Demo of the 1692 Schnitger Organ in Norden, Germany

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

The longevity of this marvellous organ shows why modern man must always respect the knowledge of his forefathers. The people of this day built things, whether they be buildings, organs, or, statues, to last. And so it is. What a stunning testament to the legacy of the Baroque and Lutheran Germany!

[@caseyflorida]

327 years after it's creation and this magnificent instrument is still providing glorious music. Wow.

[@michaelmiller1215]

caseyflorida Exactly!

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

These people built things to last.

[@Willburys]

Für mich eine der Klangvollsten Orgel die ich je gehört habe!

[@marcvcivsnoveboracensis]

One of the finest-sounding organs I've ever heard.

[@Gregory473]

Agreed!

[@jofido]

Wonderful demonstration and explanation. Greatest respect for the master organ builders of the day and their knowledge of acoustics. Thank you to the culture that maintains through generations, all such instruments in such pristine condition. Thank you to the talented organists, such as yourself, who play and understand the art so well. I am so fortunate to enjoy the music.

[@glennlopez6772]

Maybe it's easier to land on the moon than to build something like this. It's a blessing it's still around for us to experience. The builders surely knew that they couldn't take this with them when they departed.!

[@EduardQualls]

What amazes me about this organ is (1) how well the latest restoration did at preserving the "late Renaissance" sweetness in so many of the flue stops, and (2) how good the modified meantone tuning fits the character of the organ. _Köszönöm, Karosi Balint!_

[@TheScreamingFrog916]

Truly the King of instruments. Never before had so much technology, been directed to the making of beautiful sound. The first synthesizers.

[@seankoreski5826]

I'm in love with the Hollfloit 8' at 6:34. I need to find out how they made it sound so sweet and beautiful, I would love to build a single stop continuo with this stop. This Organ just has the most beautiful flute-work I've ever heard! I can tell that the builders spent alot of time getting the perfect tone, with a patience rarely seen today!

[@angelicamartacahyaningtyas9083]

Oberwerk is placed at the very top of the main case, and he said it speaks to the back of the church. What we hear is mostly the echo, not the direct sound. So the acoustics may play a big role to add the sweetness.

[@isaiahbaggett5014]

These are the most gorgeous flutes I've ever heard - my goodness - such a lush yet heavenly, light sound :)

[@johnferguson4089]

Thank you so much for the demonstration of this wonderful instrument. Over 300 years old is certainly a testament to the quality of Schnitger's organ building. This is so rare and beautiful in today's throw-away world.

[@johndavey72]

Most comments are from those with knowledge of the different sounds from this instrument. I am absolutely stupified by the complexity, the infinite combinations and how did the creator of this stunning piece of work know this would work! I cannot believe this was completed in 1692. Without doubt this is the most breathtaking masterpiece l have had the privilege to encounter. I guess we have to give thanks that this has survived the ravages of time including the two wars. Well, not for the first time.... Thank you KZbin.

[@mdemed]

I don’t know what is more amazing, his musical talents or his knowledge of this huge complex instrument! Love the sound!

[@silencecn5146]

Mankind deserves more musicians. What a masterpiece...

[@itsmekaren1884]

ARE YOU KIDDING? This piece of beautifully created working art was created that long ago? My mind is absolutely blown away, unbelievable yet the preciseness and clarity of every note is so fluid and harmonic. I only wish this video had been longer!

[@williamleitzel1810]

Balint: I've just discovered you on you tube and find your videos wonderful I am an OLD pipe organ fanatic and love listening to and seeing you play some of these wonderful old organs, especially the one at Arnstadt Bach's original .Keep it up Old guys like me can't travel much anymore and really enjoy your presentations. William Leitzel

[@Vincent-ig2cb]

Wonderful to be reminded of this amazing instrument again. I was fortunate to have been at the opening recital following Jürgen Ahrend's restoration in 1985 and to have met him there tweeking reeds! Thank you very much for this 'reminder' tour.

[@FelixMendeldog]

Good lord this organ is GORGEOUS! Thank you for your excellent demo video.

[@TheJohn1567]

Balint, you are amazing and you enjoy showing these instruments off. I always leave so much happier!

[@Tillsammmans]

Every second, every sound is such a delight! Can listen to this again again and again!

[@tambrosia]

Thank you for posting As a young organ student my teacher RIP Bob got me into play the Wanamaker Organ in Phila. Talk about being so dang scared but the Wanamaker Organists said come on give it a try....I played the Ave MAria, Schubert, and I never knew I could play with so much heart and soul. I can tell you the 3 of us were crying as well as the shoppers below, silence when I finished and then applause. That was 50 yrs ago...Thank the Lord for memories.... But to every person, musician amateur and pro, if you can find a church with a nice pipe organ and learn how to play on them. Now I have a Conn and a Hammon, circa 1950 and tho wonderful lovely organs, nothing can ever compare to a true Pipe Organ. I have played Allens, Rogers etc, but still the Pipe Organ is the best. To see how many churches destroyed pipe organs for a new Allen etc, makes me so dang mad but nothing can change those morons.

[@pjclutterbuck230473]

A gorgeous case and a beautiful sounding instrument!

[@matthewottaway8521]

Thanks for demonstrating this beautiful, historic instrument.

[@EElgar1857]

A beautiful demo of this wonderful instrument! One of the greatest Schnittgers, IMHO.

[@sherryparriott1163]

I cannot stop smiling....what a Christmas gift to happen upon this today!

[@mscott3918]

Magnificent sound and playing. Listening on Christmas Eve and it is a great treat. Thank you.

[@manuelrosales5136]

One of the better demonstrations of this organ due to your fine musicianship. There are many combinations of stops in your demo that others did not include and that is appreciated. Ultimately, the close placement of the microphone for your voice gives only the impression of the organ from the keydesk perspective rather than from a listener's position in the church. One realizes this limitation and can still appreciate your effort.

[@bkarosi]

Manuel Rosales the mics were placed in the nave on the floor about 20ft from the Rückpositive. Unfortunately that was not the best placement. The RP is very strong from the church, but on this recording maybe a bit too much. It is very hard to record this organ as it speaks in three different directions. One might need three pairs of mics to fully capture the pedal tower, the RP/HW and the OW

[@OldPannonian]

Wonderful instrument. I wish I had the Hauptwerk sound set for this beauty. I would revel in those stops. Sigh!

[@matthewbrick7539]

You are so talented, Balint! Thank you for sharing your travels and this video!

[@n6mz]

Wonderful!!!! I love that stubborn little 4' octav. THANK YOU!

[@richardsnyder8]

Thank you for this wonderful demo! This must be one of the most valuable organs in the world.

[@Tillsammmans]

Another delight! And I am so happy you gave so much time to the Hohlfluit 8 in the Oberpositiv which is also my absolute favorite. Such a sweet lovely tone, my heart is melting when I hear that stop

[@OneLSBHymnaWeek]

Great job Balint. I love that 8’ flute on the Oberpositiv. Just beautiful. Also the Hauptwerk 8’ principal is a great sound.

[@tommuldoon5677]

My Uncle Al became fascinated by the organ as a teen-ager. All he seemed to want out of life was to play the organ and teach it. An instrument like the Schnitger Organ makes me see why. Both my Aunt June and Uncle Al are deceased, and I have mostly lost contact with my three cousins on that side of the family. My cousin Donald plays the string bass for the Portland, OR symphony. It's wonderful that God gave wisdom to 17th century people to make such a magnificent instrument!

[@marcelobrunorodrigues7630]

Walter Kraft recorded at this instrument BWV 527, 532, 528, 541 and 543 as part of his Bach's (almost) complete organ works (217 at all). Edward-George Power Biggs recorded some other works, too. You improvised on the chorale "Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend" and very beautiful conclusion with Buxtehude's "Prelude in G minor (ostinato)" (BuxWV 149). Congratulations for everything!

[@dnwitte]

Thank you for the visit to the mighty Schnitger. Playing there is one of my most treasured memories of my time in Ost-Friesland.

[@Gregory473]

Wonderful! I love how you review the organs from this period of ingenuity of music and craftsmanship... a great privilege!! 👍

[@Gregory473]

15th century

[@DavidB-ec7bm]

This is a wonderful video. Thank you for your time you spent providing such a detailed demonstration.

[@grahamrankin]

What a fabulous instrument---thank you so much for the wonderful demonstration. Pure joy. More from this organ please !

[@bkarosi]

Graham Rankin there is more coming. Subscribe!

[@grahamrankin]

@@bkarosi Many thanks---I have !

[@StephenJacksonRerumFontis]

A delightful and informative tour of an amazing engineering masterpiece. Truly awe inspiring. “terribilis est locus iste” 😎

[@jasondurham8696]

Awesome

[@StephenJacksonRerumFontis]

Jason, exactly! 😀

[@rudigerk]

Such a wonderful Instrument with Character!

[@James_Bowie]

I have a soft spot for baroque organs. To me they provide the 'authentic' pipe organ sound.

[@josephadams2378]

For baroque or other contrapuntal music, absolutely. You do need a little bit of a different kind of instrument for the late classical and Romantic repertoire, but if I had to choose just one it would be a good baroque organ for sure.

[@kyleethekelt]

Oh those flutes really are gorgeous - almost recorder-like.

[@grahaml3449]

Another of my favorite organs. Fascinating positioning of the organ so that it can play to all the parts of the church. All worked out in the 17th and 18th centuries.

[@andreamundt]

It´s so sweet how much you love that Hollfloit (which is really gorgeous) ! * Waves * from Lübeck *:D*

[@orettacarter1312]

I grew up with pipe organ in our churches. In all the musical instruments i love the organ the most.

[@carlatamanczyk3891]

Thats what I love about music instruments... if taken care if, they last forever.

[@paulbombardier8722]

I always enjoy your demonstrations of the organs. It certainly helps to explain why the composers were so inspired.

[@mswsjsu]

Thank you! So nice to hear this great instrument!

[@den098]

In my industry Demo is short for Demolish. I thought they were going to tear this organ apart. My stomach almost gave out! Beautiful Demonstration, thank you.

[@jimchik]

@ about 6:45; With the Hollfloit 8' S, I was thinking about Stairway to Heaven... it'd be great for that.

[@paulcaswell2813]

Simply heaven. Thanks for posting. And that Buxtehude :-))

[@bkarosi]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@hogsworthhammer9211]

Sehr alte und sehr wunderbar Orgel. Für ihre sehr schön Orgelspielen, danke schoen!

[@hellaschuenemann]

Arp Schnitger ist bei uns im Norden Deutschlands in mehreren noch existierenden Orgeln verewigt. Damals waren die Küstenregionen durch den Handel reich. So konnten sie sich den Bau solcher meisterhaften Instrumente zur Ehre Gottes leisten. Darüber dürfen wir uns bis heute freuen.

[@garywait3231]

Grand demonstration of the capacities of this wonderful historic instrument. Double BRAVOS and THANKS !!👍👍👍

[@stephenhetzel8437]

Thank you for this post. I played this organ on a Westminster College trip with Harald Vogel. He completely misrepresented the meantone temperament. Otherwise it was a great trip.

[@ruthgoebel723]

Truly glorious sound and beautiful case!

[@seldonwright4345]

Agreed. Today you'd have to build the church Around the organ, as said organ was being made. Architect would go crazy. Or retire rich.

[@timstoffel4799]

Thank you very much for this video! I have always had a great appreciation for the work of Arp Schnitger, but have never seen it explored in this manner. I have also been studying the registrations used on other period instruments that were used to record the complete organ works of Bach. This video adds context to the registrations I see used in these recordings. And as I take up the organ again after a 30 year hiatus, it will help me interpret this great music better.

[@aaround]

Thank you for showing this magnificent instrument!

[@michaelmiller1215]

A magnificent instrument and great demonstration.

[@Jeo-fq1zw]

Unbelievable sound.. beautiful!

[@martingaskell9244]

Thank you very much for doing this.

[@marcelobrunorodrigues7630]

This instrument has a special detail: two departments that are played in one same manual.

[@shiningarmor2838]

I remember when I made a lot of people mad on another demonstration of this instrument with some very naive opinions. That was wrong, and the instrument is perfect the way it is.

[@bobh5087]

Many thanks for this very interesting demonstration of such a stunning instrument. I agree that the 8' flue & Gedackt stops are especially beautiful. Btw, Is the 8' Hohlflöte of metal or wood?

[@Tillsammmans]

Bob H the Hohlfluit is wood, and tapered like a Spitsflöte but from wood 😊

[@bobh5087]

@@Tillsammmans Thanks for your reply. It seems unusual (to me) for a wooden Hohlflöte to be tapered, so that's interesting.

[@Tillsammmans]

Bob H Inwas trying to find a foto but wasn’t successful! At my mother’s I have a record that shows rhe different forms of the pipe work. The Hohlfluit looks a bit like a pyramid being made from four parts of wood but narrowing towards the top

[@bobh5087]

@@Tillsammmans Thank you for your response. These historic organs are always so beautifully-crafted and still sound fresh and alive.

[@Tillsammmans]

Bob H I am at my mother’s and made a foto of the pipework showing the Hollfloit 8 - bit cannot upload here ... if you can think of a way to send it pls let me know

[@Jeo-fq1zw]

It would be fascinating to have seen the late Carlo Curley explore this masterpiece.

[@vittoriobacchiega9118]

Hi Balint great job and helpful demonstration to hear the stops sound. If possible for future, when reach the pipes, to view other stops (I recognized regale, rohrfloit) and write into the subtitle the name of stop..and the job will be complete 😊 Regards and good Music (SDG)

[@myboibill]

Demo in the USA refers to demolition. My heart was in my mouth when I put on your video. Gorgeous instrument and handsome talented organist.

[@RacinJsn]

(facepalm) demo means demonstration in the US, unless you're talking about a building. This is an instrument, not a building.

[@bifeldman]

What a beauty.

[@Daniels-io1sp]

Can you make a demo of other Bach's great organs in Germany, like Naumburg's St. Wenzel church, Altenburg's Palace, etc?

[@WilliamOAutry]

Wohl getan. Mehr informationen: Die-Arp-Schnitger-Orgel in der Ludgerikirche zu Norden (Ostfriesland). Reinhard Ruge (Isensee Verlag, Oldenburg, 2019.

[@kristenlevine3446]

Fabulous! Thank you !

[@emanuelecicchino7256]

bravissimo maestro.

[@chuckt8457]

Such a grand sounding organ

[@944gemma]

FANTASTIC!

[@wolfgangaus6264]

Incredible.

[@jozsefmakai9194]

Köszönöm Szépen!

[@KarlchenvomDorrenberg]

The gorgeous Tertian of Norden's Rückpositiv should be much more famous!

[@sanjosemike3137]

No baroque organ can survive the ravages of time and the the Second Law of Thermodynamics without a constant and thorough maintenance program. After the construction of this masterpiece, an award should go to the PEOPLE who paid for it and the master technicians who ACTUALLY kept it alive and still do today. I have a belief that Bach had more respect and appreciation for those artists than anyone else in his life. Sanjosemike (no longer in CA)

[@sfbirdclub]

san jose mike--Amen. Yes indeed.

[@sanjosemike3137]

@@sfbirdclub Thanks Doug! It is incredible that when Bach was alive, there were actually people who could build and maintain these wooden works of art. It is also obvious that God exists because there is no particular reason the Universe would make us real otherwise. Sanjosemike (no longer in CA)

[@praestant8]

This is actually a misconception. Many of these instruments survive as a result of not having excessive funds to tinker with them or replace them with something else. Coned tuned pipes such as these get damaged the more they are tuned. Periodic mechanical restoration is what keeps them going.

[@sanjosemike3137]

@@praestant8 Didn't know that. Thank you. Sanjosemike (no longer in CA)

[@benedictdsilva3954]

Nice tone..Meatone temperament is fine What is annoying is that it is a little bit higher than a semitone.. This is the Renaissance tuning...I think A = 66 . Baroque tuning A = 415

[@christusrex7865]

Others: so which instrument do you play? Me: Church

[@picksalot1]

I love hearing "time capsule" instruments and the preservation of the tonal aesthetics of centuries long past. Thanks for mentioning the mean temperament tuning. My well-tempered ears were starting to itch. 😅

[@kevind4850]

Wonderful to hear that!

[@musique-ancienne]

Very beautiful organ indeed but I wonder about the acoustics. Was there some auto-leveling active for the audio explaining the weird echo one can hear, or is it rather faithful to what one can hear at the console ?

[@bkarosi]

Pierre-Henri what you hear is when I fade in and out between the recording device in the nave and the mic on the balcony. There is about 3.5 seconds of reverb in the church.

[@thelongdrag9188]

@@bkarosi If you face a similar situation in future demos, would you mind waiting for the reverb to die before speaking again? Some of your words got lost, and that's frustrating.

[@bkarosi]

The Long Drag yes learned that later. Especially in larger churches it is an issue

[@wllm4785]

@@bkarosi Thanks for the explanation!

[@X2O8MZV9]

Great Demonstration ma dude!

[@eschnitger]

Amazing.

[@Nicolas-zb9uw]

I like german baroque organ but I hope that one day, too,Balint will test historical italian organs too.......and spanish .....and .....

[@gollycondas]

Fantastic looking building also; all that brickwork. The bricks also look very small, is that just an illusion?

[@v6200man]

Fabulous

[@robertbishop5357]

Playing a pipe organ is a feet. Using both upper and lower extremities to make an awesome sound. I've done it.

[@rommil9590]

Nice organ! Thank you.

[@Vercus100]

Since the pipework has been replaced (no 300 year old pipes are that shiny) you could argue it no longer really is a Schnitger. Pipes of course are the primary factor in how an organ sounds.

[@bkarosi]

Vercus100 if you read the specs carefully (and my annotated registrations) it is noted which ranks of pipes are by Schnitger, Ahrend or from an earlier organ

[@garfixit]

I agree with you BUT I love all the stops ❤🎶🎼🎶

[@MedievalRichard]

Splendid. MR

[@mairepcod4063]

Thanks,

[@daviddoan9308]

Was the instrument in a different spot of the church, or was it always placed in that, imo awkward, spot? Awesome demo !

[@sebastianprzybya5966]

Gothic churches didn't use to have organs, so they weren't built intensionally with spots to install them. Sometimes organ builders had to get creative... On the contrary- this place isn't awkward at all, placing the case opposite the other pilar makes for some great acoustic reverb.

[@ducky-dt3wg]

12:12 i want to see more 16' trommet... UGH!!!!!!!!! it sounds so beautiful, dark and warm, i even want to travel to germany just to play that stop on it's own..

[@rudolphochsena3215]

Trevel to Germany? Than put more Churches with Arp Schnittger Organs on your list: Hamburg St. Jacobi, with the greatest Schnittger Organ of the World and Hamburg-Neuenfelde, Arp Schnittgers Church also with an Organ of him. His Company was there and: the Organ of St. Katharinen Curch in Hamburg. On this Organ Johann Sebastian Bach played and Bach, in his own words, this was the most amazing Organ especially the 32' Bass - bester than in Leipzig. By the way - this is the Church where Scheidemann and Adam Reinken were Organists and this Organ was the first 4-manual Organ in the World.

[@Vindebyvej]

Only 12 registres are from Schnittger…..is that correct?

[@jfp2816]

I think you shouldn´t use the quart-sext Cimbel in the pleno. It´s more for solo parts.

[@charlessiegler6303]

I really like mean tone organs 👍

[@brucetominello325]

What’s the manual compass?

[@markheld5788]

It's history talking to you beautiful.