1925 Steinmeyer Berlin (III,71) work in progress

Dear all,

OAM would like to inform you about a new project, work in progress:



The completely original surviving large 71-stop Steinmeyer post-romantic organ, op. 1400, built in 1925, is today a worldwide unique instrument of this organ builder and this era.

It was designed by the Berlin concert organist Otto Dunkelberg, who later worked as an organist of the giant organ of the Passau cathedral (unfortunately neo-baroque "rebuilt" and thus destroyed by end of 1970), and is considered the smaller sister and predecessor of what was then the world's largest pipe organ.

The organ, which by incredible fortune survived WWII as one of the few (!) Berlin instruments and the demolition or modification in the course of the Neo-Baroque movement, shows features of the Alsatian organ reform according to Rupp-Schweitzer and also, due to Steinmeyer's American contacts, has also characteristics of these instruments, such as larger manual and pedal sizes, extensive sub- and super- octave couplers, string choirs, etc.

The disposition allows the interpretation of German, French and Anglo-American music from the 19th century to modern, as well as older music in the taste of the early 20th century. It's a modern universal concert organ of the early 20th century, including all typical late romantic stops as well as brighter classical mixtures and modern colours like 1 1/7 and 8/9 feet. Due to the rich stop list and extensive sub- and super- octave couplers nearly endless sound colours are available, getting a sound range from pppp to massive ffff (about 65 dB dynamics!).

Until a few years ago, becoming almost unplayable due to wear and church climate influences, it was extensively restored during three years of work by organ workshop Fleiter and was inaugurated again in 2018. Perhaps the only originally surviving large Steinmeyer organ from this era has risen again.
Some recordings of the original instrument can already be found on YouTube.

The Ss. Corpus Christi Church has a beautiful rich acoustics with a reverberation time up to 6 s.

The beta version of this instrument should be ready in November, when also first demos will be available.
Release date is scheduled for Q1-2021.

Specification and complete organ console screens can already be found on
https://www.organartmedia.com/en/1925-g-f-steinmeyer-organ#consoles

.
Wow! Sounds like another fascinating addition to your (and my!) collection.

Very exciting news - can't wait to hear it.

Thanks for the information.The result will for sure be glorious !
( And , by the way, hope that afterwards, your next organ will be Dreifaltigskeit.. )

Dear prof.

Although the stops screen is very nice, can i suggest to add a simple jamb.
All the large organs i own with these simple jambs i play soleley using these jambs.
These jambs are so much more user friendly.

Regards Jan Loosman

Looking forward to hearing this and probable purchase next year.

Thanks for the suggestion, Mr. Loosman,

I'm not a friend of the windows like icons of the stop control.
Working with a virtual representation always also demands an intensive analysis of the stop layout etc.
The Steinmeyer stops windows shows the complete (complex) stop layout with enough details, when using a reasonable sized monitor. The double monitor layout nearly even shows the stops in real size.

Dear prof.

For me personally the authentic reproduction of any organ is in the sound (in which you excel!) and not in the authentic reproduction of the stopscreens.
Many Hauptwerk organists on this forum are on age or are coming on age and will get problems with their sight eventually. Reading authentic stop layouts can become challenging.
I hope you will reconsider.

Regards Jan Loosman

Regarding stop layout, I can appreciate both points of view. It is nice to see stops as they appear on the original organ, however, a simple jamb is easier to use.

Most sample set producers show people what the screens look like because, I assume, it is important to prospective purchasers. If both options are offered, people can select the format they prefer. While "The double monitor layout nearly even shows the stops in real size" is nice to know, it does not really help the person who only has one monitor. Offering both options might result in a few more sales.

Yes, I understand this wish, of course, although I don't like this computer oriented representation very much.
We'll check, what we can do in this development phase.

Nevertheless it's really recommended to play with the original layout. Even with the real instrument, the stop labels are a little bit difficult to read (as found very often), due to light reflections and handwritten labels.
When playing a while you get used to it and know, where the stops are located without reading details.

It may sound silly, but the instrument is another one and sounds different due to our mental imagination process.

It may sound silly, but the instrument is another one and sounds different due to our mental imagination process.

I guess that this only applies if you know the original organ. Without knowledge I have no "relationship" between sound and appearance of the console.

Even "normal" screens with 1680x1080 pixel resolution with a single screen are suitable for the largest Hauptwerk organs. Stupid is only that HW and also the manufacturers do not use the max size.

So I developed a Midi panel myself and since then I have NO PROBLEMS any more

Here you can see a working design of the 1925 Steinmeyer Berlin:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/vpo-organist/50503663582/

I have already built over 30 templates to test the performance of my panel. Even of sample sets I do not own.
This is a great experience when you can suddenly operate French organs like the "de Metz" without guessing what a footpiston does.

The most fun I had was the implementation of the PAB. The screens were very hard to read. And now it is the pure pleasure.

Thanks, interesting and practical of course, but this is not my cup of tea.

We put a lot of work and ideas in the console design, to get an optimal impression of the whole thing.
For me, the console impression and a sound, authentic as possible, belong together.
A simplified view would only be an add-on.

A simplified view would only be an add-on.

Exactly. They did not ask for more either

This looks like a most interesting instrument and I’m sure it will sound wonderful as OAM set have always done.

Is it a stereo sample set or will it have rear and front samples so the player can adjust the perspective?

With larger instruments, the “simple display” is a useful addition to the photorealistic displays.

Iain

Thanks a lot!

The Steinmeyer will be released in surround format with adjustable listening position.

It's a matter of taste, but I find the simplified displays to be ugly and don't see how they are more user friendly than the original.