Page 4 - Maerki Baumann & Co. AG | Journal 02-2021

By the end of September this year, the time had come: towering loftily above the stage, the new instrument was ceremoniously inaugurated with a major orchestral concert and a “Night of the Organ”.
The organ’s period finish means that it re- sembles its predecessor externally. It thus fits in with the concept of the renovation pro- ject, which has restored the hall to its original
1895 splendour. But what goes on inside is cut- ting-edge: the new organ incorporates the lat- est technology and is therefore easier to play and maintain than the old one. People who are deeply into stops will discover refined touches such as a nose flute stop – the Flauto Turicen- sis, an innovation specially developed by Kuhn organ builders in Männedorf, in the Canton of Zurich. The 25-tonne instrument was entirely handcrafted in Switzerland.
“The organ is the queen of instruments.”
The organ’s size and the disposition of its stops were designed for the concert hall and for accompanying a symphony orchestra, as well as for solo use. “It’s a wonderful instrument,” says
Tonhalle artistic director Ilona Schmiel. “We do our utmost to ensure that it’s played as often as
Hans G. Syz-Witmer and Ilona Schmiel at the inauguration of the organ in the Tonhalle Zurich on 23 September 2021 (photo: Gaetan Bally)
A glimpse of the “innards” of the Tonhalle Zurich organ (photo: Michael Reinhard)
possible.” Unlike monophonic instruments, the organ offers a wealth of sounds covering the entire tonal spectrum, from the most delicate pianissimo to a thunderous fortissimo.
For a long time, organs had an antiquated image: people expected them to be played in churches, not at concerts. But today more and more organists are switching from the church to the concert hall, thus giving the instrument its renaissance. “The organ is the queen of instru- ments,” says Hans G. Syz-Witmer, who listens to every type of music on the organ, from classical to jazz, pop and film music.
The construction of new concert-hall organs like the one in Zurich’s Tonhalle can also be seen as a commitment to the instrument by the world of music. Even champions of the old or- gan, who didn’t manage to prevent a new one from being built, have now been won over by its replacement. In fact, the old organ has found a new home: Koper Cathedral in Slovenia. Hans G. Syz-Witmer’s commitment has paid off all round – his enjoyment no longer gives way to irritation. “Before the Tonhalle was renovated,” he says, “some people wanted to keep the old organ – so it’s all the nicer that everybody’s happy now.”
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