Orgelfascination i Göteborg.

Utvärdering av forskningsprogrammet ”Förändringsprocesser i nordeuropeisk orgelkonst 1600–1970: integrerade studier i spelpraxis och instrumentbyggnad”

Abstract

Organ Fascination in Göteborg: An Evaluation Report of the Research Project:
“Changing Processes in North European Organ Art 1600–1970: Integrated
Studies in Performance Practice and Instrument Building”
The Göteborg organ project was a unique endeavour, with its cross-disciplinary structure, the special character of its research output, its practical implications for craft and industry and its far-reaching innovation value. The project is itself part of a larger context of organ-related activities in the Göteborg region. The question of why this project was realized in Göteborg and not in Lübeck, the site of the (no longer existing) model for the project, is worth asking. The sum of money invested in the project is remarkably high for a culture-related research project. However, the monumental character of the organ – creating its special fascination as a work of art – justifies this. A central objective of the project was to re-create the old working methods and materials; here, technical scientists have worked together with organ builders and musicologists in order to establish the connection between perceived sound quality and physical properties.þ The acquisition of this new knowledge has led to commissions for other projects in different parts of the world. The symbolic values created by the project has manifested themselves in recent collaborative efforts at preserving the European cultural heritage of organs. The Göteborg project contributes significantly to the cultural identity of the Baltic Sea region.