Gabler Weingarten Organ - Pipes framing a window - Holzhay Neresheim Organ

[SchnarrHorn]

Here's an interesting video that provides a quick look at some of the unusual aspects of the Gabler organ at Weingarten Abbey. Narration is in German, but subtitles in other languages available (via translate function). Such luxury - stop knobs made from turned ivory. :-)

While the Gabler organ is one of a kind, of course, new for me is that organ builder Johann Holzhay did something similar by framing the windows in the church at Neresheim. I haven't found an organ tour video of the Neresheim organ, but here's a video of it being played. The start of the video has a great view of the front perspective of the organ framing the windows. It doesn't look to be as over-the-top as the Weingarten organ. Apparently one of the new and modern innovations at the time for both these organs is the detached console, turned around with the organist facing down the nave.

[myorgan]

George,

Actually, it isn't a detached console. The console is just reversed, and I believe both the organs are tracker. It's not that hard-the trackers just travel under the console rather than between the console and the pipes or having the console enclosed in the organ case. In that case, only the Ruckpositiv would have trackers running under the console to the pipes hanging off the balcony behind the organist.

Michael