Faith Matters - Heavenly Sounds - The Organ and its Fascinating Versatility

Each organ is unique, and each is adapted to the acoustics of the room it is played in. The history of church organs in particular is marked by a series of technological developments and stylistic transformations. Eager listeners can experience the rich variety of styles brought about by 500 years of church music. No other country has as many organs as Germany. Of the organs in the country, 40,000 are church organs. The German Music Council declared the organ the "Instrument of the Year" for 2021. This film by Peter Schlögl features the sounds of selected organs from all over Germany: from the oldest church organ in the world, located in Ostönnen, Westphalia; to the Late Romantic organ of the Berlin Cathedral; to a flagship of contemporary organ construction, the organ of St. Martin’s Church in Kassel. As the filmmaker travels Germany, viewers get to discover the different organs’ unique sounds, and the compositions written for them. Organ music is unique. It has endured over centuries, spellbound generations, and thrilled people across the globe - and yet it has never lost one bit of its intrigue.