Gustav Leonhardt

AN EXCITING HISTORY OF THE UNIQUE INSTRUMENT

The organ is one of the oldest, most complex and most glorious musical instruments known to men. This four part series outlines the history of this magnifi cent instrument, ranging from the beauty of the sound to the wealth of music written for it, and encompassing not only the craftsmanship involved in building such a complicated (and often ornate) structure, but also the wonderful settings in which these instruments now reside.

VOLUME 3

This episode concentrates on the first half of the eighteenth century – the Golden Age of organ music. The French and German schools of organ-making are explained and illustrated, and the works of Marchand, Dandrieu and Johann Sebastian Bach figure prominently.

The organ is one of the oldest, most complex and most glorious musical instruments known to men. This four part series outlines the history of this magnifi cent instrument, ranging from the beauty of the sound to the wealth of music written for it, and encompassing not only the craftsmanship involved in building such a complicated (and often ornate) structure, but also the wonderful settings in which these instruments now reside.

VOLUME 2 Focusing on the influence of the great German school of organ builders in Northern Europe, this episode was filmed in The Netherlands and Germany. With the advent of the Lutheran reforms in the church, the organ became an increasingly widespread and important part of religious worship. The development of organ music from Sweelinck, the ‘maker of organists’, through Buxtehude to the golden age, in which the genius of Johann Sebastian Bach is highlighted, is shown.