Organ builders in the 19th century incorporated percussion effects like thunder pedals and drum-cymbal couples into organs to imitate orchestral sounds and adapt to current musical styles.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Mozart considered the organ to be the 'king of instruments'.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in Bern Cathedral, chosen for its German-style Kuhn organ and the unique atmosphere of its organ loft.
Recording & Production
During the recording, the performers imagined Mozart would have found it amusing to hear castanets unleashed in the middle of a piano sonata.
Historical Context
The influence of Turkish Janissary music in the 17th and 18th centuries led to the introduction of gongs, bass drums, and other percussion instruments into Western orchestras.
Composition History
Many of the organ pieces played today by Mozart were originally commissioned for a mechanical organ in a showroom belonging to Count J. Deym-Müller.
Interpretation
The album features transcriptions of Mozart and Haydn's piano and orchestral works, reworked for the organ, a practice considered natural and easy at the time.
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