September Concert at the Cologne Philarmonics

Photo: www.barbaradennerlein.com

The huge concert organ at Cologne Philharmonics is the next pipe organ challenge for Barbara Dennerlein to delight her audience. On September 15. she plays a solo concert on both the concert organ and her Hammond B3.

Not envisaged in the original designs, the organ's construction was only approved after the architects had already completed plans for the building. And yet with its seven towers, it blends harmoniously into the concert hall and forms a striking counterpoint to the spiral staircase opposite. Cologne's grand concert organ was built by the distinguished organ-maker Johannes Klais and continues a long line of Klais concert organs installed throughout the world: for example, in the Munich Kulturzentrum Gasteig, in the Philharmonic in Cracow, in the Symphony Hall in Kyoto and the Twin Towers Petronas Philharmonic Hall in Kuala Lumpur.

The configuration of stops has been designed to fulfill the requirements of a concert organ: It can serve both as a solo instrument and as an accompaniment or even hold its own against a full orchestra.

For Barbara this is a good opportunity to register to the fullest, because her orchestral compositions in particular demand the richness of manifold sounds and dynamic spectrum.
Furthermore, it is always thrilling when pipe organ and Hammond organ meet. The latter was originally intended as an affordable pipe organ substitute for many American parishes. This concert provides an interesting immediate comparison between the pipes and the Hammond.