Copenhagen, Denmark
Construction time | Organ Assembly | Visits
Final Assembly | Front Assembly
The total floor area will be 110.000 m˛. Part of the complex, worth 404 million Euro, is a newly build concert hall with an inner height of 24 meters. The large hall will seat about 2000 people. The French architect Jean Nouvel from Paris designed the concert building, which also houses three smaller halls. Works will be completed by the end of the year 2006.
Currently a scale model (1:10) of the new concert hall is being made. After completion specialists of the Japanese firm NAGATA ACOUSTICS will finish their calculations.
Jan L. van den Heuvel - Orgelbouw bv was the winner of the international competition between 7 European organbuilders.
The philosophy of DR’s first director “The best, only the best” was also applied to the organbuilders. The builders and there referenced organs were critically examined. The most important criteria were artistic and technical qualities. On both criteria Van den Heuvel was awarded with the most points.
Peter van den Heuvel (l) and "project executive" of the new DR-buildingcomplex Kjeld Boye-Mřller (r).
On 23 October 2003 the contract was signed for one of the most important concert organs in Denmark. This prestigious 32-feet organ will be, with 91 stops (about 6000 pipes), divided on 4 manuals and pedal, one of the biggest in the country. Besides this also a contract for a 5 stop positive organ for on the stage was awarded.
Left to right: Gordon Alsing (Execute Manager & Producer of the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra & Choirs), Niels Erik Lund (Radio-inspector, secretary of the organcommission), Peter van den Heuvel, Per Salo (Pianist & Organist Radio Symphony Orchestra), Flemming Dreisig (external organ consultant & domorganist).
Only the Pédale and Grand-Orgue will be not enclosed, the other 3 manual departments will be enclosed in separate swell boxes: Positif, Récit, Solo (including the Tubas). Solo and the Tubas are played from manual IV. The Tubas are on high pressure (380mm, 15inch). The Solo also features a single ranked un-enclosed chamade trumpet.
The movable console with electric action is connected to a pneumatic device to engage the tracker-action to the wind chests for the basses and Pédale. Trebles are operated by electric action. The stop action is electric too and is equipped with a memory system allowing the performer to pre-set the stop combinations.
Since quite operation of the wind supply is demanded it is completely enclosed. Also the wind motors are regulated so they spin down when they are not used.
March 2006 | October 2006 | October 2007
Niels Erik Lund, Per Salo, Flemming Dreisig and Gordon Alsing of the organcommission visited the workshop in Dordrecht.
Explanation of the technical drawings, from left to right: Per Salo, Flemming Dreisig and Peter van den Heuvel.
Some already prepared toe-boards of a windchest.
Consultants Per Salo, Flemming Dreisig and Gordon Alsing inspecting a part of the to be used the wood stock.
The windchests shop: construction is started of the chests for the Grand-Orgue and Positif. Several windpressures will be applied as clearly can be seen by the separations in the ventil chest.
Side view of a languid for one of the large Contra Bourdon 32' pipes.
Top view of the languid and stopper. Both are made out of a lot small wooden parts glued together. Shis is done to prevent any cracks caused by temperature and humidity fluctuations.
These wooden pipes are equiped with a regulator screw in the pipefoot to regulate the windflow into the pipe. Clearly visible is the structure of the languid which is constructed from small together glued parts.
The visiting party inspects in detail the already complete wooden manual pipework.
The stoppers of the stopped wooden pipework are equiped with firmly dimensioned handgrips for tuning.
March 2004 | June 2004 | September 2005
March 2006 | October 2006 | October 2007
Niels Erik Lund, Flemming Dreisig and Mette Lyng Hansen visited the workshop in Dordrecht.
The windchests of the Récit Expressif. On the right the chest the black bunch of sticks are the sliders taped together.
The end joints are classic, hand crafted dovetail joints.
The first metal pipework is ready. This small pipe is of the Positif Plein-Jeu.
The completed windchests for the Positif Expressif (front) and Grand-Orgue (back).
Top view on the toe-boards of one of the Positif Expressif windchest.
Glueing the wind chest grid for one of the Pédale reed windchests.
From left to right: architecte Mette Lyng Hansen of the Jean Nouvel architect agency, organ expert Flemming Dreisig and Peter van den Heuvel explaing the windchest construction.
Peter van den Heuvel with the windchest grid parts for the chamade trumpet.
March 2004 | June 2004 | September 2005
March 2006 | October 2006 | October 2007
Gordon Alsing, Niels Erik Lund and Flemming Dreisig visited the workshop in Dordrecht.
Gordon Alsing (l) and Flemming Dreisig (r) inspecting the piperacking of the mutation windchests of the Pédale.
Voicer Gert-Jan van Egmond and Flemming Dreisig discussing the the pipe voicing.
View into the organ from the official entrace of the case. This space will be filled with the windchests and pipework of the C-side of the Pédale.
Overview on the organ.
The organ with in front René Strohmeijer working on the Solo windchests.
Flemming Dreisig next to Low-C# of the Contre Bourdon 32'
Gordon Alsing on top of the Positif swellbox. Next to him the Récit swellbox with behind the bellow-rack.
Front view with centrally the Récit swellbox.
Flemming Dreisig inspecting the inside of the Récit Swellbox.
Peter van den Heuvel and Flemming Dreisig on top of the Récit swellbox: here will the Solo be placed.
March 2004 | June 2004 | September 2005
March 2006 | October 2006 | October 2007
Niels Erik Lund, Per Salo, Flemming Dreisig and Gordon Alsing of the organcommission visited the workshop in Dordrecht.
The visitors together with Jan and Peter van den Heuvel.
Inspecting the manuals with simulated mechanical touch.
The hands of Flemming Dreisig testing the simulated mechanical touch system.
First view at the organ.
Overview.
View when entering the organ.
Contre-Bombarde 32' boots.
Basses feature electro-pneumatic-mechanical action.
Pédale stops with view on the walkboard between Grand-Orgue and Positif.
The large Pédale flue stops, left the Contre-Bombarde 32'
The large Pédale flue stops on the left with right the front windchest with the smaller stops.
Placing a Contre-Bombarde 32' resonator.
On top of the Récit swellbox inspecting the chamade windchest.
Maart 2004 | Juni 2004 | September 2005
Maart 2006 | October 2006 | October 2007
Visit assembly hall in Dordrecht.
The fully assembled and playable orgen.
Consultant Per Salo at the console.
Choosing stops...
This smile says it all.
Under the eye of Jan van den Heuvel (left)
Pipes of the Grand-Orgue, left the shutters of the Positif swellbox.
Pipes of the Grand-Orgue
March 2004 | June 2004 | September 2005
March 2006 | October 2006 | October 2007
Visit to the assembly hall in Dordrecht.
The organ
Flemming Dreisig looking for the right stops...
View from the Grand-Orgue.
At the console.
Instruments | Kopenhagen, Denemarken