Organ Works

Goslar, Marktkirche

Renovierung und Erweiterung der Schuke-Orgel (1970) | III/58 | 2012

The Market Church in Goslar is named after the two famous doctors and apothecaries, Cosmas and Damian. It was first recorded in 1151 as 'ecclesia forensis' (market church). The core of the present-day building is the 3-aisled, Romanesque basilica with flat, beamed roofs.

A special feature of the church are the modern stained-glass windows in the quire. These are the work of the well-known painter, graphic artist and glass-maker Johannes Schreiter over the years 1992-2003. The windows are recognised as a leading example of modern stained-glass work. The Schreiter windows near the altar and the Romanesque Angel Window in the south apse have become known far and wide, and rank with the most significant achievements in this genre in recent decades, such as those in the Holy Spirit church in Heidelberg, Augsburg Minster and Ulm Minster.

The organ in this important church was built by the long-established firm of Karl Schuke. It had 3 manuals and 37 stops. Over a period of five years, a collaboration between the organist Gerald de Vries and the church council produced a blueprint for the renovation of this significant Orgelbewegung instrument.

A key feature of the project has been the opening up of the large rose window behind the organ. This involved the reshaping of the organ case as well as the reorganisation of the technical layout within. Working with the architects Kleineberg & Pohl, we developed a new fa?ade design which is at once clear and simple. The case pipes are arranged in irregular, almost chaotic fashion, with seven pipes rising above the others. In addition the pipes mouths are highlighted in gold. The result is an optical impression of depth, both of form and formlessness, a tension between order and chaos. In the harmonious utterances of the organ, we hear repeated the theological idea of the act of creation, that is the transition from chaos to order. The significance of the organ as the instrument of missionary utterance is thereby underlined.

This explains why the former centrally-placed Oberwerk has been divided in two on each side. At the rear a new 14-stop third division has been provided in order to widen the organ's tonal palette. Furthermore, the Hauptwerk has been enlarged by five stops and the Pedal and Oberwerk augmented by an Untersatz 32 and Salicional 8 respectively.

With the renovation and revoicing of this high-quality instrument and the various desirable additions to the stop-list, the player has at his disposal an organ which leaves almost no wish unfulfilled.

Disposition

I. Hauptwerk C-g3

  1. Prinzipal 16' *
  2. Bordun 16'
  3. Oktave 8'
  4. Konzertflöte 8' *
  5. Violoncello 8' *
  6. Koppelflöte 8'
  7. Oktave 4'
  8. Gemshorn 4'
  9. Nasat 2 2/3'
  10. Oktave 2'
  11. Cornett 3-5f *
  12. Mixtur 5-6f 1 1/3'
  13. Trompete 16' *
  14. Trompete 8'

II. Oberwerk C-g3

  1. Gedackt 8'
  2. Salicional 8' *
  3. Prinzipal 4'
  4. Rohrflöte 4'
  5. Oktave 2'
  6. Waldflöte 2'
  7. Quinte 1 1/3'
  8. Sesquialter 2f
  9. Scharff 4f 1'
  10. Rankett 16'
  11. Trichterregal 8'
    Tremulant

III. Brustwerk C-g3

  1. Holzgedackt 8'
  2. Blockflöte 4'
  3. Prinzipal 2'
  4. Sifflöte 1'
  5. Terzian 2f
  6. Zymbel 3f 1/2'
  7. Krummhorn 8'
    Tremulant

Auxiliar Schwellwerk C-g3

  1. Geigenprinzipal 8' *
  2. Traversflöte 8' *
  3. Nachthorn 8' *
  4. Gambe 8' *
  5. Vox coelestis ab c0 8' *
  6. Fugara 4' *
  7. Flöte 4' *
  8. Nazard 2 2/3' *
  9. Schweizerpfeife 2' *
  10. Terz 1 3/5' *
  11. Mixtur 3-4f 2 2/3' *
  12. Trompette harmonique 8' *
  13. Oboe 8' *
  14. Clarine 4' *
    Tremulant

Pedal C-f1

  1. Untersatz 32' *
  2. Prinzipal 16'
  3. Subbass 16'
  4. Oktave 8'
  5. Gedackt 8'
  6. Oktave 4'
  7. Pommer 4'
  8. Nachthorn 2'
  9. Mixtur 5f 2'
  10. Posaune 16'
  11. Trompete 8'
  12. Schalmei 4'

Register mit * wurden neu hergestellt.

Koppel: II/I, III/I, III/II, I/P, II/P, III/P
Aux/I, Aux/II, Aux/III, Aux/Ped, Super Aux, Sub Aux