Lord God, now be praised: The organ was originally designed for the Baroque. Now it is also prepared for late romanticism and modernity, and the fourth manual is activated.
Image: Sandra Sentinel
The organ has always been a complex musical instrument. Now the development continues. The Hyperorgel in Würzburg relies on networking and new concert formats.
GWhen it comes to artificial intelligence, networking and internet connection, the term “hyper” even pops up, one might think of many topics spontaneously. That the organ is meant is not necessarily obvious. After all, it is one of the oldest musical instruments known to mankind, invented in Alexandria in the third century BC and found in European churches since the late Middle Ages. But the organ is almost predestined for a major update that could offer endless new possibilities. It is not only a musical instrument, but also a highly artificial device. Their history is closely intertwined with technical development.
The progress is called Hyperorgel with the promise of creating new worlds of sound and significantly increasing the complexity of musical events with artificial intelligence. The term was coined by musician Randall Harlow in 2011 to describe an organ in which not only the registers but also the pipes can be combined at will, with precise control of the wind pressure for each individual pipe. Each pipe can be freely combined and completely new organ sounds can be created. Thanks to electronics, Internet connection and digitization, innovative forms of music are also being added, additional interfaces can be connected, you can play an organ remotely or connect several to form a new instrument. The possibilities and opportunities are promising.