OrganArt Media 1925 G.F. Steinmeyer Organ op. 1400 Hauptwerk-ARCADiA

Team ARCADiA | Hauptwerk | 24.16 GB
The completely original surviving large 71-stop Steinmeyer post-romantic organ, op. 1400, built in 1925, is a worldwide unique instrument of this organ builder and this era.

It was designed by the Berlin concert organist Otto Dunkelberg, who later worked as an organist of the giant organ of the Passau cathedral, and and is considered the smaller sister and predecessor of what was then the world's largest church organ.

The organ, which survived WWII as one of the few Berlin instruments and the demolition or modification in the course of the neo-baroque phase, shows features of the Alsatian organ reform according to Rupp-Schweitzer and also, due to Steinmeyer's American contacts, has characteristics of these instruments, such as larger manual and pedal sizes, extensive sub- and supe- octave couplers, string choirs, etc.

The disposition allows the interpretation of German, French and Anglo-American music from the 19th century to modern, as well as older music in the taste of the early 20th century.

Until a few years ago, becoming almost unplayable due to wear and church climate influences, it was extensively restored during three years of work and was inaugurated again in 2018. One of the few surviving large Steinmeyer organs from this era has risen again.

Alongside the lost Passau cathedral organ, this instrument can certainly be described as the absolute highlight of Steinmeyer's late / post-romantic Opus.

The Ss. Corpus Christi Church has a reverberation time up to 6 s.

Recording technique
The instrument was recorded in October 2019 with 48 kHz, 24 bit, using the multi-release technique introduced by OrganArt.
The stops were recorded with multiple releases for short, medium and long key attacks for optimal acoustical mapping.
All ranks were additionally recorded with the original tremulant sound.