The Society of Friends of the Organ (Gesellschaft der Orgelfreunde e. V.)

together with the European Organ Academy on the Upper Rhein (Europäische Orgelakademie am Oberrhein e. V.)

present the

60^th International Organ Convention in Karlsruhe

July 29^th – August 4^th, 2012

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The convention is being organized by Prof. Dr. Michael G. Kaufmann, Dr. Martin Kares and Prof. Markus Eichenlaub

The 60^th International Organ Conference takes place in a region whose history was often marked during the past centuries by construction and destruction as well as a huge economic upturn after 1945. The people in the towns and villages on the left and right bands of the Rhine suffered from the Thirty Years' War and Palatine war of succession, the French and German revolutions, and the first and Second World Wars. However, after each crisis a new beginning followed which can often be seen more or less clearly in the silhouettes and architecture of the towns.

In the meeting place Karlsruhe, formerly residence of the Grand Dukes of Baden and today with Federal Court of Justice and Federal Constitutional Court the „residence of the law“ as well as centre of a technology region marked by innovation, this rugged past and present is duly reflected. Not only ruptures and continuity in the townscape are to be seen, but also in the organ heritage: relics of the baroque tradition are the cases and some stops in the organs of the Cyriakus church in Bulach and the town church Durlach, whereby one finds in the former the only preserved instrument in city of the organ factory H. Voit & Sons with romantic timbre, and in the latter a brand new “universal” organ. Organs from the time of the reconstruction and economic upturn predominate the scene, some are registered as historical monuments and are restored properly, others simply reorganised and optimised.

A similar situation is apparent in Mannheim, capital of the Kurpfalz until 1806 and of Baden until 1952, today second largest industrial metropolis in Baden-Wurttemberg. Also, on account of the war destruction, little of historical value has survived. The organs are no exception, however, the Steinmeyer organ with echo division in the Christ church, the Voit organ in the Lutherkirche and the Schaefer organ with three free reeds in the Trinity church still exist. Since that time interesting intstruments have been built, especially in the big churches. Although Heidelberg, Palatine residence and university town steeped in tradition, was spared by the bombs, the historical instruments fell victim to the “Orgel-bewegung” destruction afterwards. The Voit organ in the town hall and the Walcker organ of the Christ church were preserved and after exemplary restoration represent the well-to-do middle-class way of life of the Kaiser Wilhelm era.

Rural Baden, Alsace and the Palatinate present quite a different picture. Here one is still, or again, able to hear many treasures from the 18^th, 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Though these organs have also experienced changes, after repair, restoration, reconstruction and/or sensitive intonation their sounds approach very much the originally intended. For example, the rejuvenated sounding instruments at Hoffenheim, in the Alsatian Maursmünster or in Palatine Landau. This applies to the visited organs in all three regions in which new instruments of high quality and novelty are to be experienced, as in the stylistically identical churches in Bruchsal and Kirrweiler. Certainly a highlight of innovative creation is the immense organ arrangement in the cathedral of Speyer which belongs to the World Cultural Heritage as the biggest Romanesque building.

Beside a lot of organs our conference also has other pleasures to offer, not least culinary ones: Schäufele, Flammkuchen or Saumagen (sow's stomach), along with a Riesling, Edelzwicker or Dornfelder, as you please – bon appétit.

Hope to welcome you on the 29^th of July, 2012 in Karlsruhe!

Michael G. Kaufmann, Martin Kares and Markus Eichenlaub

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PROGRAM

Organists: Wolfgang Baumgratz, Johannes Blomenkamp, Tobias Breitner, Jan Dolezel, Danijel Drilo, Markus Eichenlaub, Stefan Fritz, Patrick Fritz-Benzing, Martin Geipel, David Homolya, Gunnar Idemstam, Michael G. Kaufmann, Christoph Keggenhoff, Dorothea Lehmann-Horsch, Gerhard Luchterhandt, Daniel Maurer, Johannes Michel, Rudolf Peter, Simon Reichert, Martin Sander, Matthias Schneider, Joachim Schneider, Balazs Szabo, Stefan Viegelahn, Christian von Blohn, Carsten Wiebusch, Bert Wisgerhof u. a.

List of speakers: Reiner Janke, Martin Kares, Michael G. Kaufmann, Gerhard Lenter, Alfred Reichling, Andreas Saage, Karlheinz Schüffler, Matthias Wirth u. a.

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