The Kleuker organ in Athens

[Ghekorg7]

Hi to all,

In my search for "Greek" organs info to spread out I found this link, where it gives details for the Kleuker pipe organ residing in the 1st Evangelical church in Athens.

Chris the organist there gives special info about everything.
Hmmm the text is in greek but I think you can manage to get through
I'll try to get in touch with Chris and give more details if I'm allowed to play this fine instrument.

Also, there are more or less 15 pipe organs in Greece.
I'll keep sending info about them !

Here's the link for Kleuker:
http://organ-music.blogspot.com/2008/01/blog-post.html

Enjoy,
Best
Panos

[Dorsetmike]

Any reason why there are so few pipe organs in the country, have electronics taken over or are other instruments preferres?

[Ghekorg7]

Hi Mike,
main reason is the Christian Dogmas here. Non Orthodox people are not many, of course there are a lot of churches for each Dogma, but even for them is very difficult to get an organ in every church (economics....).
For example this Kleuker organ lacks a Principal 8' rank ! and some other, now-days, basic ranks....
Catholic church has better organs here, but still I have to investigate all these few organs.

Also I got an info from a friend tourist at Kerkyra Island (Corfu), that says there's an ..Orthodox Church using an organ for service !!
Very very interesting info if it's true, as in Kerkyra Catholic Church has at least an organ there.

Best
Panos

[Krummhorn]

Panos,

Interesting specification ... even without the 8' Principal rank, which is odd, but the builder probably had a solid reason to not include it.

Is Kleuker an organ builder in Greece?

[Contratrombone64]

@ Lars, cost? who knows, weird tonal design, I bet it sounds lovely, eh?

[wljmrbill]

Interesting..maybe you can get your friend Chris or yourself to make a recording so we can hear it also...using the translator sure helped and worked pretty well. interesting about the sliding keyboards as I had saw this before on an organ Ms. Bish played in Europe.

[Krummhorn]

@ Lars, cost? who knows, weird tonal design, I bet it sounds lovely, eh?

Given the right acoustical settings, it would sound lovely. If it were in a 'dead space' (like my church) it might not have the same tonal affect.

Even at that, there are numerous times when I have switched off the 8' Principal, especially when using the 8' reed, just to keep things from getting muddy.

[Ghekorg7]

Hi Lars, Bill, David & Mike and all

As Chris says Detlef Kleuker was an organ building company in Westfalia, Germany in the '60s. This one was build by Rexhausen & Forster (?) for Kleuker firm.
Chris also says in the second photo, that the facade has the Gedackt 8' pipes in the middle of the two towers of Soubasse 16'... hmmm it looks like a principal 4' row to me. Unless is a very special Gedackt 8'....
I was a younger 16 year old when I first (and last...) saw and listened to this organ, in a recital there. As I remember it was an outstanding experience for me to listen to the real thing. The sound was.... how say it.... Devine !

Yes my aim is to get in touch with Chris, if he is still there of course :-)
Recording.... he he that would be great ! Also some ...... sampling maybe ?

Stay tuned, I found another link... a site of one of the best organists here, also teacher and recording artist.
I'll try to post tonight !

Best
panos