The Orgelpark Research Program aims to function as a platform for leading musicologists in organ music related musicology. To strengthen the international organ related musicology network, the Orgelpark Research Program cooperates regularly with other institutions.
2009, 3-4 September: Colloquium France vs. Germany (language: German / cooperation with the Walcker Stiftung, Germany)
The annual Colloquium of the Walcker-Stiftung (Walcker-Foundation, Germany) took place at the Orgelpark for a special reason: the theme of the colloquium was 'Comparing German and French Romantic Organ Art'. Aside from seven contributions of scholars from the United States, Sweden, France, Austria, Germany and The Netherlands, the colloquium featuring organists Andreas Sieling (Berlin, Dom) and Matthias Havinga.
Andreas Sieling, who plays the wonderful and original Sauer organ in the Dom at Berlin (1905, 113 stops, pneumatic action), presented French romantic music on the Sauer organ at the Orgelpark; Matthias Havingha, a talented young Amsterdam musician, played German romantic music on the new Verschueren organ at the Orgelpark, built in French romantic style.
The lecturers addressed several aspects of the connections - and disconnections/differences - between the developments in Organ Art on both sides of the Rhine.
Prof. Dr. Michael Stegemann (Germany) introduced the field by commenting some general cultural aspects of these developments, whereas others focused on specific topics: Prof. Dr. Hermann Busch (Germany) listed and commented German opinions from the 19th century on French music, and organist Matthias Giesen (Austria) compared the way Max Reger and Louis Vierne included chromatic music in their compositions.
Drs. Paul Peeters (Sweden, Göteborg Organ Art Center) presented his study of the 19th century organ builders Aristide Cavaillé-Coll and Eberhard Friedrich Walcker: they knew each other and each other's organs and maintained a certain communication. Nevertheless it seems hard to say to what extend the two men influenced each other's work. Dr. Hans Fidom (Orgelpark) articulated the problem how to interprete such history by proposing three versions of the Alsace Reform and the consequent 20th century movements. Dr. Kurt Lueders (USA/France) gave an overview of the attention of German Organ Art in France. Dr. Roland Eberlein (Germany) mentioned that organ stop names have been exchanged as well.
