History of the Organ series

The organ is one of the oldest, most complex and most glorious musical instruments known to men. This four part series outlines the history of this magnificent instrument, ranging from the beauty of the sound to the wealth of music written for it, and encompassing not only the craftsmanship involved in building such a complicated (and often ornate) structure, but also the wonderful settings in which these instruments now reside.

Sound Format: PCM Stereo

Picture Format: 4:3

DVD Format: 4 x DVD 5 / NTSC

Audio Languages: GB, DE, FR

Subtitle Languages: ES

Running Time: 212 mins

FSK: 0

AN EXCITING HISTORY OF THE UNIQUE INSTRUMENT

The organ is one of the oldest, most complex and most glorious musical instruments known to men. This four part series outlines the history of this magnifi cent instrument, ranging from the beauty of the sound to the wealth of music written for it, and encompassing not only the craftsmanship involved in building such a complicated (and often ornate) structure, but also the wonderful settings in which these instruments now reside.

VOLUME 4

Tracing the organ’s development, from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present day, this episode visits France and Switzerland. The impact of changes in society, tastes and musical styles, as well as technological advances, are examined and illustrated with music by Gherardeschi, Reger, Franck, Alain and Messiaen.

AN EXCITING HISTORY OF THE UNIQUE INSTRUMENT

The organ is one of the oldest, most complex and most glorious musical instruments known to men. This four part series outlines the history of this magnifi cent instrument, ranging from the beauty of the sound to the wealth of music written for it, and encompassing not only the craftsmanship involved in building such a complicated (and often ornate) structure, but also the wonderful settings in which these instruments now reside.

VOLUME 3

This episode concentrates on the first half of the eighteenth century – the Golden Age of organ music. The French and German schools of organ-making are explained and illustrated, and the works of Marchand, Dandrieu and Johann Sebastian Bach figure prominently.

The organ is one of the oldest, most complex and most glorious musical instruments known to men. This four part series outlines the history of this magnificent instrument, ranging from the beauty of the sound to the wealth of music written for it, and encompassing not only the craftsmanship involved in building such a complicated (and often ornate) structure, but also the wonderful settings in which these instruments now reside.

VOLUME 2 Focusing on the influence of the great German school of organ builders in Northern Europe, this episode was filmed in The Netherlands and Germany. With the advent of the Lutheran reforms in the church, the organ became an increasingly widespread and important part of religious worship. The development of organ music from Sweelinck, the ‘maker of organists’, through Buxtehude to the golden age, in which the genius of Johann Sebastian Bach is highlighted, is shown.

Starting out in the Verona workshop of Bartolomeo Formentelli, this episode travels through Italy, Spain and France to trace the origins, history and development of the organ. It encompasses the classical sobriety of the Italian style, the Golden Age of the organ in sixteenth-century Spain, and the French style of the eighteenth century.