Episode 1: The Elbphilharmonie organ :English subtitles available. Click on the video settings to activate.
The Elbphilharmonie Grand Hall had already been planned down to the last detail – then came the organ. Organist Thomas Cornelius tells us how the musical giant measuring 15 metres by 15 metres was smoothly installed, and what it has in common with a barber's chair.
Episode 2: How does an organ work? :English subtitles available. Click on the video settings to activate.
In the second episode of our organ tours, Thomas Cornelius explains just how an organ works. All it needs it air, pipes and a keyboard – the magic is created when these three elements come together.
Episode 3: The different pipes :English subtitles available. Click on the video settings to activate.
The organ is one of the most varied of instruments, although it only has one source of sound production: the pipes. In this episode, Thomas Cornelius explains how the varying construction of the pipes serves to produce the organ's many different types of sound.
Episode 4: Stops and sets of pipes :English subtitles available. Click on the video settings to activate.
The organ has more different faces or sounds than any other instrument. This is due to the variety of its registers or stops, which are divided up into different pipes: from flute to viola and »vox humana«, from wide-bore to narrow. Thomas Cornelius navigates through the jungle of specialist terms and provides some samples.
Episode 5: Shaping the sound :English subtitles available. Click on the video settings to activate.
How is the archetypical organ sound actually produced? After we looked at the insides of the organ in previous episodes, Thomas Cornelius now shows us how the different registers or stops can be combined to create completely individual layerings of sound. And at the end there is a special musical encore – does anyone recognise it?
Episode 6: The unique features of the Elbphilharmonie organ :English subtitles available. Click on the video settings to activate.
Now that we are fully familiar with the way an organ works, we come to the special effects: Thomas Cornelius introduces the special features of the Klais organ that was custom-built for the Elbphilharmonie, from the sequencer to the Hanseatic special effects.
Tour through the building
Our Elbphilharmonie guides take you to the most interesting parts of the building.
