This week’s dream: a tour of Germany’s great church organs
To experience the music of Bach, Mozart and Handel in the way they expected it to be heard, travel to Germany – home to some of Europe’s most magnificent church organs, says Akhil Sharma in the FT. The Germans have a particular passion for organ music (the country still has around 120 organ makers), and many churches hold regular recitals and offer public tours. But for more “exclusive” access, contact London-based travel firm Brown and Hudson. They specialise in tailoring trips to clients’ interests, and can arrange a tour featuring concerts, private visits to organ makers’ workshops and meetings with experts.
The centuries-old Ottobeuren Abbey, in Bavaria, has three organs, including a double organ, built by Karl Joseph Riepp and completed in 1766, that is one of the most treasured in Europe. To hear the great works played on this instrument, in the basilica’s soaring rococo interior, surrounded by worshippers – many in Bavarian costume – is overwhelming. Listening to an orchestral work, the sound often seems to be coming from one direction. Organ music, by contrast, completely occupies the church. After the service, Ottobeuren organist Josef Miltschitzky will take you on a tour of the organ loft, during which you can climb in among the pipes while he explains their workings.
At the Jehmlich Orgelbau workshop in Dresden, you can get a fascinating insight into how these machines are made, and see dismantled parts usually hidden inside – a huge bellow dating from the 1600s, a pipe wide enough for a man to crawl inside, another the size of a pencil. Head to Dresden Cathedral to hear the last organ made by Gottfried Silbermann, “the Antonio Stradivari of organ makers”, whose work Mozart declared “magnificent beyond measure”. Even a recording of its silvery notes “can make one’s hair stand on end”. A bespoke four-day tour with Brown and Hudson costs about s6,500 (020-3358 0110, www.brownandhudson.com).