They say that everyone hears the walls, but they don’t know how to speak in a language that we understand. But how many interesting stories each building, house, and cathedral could tell. However, you can turn to archival workers and eyewitnesses who can tell many stories about urban buildings. One of them is about the organ that the Germans brought to Perm. The organ hall also has its own equally interesting story.
The search for the building for the organ
In the late 70s, the Perm City Party Committee decided that the city needed an organ hall. At that time there was a secret competition between the cities. The neighbors in Chelyabinsk, Izhevsk and Sverdlovsk already had organs. All that was needed was to find a room for the instrument and order it. At first glance, the Ascension Church was best suited for this.
The acoustics in Russian churches were perfect. True, it was originally planned to adapt it to the local history museum, the opening of which was waiting for Perm. The organ hall was more important for the city, and no one could cancel the decision of the city committee. The restoration of the building began. A huge work has been done: strengthening the foundation, repair of facades, roofs, ceilings. Improvements to the project were made in the form of additional rooms for the locker room, a buffet and a hall for spectators, utility rooms.
The arrival of German specialists was expected to familiarize themselves with the acoustics of the building where the organ should be installed. But after a series of measurements in the building, the noise background exceeded the norm, which caused bewilderment by German organ masters. They categorically refused to establish an organ in this church. The entire city leadership was also confused. Where to place the organ and what to do with the restored temple? The solution, of course, was found. The Governor of Perm in 2001 decided that the Perm Regional Philharmonic Society is the place for the future organ with an organ hall in Building B.
What the living witnesses told
For those who are interested in why the acoustics of the church failed, history has revealed the secret of past years. It was difficult in those days to oppose the decisions of the city party leadership. But to bear the bells at the temple, which was supposed in the rework project, was somehow not human. Moreover, in perestroika times, they began to return churches to church servants. That is why the former head of the UKS and the head of the trolleybus-tram department organized a small "diversion". At a time when German craftsmen began to take measurements of city noise, trams loaded with metal paced past the Ascension Church with constant frequency. Naturally, thanks to them, the devices recorded that the noise was above normal. Thanks to this ploy, Perm did receive an organ hall, and the restored Theodosius Church is now working. Here is a story.
What is a Perm organ
The main day for Perm was December 20, 2003. On this day, the Perm Regional Philharmonic Society inaugurated the halls of chamber and organ music. Thus began the organ manufactured by Glatter-Götz.
The Perm organ has forty registers, three hand keyboards and one pedal (foot), a computer that remembers the orchestrations that the organist creates at rehearsals. Organ masters say that the uniqueness of the sound of an organ lies not only in its unity with the building in which it is installed, but also in the connection of the instrument with the musician. It is customary for composers of organ music not to indicate in a work which registers to use. From which of the forty registers the organist chooses to perform, the tonality and volume of the organ's sound depends. Experience, taste, ability to use sound colors will affect his choice.
Development prospects
The unique acoustic capability of the organ hall attracts various performers to Perm. The 412-seat organ hall is the most popular and favorite place for citizens and visitors. Here are the musical masterpieces of world and Russian classics, chamber music, piano, cello. The presence of the organ suggested new perspectives in the musical art. And the "corporate" organ festival became a logical step towards this.
Organ festival
In 2005, the director of the Philharmonic acted as the organizer and inspirer of the Organ + International Festival of Organ Music. The purpose of its holding was to acquaint Permians with international performers, and to conduct traditional and avant-garde concerts. An organ hall (Perm) saw many eminent musicians of the planet. The poster at the Philharmonic Hall constantly informs the city residents about new concerts.
Festivals are held annually, but the palette of musical evenings is distinguished by its diversity and richness of the repertoire, while the innovative idea of the festival is always new. The festival is creative by the synthesis of various types of art - choreography, painting, music, poetry.
Tickets can be purchased at the box office of the Philharmonic for concerts in the Organ Hall (Perm), address: 51B Lenina. Or order through the official website.