🎹 Is ROTTERDAM Hauptwerk's Best Organ? (Demonstration)

In this video I demonstrate the Marcussen & Son organ in the Grote of St Laurenskerk, Rotterdam (Netherlands) as recorded by Sonus Paradisi. I take you through every stop individually and bring the sounds together in short interludes. At the end of the video I play Healey Willan's 'Passacaglia' from his 'Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue' to demonstrate the colours, crescendo and the mighty 'tutti' sound this organ can make.
00:00 | Introduction
Division IV: Borstwerk (Solo)
01:05 | Flutes
02:25 | Principles
03:08 | Mutations
04:32 | Mixtures
05:25 | Reeds
Division III: Bovenwerk (Swell)
06:50 | Strings
08:22 | Flutes
11:40 | Principles
13:23 | Mixtures
14:22 | Mutations
16:32 | Voix Humaine
17:57 | Big Reeds
19:29 | 'Full Swell' (Vierne - Carillon de Westminster)
Division I: Rugwerk (Choir)
20:23 | Flutes
22:30 | Principles
23:31 | Mixtures
25:20 | Mutations
26:29 | Quintadeen 8' & 16'
28:09 | Reeds
Division II: Hoofdwerk (Great)
31:43 | Flutes
32:43 | Principles
34:16 | Mixtures
35:10 | Mutations
39:05 | Reeds
40:01 | Tutti
Chamadewerk
40:43 | Reeds (Gigout - Grand Choeur Dialogue)
Pedaal
42:11 | Flutes
44:10 | Principles
45:03 | Mutations
45:41 | Reeds
47:22 | Full (Bach - Toccata in F BWV 540)
48:01 | Healey Willan - Passacaglia (from 'Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue')
Standout features:
► This organ is available in 4-channel surround;
► Available in Surround, Wet and Dry (both are 2-channel stereo);
► Audio quality up to 24-bit (used in this demonstration);
► 4 manuals & 85 speaking stops;
► 6 divisions;
► The Chamadewerk can be coupled to any manual;
► In-built screen for quick voicing of individual stops;
► A console view, single-stop view and simplified single stop view (used in this demonstration);
► No artificial extensions.
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#rotterdam #richardmcveigh #beautyinsound

[@beautyinsound]

What do you think to the Rotterdam sample? Which repertoire do you think sound best on it?

[@tomparsons6177]

All of them

[@katydickson5547]

All of them were superb and tied.

[@fransdegroot9778]

Bach music but also baroque music is plays on this organ i go always there every mounth you have a organ players from over the world and the dutch players.

[@williammitchell1864]

Hi Richard McVeigh, William here, I'm looking to put together a DIY organ console using five keyboards., What version of Houptwerk do you use? Or would you recommend?

[@user-zz8ds8or3k]

Thanks for the question Richard, it is a pretty all-round instrument, still I am convinced that no music sounds more convincing on it than the great organ works of JSB (Passacaglia, Great Organ Mass, the great Fantasias & Preludes & Toccatas and their Fugues, Chorale Partitas, etc.) because Bach must have had in mind an organ of this size, sonority, gravity and variety of colours when he wrote those works ... After all, this organ is in its origin a typical product of the "Orgelbewegung" (although it was already running out of fashion by the time Marcussen built it). In particular, I would be eager to hear the organ version of the "Art of Fugue" on this instrument because I believe that it is the summit of Bach´s oeuvre.

[@DAKTARI15]

I lived in Rotterdam between 1988 and 1996, and my musical development was much influenced by the three wonderful Marcussen instruments of St Laurenskerk, in those days usually played by the then titular organist Johann Th. Lemckert who had an enormous and wide-ranging active repertoire. Strangely enough hearing the individual stops, so delicately voiced and recognisable, demonstrated by Richard was a moving and emotional experience, no doubt related to some inner resonance with almost forgotten memories... At the time of its completion in 1973 the main organ was controversial, dismissed by some as a 'compromise' instrument. With time it has come to be appreciated by many as a truly, living 20th century organ, its versatility, breath and breadth reflecting the way we have naturally integrated music and sounds from the past into our contemporary music making.

[@kenmerola4797]

You seriously da man, Richard! Keep making more videos!!! .... !!! You’ve inspired me to buy a Hauptwerk system (still waiting for the parts to come in the courier), and can’t wait.

[@katydickson5547]

Looking forward to watch tomorrow.

[@user-zz8ds8or3k]

Thanks Richard for your top-notch demonstration, well-considered registrations, stop combinations and choice of organ pieces which are very well and stylefully played: CHAPEAU !!

[@EmeraldPixelGamingEPG]

Wonderful Willan at the end, really creates a sense of emotion and thoughts with it's rare but lovely key of E-Flat Minor. I'm currently learning it and I love it

[@katydickson5547]

What a stunning Church and so many organ pipes. I recognized quite a few of the tunes that were played. I loved the piece that was played last. See you in Virtual Church tomorrow.

[@marcdeleeuw2761]

Nice video, indeed a very good sample set!

[@zenonmulyk6909]

Cool, very interesting, I really like your organ presentations and ideas for your KZbin channel.

[@miccko1960]

demonstration to enjoy!

[@trevororme4646]

Excitement is mounting!!!!!

[@sdokkenisgar]

To acheive that clarity in such an acoustic space is incredible! This organ is made for Bach!

[@iangarden1898]

Richard, thank you so much for this. You may have seen in FB threads that I'm now the proud owner of Laurenskerk and I'm trying to make it work in my two manual set up. You have given so many pointers and I am so grateful. As for the Willan .. thank you for bringing it alive!

[@iangarden1898]

Forgot to say ... each of the minatures you play are absolute masterclasses in fingering. Thank you!

[@arjanvisser6658]

I live close to Rotterdam and have listened many times to this fantastic organ when it was played by the most famous organists. Based on that I can confirm that this is a very good sample set.

[@Geoplanetjane]

It’s wonderful to hear all the Rotterdam stops

[@beautyinsound]

It’s a fab organ! 😃

[@CMTieman]

i growed up in Rotterdam and visit many concerts in the laurens church i kan tel you that the sound with haupterk is verry realistic with th sound in the church when i close my eyes it it is so realistic that it is of i am int he laurens for real .beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I live these days in Maastricht and hope in hauptwer also the organ of the St Servaas churg to hear.

[@DarrenHogg15121970]

This is one of the sample sets I’m having on my Hauptwerk. Sounds amazing………….

[@jerrymartin79]

To answer your question, proposed in the title - YES! I am so excited for the Passacaglia!! (Sneak preview of ongoing epic-ness)!!!

[@andrewloose3419]

Thank you for this video. Most instructive. (Just noticed a typo! Principles = Principals???

[@pieterdemol9688]

from 1973 til today, i visit a lot of times the concerts in Rotterdam. The real one is a mighty organ. Favorit concerts: Klaas Jan Mulder new year concerts with populair program. To have a good feeling with the hauptwerk Marcussen organ, you need a lot op speakers and ampliers to have a good sample of the full organ. Thanks for this demo.

[@Rollinglenn]

WOW! splendid organ. If there was no Cavaille-Coll or French organ music this would be the answer for all literature. It's clarity and acoustic are tremendously big but not off-putting. It is a very "present" sound, not distant.

[@musikmensch4569]

Nice demonstration I love that organ, thanks 2:26 I as a german was like: „Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit für das deutsche…“. I also thought about the String Quartett Op. 76 No.3 by Haydn.

[@dirkkretschmer8523]

Hi Richard, very beautiful instrument and very good demonstration!!!! Thank you!!! Please can you tell me, what piece you played at the beginning with gedekt 8 and octaaf 1 at borstwerk? It's very nice. Thank you!

[@beautyinsound]

Thanks. I have no idea I'm afraid - I can't remember whether it was a piece or whether I made it up!

[@jv04jm]

Oh Richard! What's the name of the piece at 3:44? I have hummed this one out to a few people in the last year and no one could tell me! This is the second time you and this community has helped me with pieces I remembered hearing from years ago, but now the titles escape me. And... what an organ!! And you... terrific!!!

[@patmeaden]

Sounds like the andante from handles organ concerto (op.4)

[@jv04jm]

@@patmeaden YES!!! Thanks so much!!! 😍

[@StoreeDenson]

For me, it is a maybe because the sample I use is the Domkerk Bätz Organ in Utrecht Netherlands, The Bätz gives more of an Older half detuned feel than Rotterdam. Also the Bätz Organ has a better tremolo than Rotterdam. But when it comes to playing pieces that require more powerful Reed's I would use Rotterdam. But when it comes to playing Baroque pieces I suggest Domkerk Bätz Organ. To back up some evidence go watch some organ concerts on the Domkerk Utrecht KZbin Channel very beautiful organ.

[@louisglen1653]

I really enjoy the Doesburg organ sample set. I particularly like the piano pedal. I had another person program the displays and I also had him implement a few ideas I had. I have organist friends in the Netherlands who give recitals and told me they don't like the Rotterdam organ for various reasons, such as weak bass along with other things. My friend told me the organ that was destroyed in 1940 was a much better organ because it was a romantic organ. The new organ is neo-baroque.

[@Geoplanetjane]

Neo baroque is by far the best imho

[@louisglen1653]

@@Geoplanetjane The Neo Baroque period of organ building has passed. I know several people who are happy that period is long gone and feel that Neo Baroque period in organ building was perhaps the worst. I am not saying you don't know what you are talking about because you prefer Neo Baroque organs. It is your preference, but personally I prefer the larger colour pallet of romantic organs.

[@user-zz8ds8or3k]

​ @louisglen1653 It is true that the organ of the Laurenskerk sounded very much Neo-Baroque in its original state, however it has been heavily revised and re-intonated since then. I remember an LP vinyl disc from the first titular organist Johann Lemckert and I was rather disappointed by its extraverted and loud intonation. However, I recently purchased the Brilliant Classics 3-CD set with the complete organ symphonies of Louis Vierne played by Hayo Boerema (pupil of Johann Lemckert and current titular organist of St. Laurens) and I was pleasantly surprised to hear how much it had been improved, making a much more coherent impression. Therefore, I believe this organ has essentially developed away from its Neo-Baroque origin, allowing also many other styles than just Baroque Music to be played on it. This cannot be said of many other typically Neo-Baroque organs, such as those by Flentrop (one of the best examples is the so-called "Mighty Flentrop" at Saint Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle, Washington State in the USA: impressive but much more limited in its sonorous possibilities than the Marcussen organ at St. Laurens).

[@theodorlie1702]

hello Dear Richard can you give me an accesslink to the beautiful picture of the marcussen organ wich you can see in this video at 0:20

[@philippowell3320]

Are you using "The Liturgical Organist" to demonstrate the organ? I hear a few that I play at Mass all the time!

[@thughestx]

Hi, I'm a complete novice with Hauptwerk and this might be a groaner of a question, but here goes. I have a 2 man. Rogers conversion running HW 4.1. I've installed the Rotterdam organ, and was wondering where those lovely stop lists that appear in the recording might be found? They are so clean and clear compared with the original jams. Thanks so much!

[@beautyinsound]

Good question. You need to install the update which is available on one of the tabs on the Rotterdam page on the Sonus Paradisi. You’re right - it’s much clearer 😊

[@gamacher1]

Richard, thank you for your inspiring beautiful music! I am one the Organists for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in America. I use Hauptwerk at home to practise. I have been using the Salisbury Father Willis Organ for the most part. I'm trying to decide between the Caen and the Rotterdam instruments. Do you have a favorite? Thank you!

[@tomparsons6177]

Hope to make it for chat. Have granddaughter and grand dog duty today in euless tx. 1pm in middle of tumult 2yr old time👵🏻👨🏻‍🦳💃

[@Doeff8]

The only real 'problem' when hearing this organ with hauptwerk online is that the volume is 'cropped' in de sound image I hear. If you would pull the Trompetas like in 53:45 , the effect in real life is much larger. At the console especially deafening :-)

[@Doeff8]

Oh Richard, please prepare for some more difficult registration changes in real life at the console ;-). Some of the tricks you pull at home won't be that easy to accomplish at the real organ...

[@Doeff8]

@@gerdavanloo-vogelzang9065 I actually didn't, Hayo has his own set of willing registrants.

[@mauricedurufle2747]

Richard, what was that gorgeous piece at 37:04 with the cornet on the Great?

[@ericzhangorgan]

Bach BWV 721 (Erbarm' dich mein, oh Herre Gott)

[@mauricedurufle2747]

@@ericzhangorgan Thanks! Found it.

[@nelloz2461]

Greetings. I'm a Hauptwerk enthusiast. I have a three-keyboard system and would like your advice on how to assign the 4 keyboards of the Laurenskerk organ to my 3 keyboards. Thank you for your kind reply and congratulations on your work which I follow.

[@user-zz8ds8or3k]

Hauptwerk allows you to assign any of the virtual keyboards (and by coupling also any combination of those) of the played instrument to any physical keyboard of your instrument: as it is physically not possible to play 4 keyboards at the same time, that should answer your question. Even with only two physical keyboards on your instrument you should be able to play on a 7-keyboard virtual organ, you will just have to switch a bit more often 🙂

[@Geoplanetjane]

I want a Hauptwerk with 4 manuals , pedals and the Rotterdam, St. Sulpice, and St. Ouen organs. Oh, and I need a replacement for my Steinway model O that was lost in a fire 4 years ago.

[@beautyinsound]

Really?? Did you have insurance?

[@richardduffy7926]

Pardon my ignorance but how is every stop and pipe sound transferred into the software?

[@josefigueroamartinez1675]

Sound engineering. In this case, every pipe is recorded at different pressure levels, sometimes also the tremulant sound. Everything is processed, assembled and described for a special software (like Grandorgue or Hauptwerk) that provides the interface to control the organ sounds thru external interfaces, like midi keywords. It is an amazing and laborious work!

[@DellAndersonProd]

OK, I'm sold -- but the details are confusing... 4 channel, 2 channel, wet, dry, surround stereo? What? Please help! I understand wet = reverb, and surround often adds reverb, but I don't understand how surround can be stereo (2 channel). It's like going to the supermarket to buy toothpaste and finding out we have 2000 brands to choose from!

[@exosmusic]

It is. Dry one, of course!

[@danshasky7057]

Masterworks 3/31 Wurlitzer is the best sounding (in my opinion) Theater Organ

[@Doeff8]

As you know I am from Rotterdam.... and a little biased for that matter. A comparison with Caen?

[@haisergyn]

Caen is the best hauptwerk sample set

[@Geoplanetjane]

Caen is also magnificent

[@fransdegroot9778]

Now it is corona time. But before corona you can listen to concerts every mounth a organ players from all over the world and dutch players. Bach Handel baroque music and more

[@joeberta368]

Indeed Richard - but who can afford it?

[@Geoplanetjane]

The lord has a way of providing the resources that may seem completely out of reach. It is not necessary to know ahead of time how just how things will manifest but more often than not, they do

[@Malignus68]

Principals, not principles.

[@freemandryden2275]

PrincipAls NOT Principles S.V.P.

[@rowanlidbury]

It's impressive, but it could be any instrument. Hauptwerk performs so much better with softer pieces, and it's by far the best demonstration I've seen/heard. But had you not posted it, I couldn't tell what instrument it was from just listening. The louder it got, the more generic it sounded. You pay a lot of money, and it really doesn't perform and that for me rules the software out.

[@tonymurphy7610]

Armley pisses over it!!

[@trevororme4646]

Tony Murphy WHAT? Please explain !!!!

[@jerrymartin79]

@@trevororme4646 I think as in all matters of taste, there will be different opinions. I have Armley also and am actually working up something on it - *very* different beast. For the sheer joy of playing and immersion in audio awesomeness, no question - Rotterdam all the way!! (For me, that is ;) )

[@richardmcveigh4808]

I’ve never played Armley, but as Jerry says it’s a very different animal. Do you have either of the organs, Tony?

[@trevororme4646]

Thanks guys! See ... I've learned something - I've never heard of Armley so Tony's comment threw me a bit. Doh!!!!!! Will have a look now so I can redeem myself LOL. BiS ... A learning channel indeed. Tx

[@trevororme4646]

WOW! Double thanks guys. You certainly live and learn. Of course, that great Gothic monstrosity (love it, love it) ST BARTHOLOMEW CHURCH, ARMLEY in Leeds! What a plonker I am! Not sure whether I'll fork out for the sample set just yet, although I am now curious to hear how the 'canned lightening ' (what a lovely description of the Mixture V. So, sorry, Tony, your original post obviously generated the wrong visual in my wee (pun intended) brain. Lavender Audio have obviously done a good job, and I'll work my way through their sound samples. Best wishes. Tx

[@bastouneuroatypicmusic6885]

No... sorry its not the best...

[@beautyinsound]

No need to apologise. In your opinion, which is the ‘best’?

[@bastouneuroatypicmusic6885]

@@beautyinsound My favorites are Hereford, Nancy and Caen pipe organs. But yes, they sound pretty much more symphonic although...

[@Geoplanetjane]

@@bastouneuroatypicmusic6885 hmmm. I am not so interested in symphonic sounding organs. I prefer my organs to be, well, organic, if that makes any sense. I’ll settle for Neo Baroque any day.

[@markkuhnlein3081]

What piece is he playing at 22:04? It's beautiful.

[@user-zz8ds8or3k]

I believe it is some organ voluntary by a baroque composer from England (maybe Händel?)

[@markkuhnlein3081]

@@user-zz8ds8or3k I'll try looking into that. Thanks!