The 1750 Joseph Gabler organ at the Basilica in Weingarten - Excerpts from Johann Ludwig Krebs

Beatrice - Maria Weinberger, plays the 1750 Gabler organ at the Basilica in Weingarten
Joseph Gabler (1700-1771) was a German pipe organ builder. • Cuckoo Capriccio - The...
Johann Ludwig Krebs (October 1713 - January 1780) was a Baroque musician and composer primarily for the pipe organ.Click `show more`
I think that this organ has the best Vox Humana pipes ever.
On 6 July 1737 the initial contract with Gabler was signed, however, before the completion of the organ it was revised on a number of occasions. In the meantime a fire in the monastery buildings and immense financial difficulties of the abbey made the organ designing and building a very lengthy and grueling process. To make matters worse, Gabler, while an excellent organ builder, was obviously an extremely poor businessman who had neither a sense of money nor had been able to meet deadlines, which meant that he was permanently ruined by this organ. The organ was finally consecrated on 24 June 1750.
The basic problem that Gabler had to solve (with a solution that was deemed downright ingenious), was to build on the west gallery of the church a monumental organ case, without blocking the existing six windows. The Weingarten model was later used by Johann Nepomuk Holzhay to solve an analogous problem in Neresheim in the same way.
The organ has some special characteristics: the principal pipes have generally a narrow scaling, which gives them a restrained dry tone. It has long been puzzling as to why Gabler found it acceptable to scale the pipes considerably narrower than could have been with such a great space to be filled. At times it was thought that Gabler was actually inept as an organ builder as the design had been called into question in his own lifetime, whereas his skills as a carpenter are unanimously considered superior ("... in which he is a paragon master ..."). Today, by contrast, it is assumed that Gabler's designs often favored aesthetics, while scaling of the ranks, he had wanted a more subdued, intimate and gentle sound. In order to give the organ a certain sonorous power and wealth despite the close scaling, Gabler populated the organ with many multi-rank voices, even in the foundation stops. In this way the multi-rank registers (as mixtures) received an unusually high number of pipes. Nevertheless, the organ known for its mild, chamber musical sound that maintains in its fullness a certain introversion.
Also noteworthy is the high number of foundations stops, including many of the string family. Gabler took on a South German Baroque style of organ building (an existing trend) and expanded it into something monumental.
Also worth mentioning is the abundant range of stops which include: Cuculus (cuckoo), Rossignol (nightingale song), timpani, two chimes and the 49-rank mixture "La Force" ("The Power"), although only played by the lowest C in the pedal. La Force was used to signal the beginning of the celebration. While the manual carillon is built into the console, the shell-bells for the pedal are artistically arranged into grape bunches, an appropriate connotation with the monastic name of the Basilica (Weingarten).
The organ is both pure and technically crafted, an absolute masterpiece. The free-standing console, one of the earliest of its kind ever, abounds with intricate inlays and has adorned stop knobs made of solid ivory. The extremely expensive routing of mechanical key and stop action is unmatched, but consequently is hard to play: the keys must be pressed hard to sound the organ due to all the long, heavy mechanisms that must be moved every time a key is pressed.
However Gabler failed at several points of perfecting his ultimately complex concept: the Kronwerk, suspended high up under the vault, was never adequately supplied with wind and was therefore realized only with a greatly reduced disposition. Similarly, Gabler obviously failed in the production of a 32' Bombarde, which was converted by him to a second 16' reed.

[@britainluver431]

I love the Vox Humana, such a nice sound.

[@user-74652]

This is definitely one of my favourite organs. And the bells are a nice touch.

[@michaelmartens7728]

The Vox humana reminds me of one member's (75 years old) voice in my male choir - amazing resemblance, even the tremolo!

[@TomGavioli]

Amazing for sure, you must let him listen to the organ. Thanks for your comment, Tom.

[@michaelmartens7728]

LOL! He wouldn't understand because he does not know how his voice really sounds - his fellows would recognize him...

[@TomGavioli]

Tell you what i felt a little fed up today but you have cheered me up and made me laugh, thanks again, Tom.

[@giuliodeconsoli]

I can't stop to listen this wonderful vox humana!!!

[@arthurquinton4932]

i guess Im kinda off topic but does anybody know of a good site to watch new tv shows online ?

[@SoggySandwich80]

If I get an organ built for me and the vox humanas didn’t sound like this id take it apart and tell them to try again

[@alvettabartos5411]

Великолепная и очень жизнеутверждающая музыка! Спасибо за публикацию !

[@TomGavioli]

Спасибо за ваш комментарий, Том.

[@WoodymC]

Very charming indeed, especially the foundation stops. Thanks for the sophisticated performance, brilliant recording and the extensive description as well!

[@TomGavioli]

☞ WoodyofmC. Thanks for your kind comment, Tom.

[@jbr9813]

This Vox Humana is undoubtedly unique in its sound; unlike any other Vox Humana I have heard. It really does sound almost like a real singer. Apparently, Gabler was said to have sold his soul to the Devil for the secret of how to voice it so successfully!

[@mikeeverett2006]

I doubt it! Satan would never help make something so beautiful, as those Vox Humanas. Gabler I understand was very religious. If you want devil music just listen to Godsmack, Megadeath, Skillet, Rolling Stones, ect.

[@brandy1011]

According to the German Wikipedia page, the story goes as follows: Gabler was working for years on imitating the human voice. But despite all efforts, all his experiments failed. He worked with a broad variety of wood species and materials, but without success. One night, the Evil One whispered in his ear that he would help him, if he sold his soul for it. Gabler accepted and in one stormy night, Gabler snuck out of the abbey to the agreed place. And the Devil actually appeared, Gabler sold his soul with his blood and got a piece of metal to use for casting the pipes in return. The pipes were cast and sure enough, the Vox humana sounded like an actual human voice. But his luck did not last long. The monks were so confused by the singing that they could no longer follow the services with devotion. The abbot summoned Gabler, who admits the deed. Gabler was tried and shall be burnt together with the devil's pipes. But before, he must construct a worthy replacement. His success at that was so great that the abbot graciously gifted him his life. (Original: Gabler arbeitete jahrelang daran, die menschliche Stimme nachzuahmen. Doch trotz aller Anstrengungen misslangen alle seine Versuche. Er bearbeitete die verschiedensten Holzarten und Metallmischungen, jedoch ohne den gewünschten Erfolg. Da flüsterte ihm der Böse bei Nacht ins Ohr, dass er ihm helfe, wenn er ihm seine Seele verschreibe. Gabler ging darauf ein und in einer stürmischen Nacht schlich sich Gabler aus dem Kloster fort an den vereinbarten Platz. Und der Leibhaftige erschien tatsächlich, Gabler verschrieb dem Teufel mit seinem Blut die Seele und erhielt dafür ein Stück Metall, das er zum Pfeifenguss verwenden sollte. Die Pfeife wurde gegossen und tatsächlich erklang die Vox humana wie eines Menschen Stimme. Doch sein Glück währte nicht lange. Die Mönche waren von dem Gesang so verwirrt, dass sie den Gottesdiensten nicht mehr mit Andacht folgen konnten. Der Abt lässt Gabler vorführen und der gesteht die Tat. Es wird Gabler der Prozess gemacht und er soll samt dem Teufelsregister verbrannt werden. Vorher sollte er aber einen würdigen Ersatz herstellen. Dieser gelang Gabler so gut, dass der Abt ihm gnädig das Leben schenkte.)

[@lukea.6298]

And you are hearing the replacement. Still realistic

[@jbr9813]

@@brandy1011 Thank you. A fascinating and completely believable(!) story. An excellent translation into English by the way. Incidentally, isn't there also a stop (a flute?) whose pipes are made of ivory?

[@marioribeirodeazevedoneto311]

Um órgão espetacular e excelente performance! Brasil!

[@WillemVanTwillertOrganist]

Sehr schoen die Vox, Gut gespielt . Danke.

[@Taoseno2007]

Indeed Tom, a Masterpiece of Organ Building ! In any age! BRAVO!

[@PietroPicchi2011]

Che bella esecuzione e che registro!!!

[@TomGavioli]

Grazie per il tuo commento, Tom.

[@michaelmartens7728]

A propos Gavioli: Anselme Gavioli invented the so-called "frein harmonique" for preventing the 2nd harmonic/overtone (effect of speaking one octave higher).

[@johnnydtractive]

Okay so it sounds like there is an actual male voice, like a very pure high tenor maybe, singing a melody throughout this. For example, at 2:42 - 3:12 . Distinctly. That is actually achieved by the organ? It is almost eerie.

[@TomGavioli]

Yes it is a very nice Vox Humana.Thanks for your comment.

[@namaste91]

probably the most beautiful church organ in the whole world...

[@santiago1966]

Nicolas good question!

[@paulcarteus450]

can we get a list of the works played?

[@danielsanmartinnieto8242]

0:00 Fantasia à [sic] gusto italiano in F, KWV 422 4:17 Praeludium in F, KWV 412 5:35 Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, KWV 552 9:12 Praeludium in C, KWV 415 10:44 Fantasia à gusto italiano in F, KWV 422 (bis)

[@hansvonhochtann2739]

The most beautiful vox humana is without a doubt the swabian one.

[@SoggySandwich80]

What’s the piece in particular that plays at the beginning

[@EwicoCylinder]

It's the "Fantasia a gusto Italiano" from Johann Ludwig Krebs

[@agodbee3847]

One of a kind! South German organs are different than those of the north as they play to a different church style which isn't bad! They aren't North German and that ain't all bad either.

[@EduardQualls]

Specification and more photos: mypipeorganhobby.blogspot.com/2008/11/gabler-organ-weingarten.html

[@r.r.5611]

What is the name of the piece at 5:35?

[@orgelfan1675]

wie heißt das erste lied ?

[@martinkobe4084]

Orgelfan 16' Ich habe keine ahnung... hast du vieleicht die partitur?

[@mirkoviviani1912]

Krebs Fantasia à Gusto Italiano ;-)

[@orgelfan1675]

@@mirkoviviani1912 Danke

[@andreacosta74]

This is the Sistine Chapel of the organs and it deserves more sonically respect. The pedal extension is not original, the 4th keyboard is coupled to the others, the pipes have a lot of “new” nicking on the languids not historically documented, many terzhaltige ranks, quintessential for the thuringian and südliche organ sound, lacks in the mixtures and there are others contemporary addendum by Kuhn, who never restored the biggest pipes cause their inadequacy to safely remove and recover 11 meters long pipes...As for the Ch. Muller organ in Haarlem, it needs a revoicing and restorings more faithfully oriented towards the original stoplist, extension, tuning and voicing.

[@p.e.gottrocks4528]

Charming. Very charming. Their is NOTHING else like it on the planet.But.... enough of that Vox Humana, please!

[@WoodymC]

Well, I found this Vox Humana rather soft and tolerable, compared to many others that I know of... But, of course, everyone has his or her own personal taste with this kind of stop. :-)