használnám) mutatta be ezt a szép hangzású hangszert. Köszönet ezért a remek bemutatásért, és nagyon élveztem a BWV 550-est is a végén.Sok sikert és mi felvidéki magyarok büszkék vagyunk Önre. Dr.Lakatos Ferenc, Losonc.
Great overview of a fine instrument. It must be a funny feeling to play in the same church that Bach was Kantor (edited to be correct) in. Love the Bach Prelude BWV 550 at the end. The reeds fit perfectly on the manuals and your pedal tempo allowed a little blooming of the notes. I love this piece in a heavy reed registration. As you played along your grin was perfect. Job well done sir. Thoroughly enjoyed it and thank you again for taking the time to make and share this video.
@@bkarosi Hard to argue when you are right. If I thought for a moment what a Kappelmeister was I would have double checked. So how did it feel to be playing in the same space?
@@KravchenkoAudioPerth it is a feeling you cannot describe to be IN the same space let alone PLAYING in the same space. His face in the window across the nave is staring at you...i enjoyed my time to and in tears!
Fantastic demonstration of the Werkprinzip rationale. Principal and flute choruses up to very bright mixtures; bright, metallic-sounding reeds thickened by the mutations that also add a spectrum of colour to the individual ranks. And that sesquialtera; wow.
Imagine if they were clearing some basement room, and they were to find a few of the original pipes hidden away. Pipes Bach himself played. Do you put them in the Bach museum? Me, I would build a new rank based on those pipes, and include the old pipes in it, with new pipes to complete it. And I'd give that rank a golden stop knob, and think every time I used that rank that "this is Bach's stop". lol
Notice how the Prinzipal 8’ on the Bach instrument Is not a screaming, hooting ear-splitting stop- some American pipe organ builders would do well to learn that “principle”..
This is a rather new organ. I guess, there is nothing left from Bach's time. In Elsinore, Denmark, there is an organ played by Buxtehude, which is - of course - renovated or rebuilt several times, last time by Marcussen, but still has a lot of parts back from Buxtehude's time. Have you made a video about this organ? If not, have you considered the idea of doing it?
Once again, sir, you have excelled yourself. Your manner of demonstrating an organ is more comprehensive and informative than most others doing the same. Perhaps the Sauer organ in the same church would be worth a look at - we rarely hear it since the advent of the Bach instrument, but if one looks hard enough, Michael Pohl's recordings, a generation or more since, may reappear.
I listened to both instruments last summer. De Sauer is soundwise the more mature instrument of the two. The sound character is the same throughout the church. The 'Bach organ' from Woehl, although nice in the lower registers, is quite aggressive in the higher stops if you stand opposite the organ below in the church. It also often does not mix well. If you then move aside to the choir or towards the Sauer, the sound becomes more balanced. In my opinion, this indicates non-optimal pipe mensures or non-optimal intonation technique.
Ich hatte jahrelang das Glück an einer etwas kleineren Woehl-Orgel (BJ 1994) zu spielen. Mein Orgelunterricht fand dort statt. Da war die Orgel 1 Jahr alt. Ich kenne die sehr leichtgängige Traktur nur zu gut. Wo man einen direkten haptischen Kontakt zum Ventil spurt. Artikulation ist damit wunderbar möglich. Ebenso kommen mir aus der Aufnahme hier auch die Prinzipale und die Rohrflöte nur zu gut bekannt vor. Woehl schaffte es aus einer 18 Register Orgel, die sehr farbenfroh disponiert (er nennt es kreiert bzw. komponiert) ist, dank Sub- und Superoktabkoppeln sowie schlau angelegte Transpositionen, eine sehr mächtig klingende Orgel zu bauen. Ein Instrument welches zu Recht "Königin der Instrumente" benannt wird. Dank der Oktavkoppeln bekommt man aus einer Viola 8' und einer Fugara 4' ein vollständigen Streicher-Chor: 16' (Sub Viola 8'), 8' (Viola 8'), 8' (Sub Fugara 4'), 4' (Fugara 4'), 4' (Super Viola 8'), 2' (Super Fugara 4'). Das Horn 8' (eher eine etwas zurückhaltende Trompete) kann man sich da analog vorstellen... das wird mächtig. Wirklich ein begnadeter Orgelbauer.
It's a good idea the stops explanation and their sounds. Brustwerk should be in a different phisical position about the main organ? Is it a new conception of this organ builder? Thank and good Music!
Hello Mr. Bailint, I have a question what kind of microphone equipment you use for this video. And use an external mixing console for recording individual registers.
None of the organ is form Bach's time, it is a new instrument built in 2000. I was a featured recitalist for the International Bach Organ Festival in 2019.
@@erick-gd7wo The case is actually based on a Baroque-era organ the Paulinerkirche had -- the Soviets bleew it up in 1968 to make a university. The organ was not saved. LEgend has it the Paulinerkirche's organ was JSB's favorite, so when they made this one, they paid homage to it. It was white, very much like this, and devoid of excess decoration. I love this Woehl organ, one day I will visit Bach's grave, and hope to hear it then.
Wunderbar~♡♡ Was willing to hear the immitation organ of silbermann/Hildebrandt! It could be awesome if I hear Louis Vierne on this baroque orgel♡♡ Danke Viemals auf SüdKorea!^^
How long ago was this instrument put in the church? It is marvelous. I was a tourist in that church almost 50 years ago and the instrument in it then was as I recall a rather Romantic and not Bach-ish instrument. This one fits the heritage.
At the Bachkirche in Eisenach there is the 1703 Wender organ, that’s where Bach held his first professional job as organist. The organ is also more or less original
Unfortunately, no. That organ was removed in 1889, and was replaced by the large (III/P/100) Sauer organ, which is still there and still in use. In 1967 the firm of Alexander Schuke of Potsdam installed the three-manual instrument on which E. Power Biggs made his famous recordings in 1973 That instrument, in turn, was replaced by the instrument in this video in 2000.
Even the Oberwerk Principal chorus with the “scharff” mixture Is pleasant and not a screaming airplane ready for takeoff. (God bless some of our American pipe organ builders, but I can’t understand why they -some of them at least -like fairly high wind pressures and screaming mixtures and screaming principal choruses.)
Personally I think the previous Schuke organ sounded much better and captured the baroque sound more. Some of the recordings on that organ sound absolutely amazing and it's sad it was dismantled and the pipes were put in other organs. Still, the Woehl organ is still a very good neo-baroque organ!
Many thanks for this interesting demonstration. A wonderful instrument. Seeing the modern façade, manuals, etc., can anyone enlighten me about the *present-day organ-builder?* (I checked-out the link, but don't read German - although I did find the disposition.)
The “damnation” of Scheibe...for judging this organ i want to use the same words J.S. Bach used for the Paulinerkirche organ: “[…]The various faults revealed in the uneven voicing must and can be improved immediately by the organ builder [Woehl] -that is, that the [middle] pipes in the [manual Trombetta 8’] and the Trompetenbass 8′ do not speak so roughly and with such a rattle, but with a pure and firm tone; and then the remaining pipework that is uneven must be diligently corrected and made even, which can be conveniently done when the entire instrument is once again tuned”. And then: “[…]As concerns the organ case, it clearly cannot be denied that it is very tightly confined, and it is thus difficult to reach each part in the event that, with time, something needs repair.”...
To build a baroque organ nowadays, can only be forgiven in the "Thomas-kirche." But there is also another suitable for romantic literature (except for French composers).
It's the current organ where JS Bach worked. Not the organ which Bach played. There is one still in existence which Bach played, in fact he played it when it was brand new. It's in Störmthal, not far from Liepzig.
What's wrong with the recording level ? It's up and down like a prostitutes knickers at a peep show in Amsterdam. Must do better but a great demonstration.
I just don’t know why a church with organs Bach never played are in a church with a strong relation to Bach. Nor do the facades look anything like an organ from Bach’s time
An excellent organ. But next time, I suggest Casavant. They have been carrying the torch for North German style organs for almost 150 years! They deserve a shot at the Thomaskirche!
Imagine you are an organ builder, and one day you get a call inquiring about a possible new organ install, and you ask where this organ would be located. And the caller says "the Thomaskirche in Leipzig". Would one be thrilled, or terrified?
extremely terrified
Love love love that you put the registrations on the screen live with the play what a brilliant idea!!!
Fascinating demonstration, kind of a dream for all those who will never have the chance to climb up there ! Thank you !
The world needs more videos like these
Chad Beverly your right about that 👍
I attended a Friday organ vespers service at St. Thomas Kirche in 2018 as part of the Houston/Leipzig Sister Cities delegation. Thought I had died and gone to heaven.
This church was born for Bach's genius. It has a perfect acoustic and wonderful architecture. Wonderful modern organ.
I was to Germany in 2000 for Oberammergau Passionsspiele. Leipzig was on the tour. It was nice to see this organ which had been placed, but they were tuning it. How wonderful for me!!
That is a fabulous instrument!!👍👍
You have made it so easy to understand the capabilities of this fine organ. By listing the registration as you added one stop after another permits those who would love to play that organ get a feel for what it can do and how to properly build registration.
Thank you.
Hello, I played on a smaller Woehl organ (II+P, 18 stops) for many years. This small organ has a lot of octave couplings to make the tonal dimension appear much larger. The traction of the manuals is extremely fine and smooth. It was always a pleasure for me to be able to play the instrument.
This is such an education. This is beyond valuable. Thank you so much for this video! I cannot express my personal thanks more. This is wonderful!
What a wonderful demonstration on this beautiful organ! Thank you!! 🌺
Pour les organistes, ces vidéos de monsieur Karosi sont des leçons précieuses de registration. Merci.
Was für tolle Orgel mit ihrem tollen Klang!
What clear and beautiful sounds! I can not imagine what happens behind the walls after a register is actioned!
I'm very glad, that I discovered this channel. Every video (and first of all sound :-)) here is for me big joy and pleasure! My cordial thanks for this worthy work. Best wishes and God's blessing for further recordings. Greetings from the Czech Republic
A big big thank you from France : your videos are very enjoyable and the demo with the stops is very very interesting! Thanks!!
Bonjour Jean
Sais tu quels extraits joue t il?
@@gilbertgoldbaum2658 Il s'agit du prelude du Prelude et Fugue en sol majeur bwv 550 de JS Bach !
Kedves Bálint (ha szólíthatom így)....Körmöcbányán találkoztunk annakidején, és most nagyon örültem ennek a "Bach-orgona" demónak, mert remekül , és közben szórakoztatóan (én inkább az "élvezhetően" szót használnám) mutatta be ezt a szép hangzású hangszert. Köszönet ezért a remek bemutatásért, és nagyon élveztem a BWV 550-est is a végén.Sok sikert és mi felvidéki magyarok büszkék vagyunk Önre. Dr.Lakatos Ferenc, Losonc.
such a fantastic organ!!!
Thank you again, BK! Great overview of this machine. I like the softer ranks best, especially those Brustwerk Gedackts - very sweet. Cheers!
Great overview of a fine instrument. It must be a funny feeling to play in the same church that Bach was Kantor (edited to be correct) in. Love the Bach Prelude BWV 550 at the end. The reeds fit perfectly on the manuals and your pedal tempo allowed a little blooming of the notes. I love this piece in a heavy reed registration. As you played along your grin was perfect. Job well done sir. Thoroughly enjoyed it and thank you again for taking the time to make and share this video.
Kravchenko Audio he was Kantor there
@@bkarosi Hard to argue when you are right. If I thought for a moment what a Kappelmeister was I would have double checked. So how did it feel to be playing in the same space?
@@KravchenkoAudioPerth it is a feeling you cannot describe to be IN the same space let alone PLAYING in the same space. His face in the window across the nave is staring at you...i enjoyed my time to and in tears!
Fantastic demonstration of the Werkprinzip rationale. Principal and flute choruses up to very bright mixtures; bright, metallic-sounding reeds thickened by the mutations that also add a spectrum of colour to the individual ranks. And that sesquialtera; wow.
Beautiful sound awesome organ thank you for sharing
Brilliant playing. Bravo. Superb registrations. Art Scott
Magnificent demonstration of the Woehl Organ Thomaskirche.
Wow! What a really nice organ that is! Some excellent stop combinations demonstrated there.
This is excellent! Thank you!
Imagine if they were clearing some basement room, and they were to find a few of the original pipes hidden away. Pipes Bach himself played. Do you put them in the Bach museum? Me, I would build a new rank based on those pipes, and include the old pipes in it, with new pipes to complete it. And I'd give that rank a golden stop knob, and think every time I used that rank that "this is Bach's stop". lol
Just found your channel. Subscribed!
Notice how the Prinzipal 8’ on the Bach instrument Is not a screaming, hooting ear-splitting stop- some American pipe organ builders would do well to learn that “principle”..
A bright and warm sound all around!
This is a rather new organ. I guess, there is nothing left from Bach's time. In Elsinore, Denmark, there is an organ played by Buxtehude, which is - of course - renovated or rebuilt several times, last time by Marcussen, but still has a lot of parts back from Buxtehude's time. Have you made a video about this organ? If not, have you considered the idea of doing it?
What is he playing between 2:51 - 3:35 ?
Once again, sir, you have excelled yourself. Your manner of demonstrating an organ is more comprehensive and informative than most others doing the same. Perhaps the Sauer organ in the same church would be worth a look at - we rarely hear it since the advent of the Bach instrument, but if one looks hard enough, Michael Pohl's recordings, a generation or more since, may reappear.
I listened to both instruments last summer.
De Sauer is soundwise the more mature instrument of the two. The sound character is the same throughout the church. The 'Bach organ' from Woehl, although nice in the lower registers, is quite aggressive in the higher stops if you stand opposite the organ below in the church. It also often does not mix well. If you then move aside to the choir or towards the Sauer, the sound becomes more balanced. In my opinion, this indicates non-optimal pipe mensures or non-optimal intonation technique.
From 12:25 - perfection. I feel elevated.
Johann Sebastian Bach sagt hervorragend und wunderbar!
Robert Telarket : ich denke, er wird eher gesagt haben: „Ne nü, ne woa, mir hahn en neue Oberkeet!“ 😎
Er hätte applaudiert
Love the Regal 8'!
Jeff Windoloski wait until I upload the Regal and Rankett stops from Leer
@@bkarosi Can't wait...keep the videos coming! :-)
Tolle Orgel, Die Farben!!
Ich hatte jahrelang das Glück an einer etwas kleineren Woehl-Orgel (BJ 1994) zu spielen. Mein Orgelunterricht fand dort statt. Da war die Orgel 1 Jahr alt.
Ich kenne die sehr leichtgängige Traktur nur zu gut. Wo man einen direkten haptischen Kontakt zum Ventil spurt. Artikulation ist damit wunderbar möglich. Ebenso kommen mir aus der Aufnahme hier auch die Prinzipale und die Rohrflöte nur zu gut bekannt vor.
Woehl schaffte es aus einer 18 Register Orgel, die sehr farbenfroh disponiert (er nennt es kreiert bzw. komponiert) ist, dank Sub- und Superoktabkoppeln sowie schlau angelegte Transpositionen, eine sehr mächtig klingende Orgel zu bauen. Ein Instrument welches zu Recht "Königin der Instrumente" benannt wird.
Dank der Oktavkoppeln bekommt man aus einer Viola 8' und einer Fugara 4' ein vollständigen Streicher-Chor: 16' (Sub Viola 8'), 8' (Viola 8'), 8' (Sub Fugara 4'), 4' (Fugara 4'), 4' (Super Viola 8'), 2' (Super Fugara 4').
Das Horn 8' (eher eine etwas zurückhaltende Trompete) kann man sich da analog vorstellen... das wird mächtig.
Wirklich ein begnadeter Orgelbauer.
Games & More interessant! Verrätst Du uns, wo die steht?
Thanks for another great stoptour! We‘re hoping for the Sauer organ to be up next!!😇
This was fascinating. Thank you!
It's a good idea the stops explanation and their sounds.
Brustwerk should be in a different phisical position about the main organ? Is it a new conception of this organ builder?
Thank and good Music!
Hello Mr. Bailint, I have a question what kind of microphone equipment you use for this video.
And use an external mixing console for recording individual registers.
What is the name of the tune he uses to demonstrate (eg. Starting at 2:52)?
Wunderbar!
I can hear it is an old tuning, but which one?? Werckmeister?
How much of the original organ from Bach's day is still there? How did you get permission to touch the organ?
None of the organ is form Bach's time, it is a new instrument built in 2000. I was a featured recitalist for the International Bach Organ Festival in 2019.
@@bkarosi that is why i wonder what a very modern colour combination on the organ, white and black..... and lack of ornaments
@@erick-gd7wo The case is actually based on a Baroque-era organ the Paulinerkirche had -- the Soviets bleew it up in 1968 to make a university. The organ was not saved. LEgend has it the Paulinerkirche's organ was JSB's favorite, so when they made this one, they paid homage to it. It was white, very much like this, and devoid of excess decoration. I love this Woehl organ, one day I will visit Bach's grave, and hope to hear it then.
Wunderbar~♡♡ Was willing to hear the immitation organ of silbermann/Hildebrandt!
It could be awesome if I hear Louis Vierne on this baroque orgel♡♡
Danke Viemals auf SüdKorea!^^
Ohne Worte......
Nagyon Szép!
How long ago was this instrument put in the church? It is marvelous. I was a tourist in that church almost 50 years ago and the instrument in it then was as I recall a rather Romantic and not Bach-ish instrument. This one fits the heritage.
This organ is from 2000. The huge Sauer organ from 1889 is still there.
If I were a young man in the time of JSBach, I would like to have been a musician/composer and an organ builder/designer.
Probably would have been a peasant like 98% chance
Does the organ Bach played on still exist somewhere? What was it? Curious if there are pictures
At the Bachkirche in Eisenach there is the 1703 Wender organ, that’s where Bach held his first professional job as organist. The organ is also more or less original
I don’t recall ever seeing a 3’ stop on any other organ; how often do they occur?
It’s just another (old fashioned) way of notating a 2-2/3’ stop, that is, a quint or a nasard.
Thanks makes sense
You’re such a talented organist. Congratulations! But why did you always pull the stops so rough out? In my opinion this is not good for the action.
You sound like my teacher 😀
What is "grob gedackt"? Is that anything like "groß gedackt"?
Charles Smith a grob gedackt is a flute pipe made out of wood that lets air go up the valve and into the pipe which produces the note.
Is this the Organ Bach composed on and played himself?
Unfortunately, no. That organ was removed in 1889, and was replaced by the large (III/P/100) Sauer organ, which is still there and still in use. In 1967 the firm of Alexander Schuke of Potsdam installed the three-manual instrument on which E. Power Biggs made his famous recordings in 1973 That instrument, in turn, was replaced by the instrument in this video in 2000.
Wunderbare Demonstration! Aber OW und HW klingen so ähnlich…leider alle Prinzipalen klingen nicht unterschiedlich.
Bravissimo
Even the Oberwerk Principal chorus with the “scharff” mixture Is pleasant and not a screaming airplane ready for takeoff. (God bless some of our American pipe organ builders, but I can’t understand why they -some of them at least -like fairly high wind pressures and screaming mixtures and screaming principal choruses.)
Personally I think the previous Schuke organ sounded much better and captured the baroque sound more. Some of the recordings on that organ sound absolutely amazing and it's sad it was dismantled and the pipes were put in other organs.
Still, the Woehl organ is still a very good neo-baroque organ!
Splendid
와우, 나는 그것을 좋아한다!
Many thanks for this interesting demonstration. A wonderful instrument.
Seeing the modern façade, manuals, etc., can anyone enlighten me about the *present-day organ-builder?*
(I checked-out the link, but don't read German - although I did find the disposition.)
@Orgel Van de Week Thank you very much! 👍
Dear Balint, you've missed to show a peculiar stop, the Barem 16' 😁
How much of this organ is actually original?
This organ is a recent build
There are two organs here, the Woehl and the romantic, Sauer organ
Bach hätte seine wahre Freude daran.
Er hatte, hier in Leipzig, zu seinen Lebzeiten keine zeitgemäße Orgel zur Verfügung.
You would think that Bach's organ would get a more impressive bench. That one looks like something from Ikea.😁😁😁
Absolutely! I was going to make just the same comment! The case is pretty lame as well. Looks like it was made out of drywall.
YEES THANK YOU FOR THIS
What is the name of the first piece he played?
BWV 550
Thanks, much appreciated!
The “damnation” of Scheibe...for judging this organ i want to use the same words J.S. Bach used for the Paulinerkirche organ: “[…]The various faults revealed in the uneven voicing must and can be improved immediately by the organ builder [Woehl] -that is, that the [middle] pipes in the [manual Trombetta 8’] and the Trompetenbass 8′ do not speak so roughly and with such a rattle, but with a pure and firm tone; and then the remaining pipework that is uneven must be diligently corrected and made even, which can be conveniently done when the entire instrument is once again tuned”. And then: “[…]As concerns the organ case, it clearly cannot be denied that it is very tightly confined, and it is thus difficult to reach each part in the event that, with time, something needs repair.”...
To build a baroque organ nowadays, can only be forgiven in the "Thomas-kirche." But there is also another suitable for romantic literature (except for French composers).
Is that the organ where Johann Sebastian plays?
It's the current organ where JS Bach worked. Not the organ which Bach played. There is one still in existence which Bach played, in fact he played it when it was brand new. It's in Störmthal, not far from Liepzig.
What's wrong with the recording level ? It's up and down like a prostitutes knickers at a peep show in Amsterdam. Must do better but a great demonstration.
The sound quality is bizarre.
I just don’t know why a church with organs Bach never played are in a church with a strong relation to Bach. Nor do the facades look anything like an organ from Bach’s time
You love G major chord 🤣
Is this one a reissue?
Cardinal Flower nope. The other “Bach Organ” demo was in Arnstadt
Imagine being an organ builder, and you are offered the the chance to build a new organ in the Thomaskirche. Would it be pure joy? Or terror? lol
Karosi it' s one great organist; but the music for organ it' s not only of J.S.Bach.
I realize the organ is not a mechanical tracker organ. But the demonstration of the stops was fantastic 👍. Thanks Balint
Charles Siegler the action is completely mechanical, light and wonderfully responsive
What does the organ look like from the congregation's view?
Organo che si può solo desiderare di suonare.
♥♥♪♥♥♪
What music sample does he play?
At the end, he plays the Prelude in G major from BWV 550.
dude you even resemble Bach!!
Was ist „EW”?
Echo-Werk vielleich
@@mw2blacky246 Danke!
Ausgezeichnet. From Californien.
It sounds like a fairground organ 😂
Pity you didnt record the belonging fugue.....
André Welten there is another video coming
@@bkarosi Awesome!
An excellent organ. But next time, I suggest Casavant. They have been carrying the torch for North German style organs for almost 150 years! They deserve a shot at the Thomaskirche!
Casavant is French, what do you mean
@@Zardman7 It's actually a French-Canadian company, famous for their North German voiced trackers.
Langweilig nerviger Autopegel ....