Auckland's new super organ gives audiences a blast

Auckland Philharmonia
Auckland Town Hall
March 27th

Walton, Crown Imperial: Coronation March
Poulenc, Organ Concerto
Saint-Säens, Symphony No.3 “Organ Symphony”

Arvo Volmer, Conductor
Thomas Trotter, Organist

Last week saw the unveiling of the newly restored Auckland Town Hall organ providing the city one of the great organs of the world.

Two years ago the 40 tonne organ with over 5000 pipes was shipped to Germany where it was restored. The project cost of $3.5 million was contributed to by the Auckland Town Hall Organ Trust and Auckland City

The organ was originally gifted to the city by former Mayor Sir Henry Brett in 1911, when the Auckland Town Hall was officially opened. When the organ was reconditioned in the 1970s it lost some of its power and tone and has been in need of serious refurbishment ever since.

Now with four concerts held over the past week including a free public concert on Sunday 28th to a total audience of around 5000 people the city has welcomed another cultural jewel to its crown.

The three works on the Saturday programme demonstrated the power and quality of the organ as well as the range of the instruments capabilities.

The first work on the programme, Walton’s “Crown Imperial” showed the organs ability to muster huge swelling sounds appropriate for grand occasions. In this work the organ was used mainly as a back up to the orchestra, providing additional volume rather than acting as a solo instrument.

It was the Saint Säens “Organ Symphony” which showed how the power of the organ can be used to great effect. It is a late romantic work with a sweeping grandeur which unfolds to reveal an inventive structure and an elegant melodic integrity.

Saint Säens may have created the work to show off the organs strengths but its entry into the symphony is unassuming. Rather than the great roar one might expect the organ breathed a soft, elegiac tone, a whisper, which was as captivating as its later muscular efforts.

The various themes which are repeated throughout the symphony are elaborated on by the orchestra, individual instruments as well as the organ in a marvelous display of musical chiaroscuro.

Some of time there appears to be a competition between the orchestra and the organ both for volume and originality but for the most part they are fairly harmonious until half way through the second movement the organist lets rip with a thunderous series of chords which intrude on the orchestra almost derailing its progress. But then the orchestra falls into line with the organ before the turbulent finale.

Organist Thomas Trotter was able to showcase the range of sounds the instrument it capable of, which can be like a battering ram at times while at other times it sounds as light as air.

Conductor Arvo Volmer maintained a close control over the Auckland Philharmonia seeming to almost physically guide the players with a combination of subtle and extravagant gestures.

While the Saint Säens work was the major event of the evening it was the Poulenc “Organ Concerto” which showed the organs expressive and experimental qualities.

The music for both organ and orchestra was richly textured and inventive combining the tradition of church music along with music of the fairground and cabaret.

Poulenc manages to present a dark, emotionally charged work flecked through with passages of lightness.

Throughout the symphony the organ and orchestra interact closely with the organ often sounding like a single voice hovering above the orchestra.

It is a work which shows the captivating power of the instrument with a sense of an unfolding, logical progression, the organ providing both broad brush strokes of sounds as well as delicate highlights.