Bonn, Minster Church St Martin

Changing history

As for his organs, the Minster in Bonn looks back to a varied history: As early as the year 1230, the first sounds echoed through the church; it housed one of the first organs in Germany - then on the east wall in the north transept. In the 15th Century the organ moved into the nave, where it "stuck" high on the wall like a swallows' nest above the heads of churchgoers. In 1652 a new organ was built in the west choir of the Cathedral - a huge and for that time with 1,200 crowns exorbitantly expensive instrument on which by the way the young Beethoven was given lessons. Not 150 years later, in 1794, a new organ found a place in the Cathedral - originally designed for the Latvian city of Riga and banished for export by the French occupiers. On this instrument built by the Poppelsdorf organ builder Peter Kemper was played up into the 1920s before the organ building workshop of Johannes Klais was awarded the contract to build a great cathedral organ.

 

 

The instrument should receive109 stops, but initially the money was only good for a smaller instrument with 30 registers, which in turn served as the basis for a large organ with 70 registers. This was opened already in war-time, but only five years later damaged severely by an air bomb. From the remaining usable parts, the workshop Klais built a makeshift instrument in 1948 which was in service until 1961. Then, finally the new organ moved into the Minster Church. It was dedicated on November 12^th of that year. This is Klais Opus 1208 with 60 stops and 4616 pipes of which we celebrate the 50^th anniversary these days.

 

 

Expanded in 1982 and revoiced the great Klais organ features 69 stops today with 5112 pipes, spread over 4 manuals and pedal. In 2002 the instrument underwent a general cleaning and careful revoicing. It now offers "fantastic sound and playing possibilities" not only to the Cathedral Organist. In addition to the liturgical organists there are many active concert soloist in particular, which are full of praise for the great organ. "How fantasticcaly the instrument is suitable for all musical styles can be heard exemplary on the nine CDs we have recorded here, " says Markus Karas. "Whether Baroque, German Romanticism or French music from the past centuries: the characteristic stops are not only available but also sound just as expected by experienced and specialized listeners."

 

 

Contemporary Sculpture

Thus the fascination of the great Klais organ not only opens up acoustically, but also visually it is worth a second and third look. Designed by the Hennef (Sieg) born sculptor Manfred Saul, the case of the organ decorated with wooden sculptures shows not just biblical events; depicted are also contemporary events such as the first successful transplantation of a human heart and the first Astronauts in space. Even among art historians the great cathedral organ is known across city borders.

 

 

Text and photos: Bonner Münster