Soaring Organ. St. Michael's Church, Zwolle, The Netherlands
In 1721 the largest musical organ in The Netherlands was this one in St. Michael's Church in Zwolle, high in its nave. It had been initiated by Arp Schnitger (1648-1719) and on his death was completed by his firm. The organ has 4000 (!) pipes, and it's in the process of restoration scheduled for completion in 2021. The intricate organ case was designed by an Amsterdam sculptor and artist, Jurriaan Westerman (1677-1748).
The church itself was built on a much earlier sacred site between 1406 and 1466.
In the church I noticed a small memorial to a local poet of sorts, Willem Sluiter (1627-1673), a pastor of towns in the vicinity of Zwolle. Though his poetry is rather mawkish it was remembered in this area for at least a century after his death. One of his poems - rather too long and boring to show you in full - sings of the skylark:
Vliegt de kleine Leeuw'rick op,
En des Heemels hooge top!
't Aerdigh beesje reyt zijn vleug'len,
En zijn held're stem te saem
't Kanse beide niet beteug'len;
't Is hem selfs soo aengenaem.
(paraphrased: The small skylark soars, and its wings and clear voice join together involuntarily much to its own joy)
Thus the organist and his instrument...
Soaring Organ. St. Michael's Church, Zwolle, The Netherlands
In 1721 the largest musical organ in The Netherlands was this one in St. Michael's Church in Zwolle, high in its nave. It had been initiated by Arp Schnitger (1648-1719) and on his death was completed by his firm. The organ has 4000 (!) pipes, and it's in the process of restoration scheduled for completion in 2021. The intricate organ case was designed by an Amsterdam sculptor and artist, Jurriaan Westerman (1677-1748).
The church itself was built on a much earlier sacred site between 1406 and 1466.
In the church I noticed a small memorial to a local poet of sorts, Willem Sluiter (1627-1673), a pastor of towns in the vicinity of Zwolle. Though his poetry is rather mawkish it was remembered in this area for at least a century after his death. One of his poems - rather too long and boring to show you in full - sings of the skylark:
Vliegt de kleine Leeuw'rick op,
En des Heemels hooge top!
't Aerdigh beesje reyt zijn vleug'len,
En zijn held're stem te saem
't Kanse beide niet beteug'len;
't Is hem selfs soo aengenaem.
(paraphrased: The small skylark soars, and its wings and clear voice join together involuntarily much to its own joy)
Thus the organist and his instrument...