| Summary: | Organ Acusticum at Luleå University of Technology, built in the years 2009–2012 by Orgelbauwerkstatt Woehl, Marburg, Germany, for the concert hall of Studio Acusticum, Piteå, Sweden, is with 140 stops Sweden’s largest organ and one of the largest in Europe – and, more importantly, perhaps the most thoroughgoing attempt to date to combine several of the most important historical styles in a single instrument, while at the same time opening up possibilities for musical innovation and border-crossing. The inauguration of this unique instrument, on October 13, 2012, was followed by a ten-day organ festival and symposium, to which a number of the world’s foremost performers and scholars in the field contributed. Organ Prospects and Retrospects celebrates Organ Acusticum in written text and sounding music. Following an introductory chapter, fourteen essays of varying length are grouped in four thematic sections: ‘Organ Acusticum’, ‘Organs and Organ Builders’, ‘Organs and Organ Music’, and ‘Bach Reception’. The volume thus covers a wide array of organ-related topics, ranging from the 17th century to the present day, illustrated with music examples, photos and tables. The back matter includes biographies of the contributors, the specification of Organ Acusticum, a bibliography, and an index of names. On the accompanying CD, Organ Acusticum can be heard in recordings from concerts given at the festival. Both texts and music reflect in various ways the versatility of the instrument. The printed book is accompanied by a music CD.
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