Anton Bruckner was not only an important composer, but also a talented organist. In his days, he was celebrated at home and abroad for his organ improvisations. As a young man, he had trained as a teacher and organist and later regularly played the organ in various churches in Linz and the surrounding area. His playing was renowned for its technical finesse and his ability to fill space with powerful waves of sound. Bruckner was a great admirer of Bach's music and his organ works, especially his chorale preludes, clearly show the influence of this great master. Bruckner's devotion to organ music continued throughout his life, and many of his compositions for orchestra and choir are influenced by the sound world of the organ.
A special highlight of the Brucknerhaus Linz is the organ in the Great Hall, newly installed in 2018 with 3727 pipes. The acoustics of the room are controlled by the wooden panelling, which is at least 6 cm thick, and the different structuring of the wood, which directs the sound. In addition, hanging aprons ensure that the sound is evenly distributed. A reverberation time of 1.7 seconds makes the concert hall an acoustic highlight.
Visit a concert of the following subscriptions to experience the sound of the organ in the Brucknerhaus Linz:
Four times a season you also have the opportunity to get to know the new organ of the Brucknerhaus Linz during a guided tour. Martin Riccabona, our organ curator, explains interesting facts about the instrument and pulls out all the stops for you, including sound samples.
We would be happy to organise an exclusive organ tour for you with our organ curator Martin Riccabona. Please send your preferred date(s) to kassa@liva.linz.at.
How the organ sounds, how many pipes it has and how the tones are produced in the huge instrument - all these questions are answered during a guided tour together with the organist Martin Riccabona. And you can even try out the organ yourself! Kindergarten and primary school children can also look forward to a little handicraft surprise.
Dates on request at education@liva.linz.at
The old organ, which was given its purpose with the opening of the Brucknerhaus in 1974, had long since become unsuitable for concert use. Its tuning was too high, making its use in orchestral concerts impossible. In addition, there were static and accessibility problems, which made care and maintenance of the organ difficult. A close inspection also revealed that the structural substance of the old organ was in very poor condition. For all these reasons, the original idea of a general renovation was abandoned and a new building was chosen, but with the original facade preserved.
The old organ, which was given its purpose with the opening of the Brucknerhaus in 1974, had long since ceased to function in concert. Their pitch was too high, which made their use in orchestral concerts impossible. In addition there were static problems and those of accessibility, which made the care and maintenance of the organ difficult. Exact inspection also revealed that the structural substance of the old organ was in very poor condition. For all these reasons, one has strayed from the original idea of a general refurbishment and has decided to build a new one while preserving the original façade.
The Mayor of Linz, Klaus Luger, spoke at the press conference on 7 May 2018 of "a major financial challenge for the city, but we did it. We had to act that way because the organ was out of time."
Brucknerhaus director Dietmar Kerschbaum described the 7th of May 2018 as a "historic day for the Brucknerhaus and for Linz. With the new organ, we are following international standards." He also announced an organ improvisation competition for the future.
The new building was put out to tender, the contract was given to the internationally renowned company Rieger organ construction, which has among others built the new organ in the Great Hall of the Vienna Musikverein and the organ in the new Paris Philharmonic. The costs for the new building amount to almost 1.1 million euros.
The Mayor of Linz, Klaus Luger, spoke of "a great financial challenge for the city, but we have managed it. We had to act this way because the organ was no longer in keeping with the times." Brucknerhaus artistic director Dietmar Kerschbaum described 7 May 2018 as a "historic day for the Brucknerhaus and for Linz". "With the new organ, we are catching up with international standards." He also announced an organ improvisation competition for the future, first held in 2021.
The dismantling of the old organ and the construction of the new one were documented with a time-lapse camera.