Michael Becker

The Becker organ at St. Anna’s makes a statement and is clearly inspired by the aesthetics of Gottfried Silbermann. This consistency of aesthetics is reflected in, among other things, the high wind pressure, its widest-possible lips, and the central position of the organ within the church. The Principal stops are uniformly scaled so that their sound is homogenous, solemn, and transparent. The comparatively high proportion of Principal stops (21 out of 42) follow Silbermann’s idea of the perfect Plenum sound. They complete the overall sound, achieving highlights, and providing sparkle. This is particularly true for the Principals in the Positive section of the organ which go up to 1 1/3-foot and 1-foot pitch. Due to their respective Principals and mixtures, each of the four sections of the organ has its own personality, but these differences become less important when stops from different sections are played together, making the instrument’s overall sound extremely cohesive. The 12-stop Hauptwerk is based on a 16-foot Bordun (see Freiberg Cathedral) that is matched by the Großmixtur. The Oberwerk is similarly rich in stops. This opulent equipment makes the instrument extremely versatile, equally adapted for chorale fantasias in the North German baroque tradition requiring two equally strong organ sections, or Late-Romantic works demanding a rich 8-foot sound - they all can be performed with authentic sound. And yet the organ at St. Anna’s is anything but a Silbermann clone: its tuning is based on 440 Hz and only slightly unequal, and its manual and pedal ranges are those commonly used today. Also, none of G. Silbermann’s instruments has a Rückpositiv; instead his large organs are (or were) equipped with classical French Positive stops contained in the Brustwerk. In the case of St. Anne’s organ, the Silbermann Brustwerk was “transferred” to a Rückpositiv with a rich proportion of mutation stops as well as a Krummhorn, offering many options for solo expression.

Trumpets and Krummhorn at St. Anna’s have been handcrafted in such a way that French genres such as Grand Jeu, Récit de Cromorne, Basse de Trompette, or Tierce en Taille can be played authentically. These stops are completed by the Cornet V, which is mounted high behind the Hauptwerk façade, the full Cornett III in the Oberwerk, and the Cornet décomposé in the Rückpositiv. These can all be used both as solo stops and within a reed chorus. The 8-foot and 4-foot pedal trumpets are so powerful that each on its own can easily express a chorale line played against a Plein Jeu on the manuals. In general, what makes Silbermann’s concepts special are the “French imports” in his organs, and this is particularly true for this Becker organ. Silbermann’s idea of merging seemingly incompatible principles, together with the quality of Becker’s pipe voicing, make for an instrument of great versatility and fascinating homogeneity. The composition of mixtures repeating at low pitch level makes it easy to hear the individual voices in polyphonic music. The mixtures also blend well with the reeds inspired by French organ-building traditions.

For example, the organ’s Plenum sound is brilliant yet discrete, enabling the player to interpret 19th and 20th century works.

On hearing or playing the organ for the first time, one is struck by its high vocal quality. Similar to the characteristics of Italian instruments, the singing quality of the core stops seems more important than their function as the foundation of the overall sound. This can be felt only if several stops are played together or in a chord. The aesthetics of the Italian art of organ-building can be found at every turn, as in the previously mentioned complete Principal chorus, which even includes a 1-foot Principal.
Frescobaldi’s organ masses, for example, can be interpreted using all kinds of stop combinations. When played with the undulating Unda maris Principal, the sound of his elevation fantasias is tremendously expressive. Silbermann was probably inspired by Eugenio Casparini’s Sun Organ, located in Görlitz, when in his large organ specifications he included also the large non-repeating pedal mixture and a bright-sounding large-scale flute stop referred to as Flageolett (Casparini called it “little bell”), as well as the 16-foot Quintade as the Oberwerk’s groundwork and as solo stop.

New opportunities in connection with a renovation project

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