a tour of Germany’s great church organs

To experience the music of Bach,
Mozart and Handel in the way they
expected it to be heard, travel to
Germany – home to some of Europe’s
most magnificent church organs, says
Akhil Sharma in the FT. The Germans
have a particular passion for organ
music (the country still has around 120
organ makers), and many churches hold
regular recitals and offer public tours.
But for more “exclusive” access, contact
London-based travel firm Brown and
Hudson. They specialise in tailoring
trips to clients’ interests, and can
arrange a tour featuring concerts,
private visits to organ makers’
workshops and meetings with experts.
The centuries-old Ottobeuren Abbey,
in Bavaria, has three organs, including a double organ, built by
Karl Joseph Riepp and completed in 1766, that is one of the most
treasured in Europe. To hear the great works played on this
instrument, in the basilica’s soaring rococo interior, surrounded by
worshippers – many in Bavarian costume – is overwhelming.
Listening to an orchestral work, the
sound often seems to be coming from
one direction. Organ music, by
contrast, completely occupies the
church. After the service, Ottobeuren
organist Josef Miltschitzky will take
you on a tour of the organ loft, during
which you can climb in among the
pipes while he explains their workings.
At the Jehmlich Orgelbau workshop
in Dresden, you can get a fascinating
insight into how these machines are
made, and see dismantled parts usually
hidden inside – a huge bellow dating
from the 1600s, a pipe wide enough for
a man to crawl inside, another the size
of a pencil. Head to Dresden Cathedral
to hear the last organ made by
Gottfried Silbermann, “the Antonio Stradivari of organ makers”,
whose work Mozart declared “magnificent beyond measure”.
Even a recording of its silvery notes “can make one’s hair stand
on end”.