J.S.Bach, Organ Works - Vol. 1, Contius Organ, Leuven

Bach on an organ by H.A. Contius

Heinrich Andreas Contius was still very young when his father, Christoph Contius, passed away. Christoph Contius was responsible for building the famous organ in Halle, an instrument that J.S. Bach held in high regard. Towards the end of his life, Bach launched Heinrich's career by providing a letter of recommendation, in which he described him as one of the best organ builders of his time.

We can identify certain elements in Heinrich's work that undoubtedly sparked Bach's interest: an evolution towards a slightly more 'elegant' organ sound, a characteristic that was observed throughout Europe at that time. These organs retained the gravity of the Silbermann instruments, but integrated various tonal nuances.

The programme also aims to showcase the varied palette of this new organ and to highlight its numerous tonal 'colours'.