Flemming organ in the church of Panitzsch

In 1785, the Panitzsch parish concluded a contract with the organ builder Johann Christian Friedrich Flemming from Torgau to build a new organ. In 1786, the organ was completed with the following disposition:

Manual pedal

Viola di Gamba 8' Subbass 16'

Flauto major 8' Violon 8'

principal 4'

Flauto minor 4'

Octave 2'

Fifth 1 1/3' tremulant

Mixtur 2-way pedal coupler

Cornett 2-way

are still by Flemming and Schrickel. The pedal coupler has also been redesigned. The wind channels and the tremulant are new. The two bellows have been repaired. One of them serves as a wind magazine for the new electric blower. The two Flautos 8' and 4', the Octave 2' and the Violonbass 8' were taken from Flemming's pipework; 71 further pipes from Quinte 1 1/3' and Cornett 2fach are preserved in the current mixture. The Viola di Gamba is all but 3 pipes by Schrickel. New are the Principal 4', of whose 54 pipes 41 are in the organ's facade, the Cornett 2-fold, the Fifth 1 1/3', some wooden pipes in the two Flautos and the wooden Subbass 16'. The organ's tuning is based on the historical model: an old tuning method was used and the organ now sounds like it used to, about a semitone higher than our modern concert pitch. The sound of the organ is particularly beautiful. Here the Voigt company has done a masterly job: both the old Flemming registers, the Schrickel Gamba and the new pipes inspire with their beautiful, characteristic sound and balanced intonation. The organ has regained its fresh and lively sound character, which is so typical of the baroque organs of the 18th century and which gives it its special charm. One of the church's highlights is the simple but elegant casing with its gilded carvings, which was restored by restorer Volker Wiesner from Holzhausen and the Seidel company in Beucha. On October 31, 1993, the restored organ was inaugurated by Pastor Freier in a celebratory service and presented to the people of Panitzsch and their guests in a festive concert. The organ now appears again in the beauty it once had when it was built by Johann Christian Friedrich Flemming over two centuries ago. Not only can we hear the organ of an excellent Saxon organ builder in its original sound, but we can also understand what the organ music composed during this period sounded like. May the restored Flemming organ in Panitzsch continue to resound for the next 2 years to the praise of God and the joy of the congregation.

Text: kirche-panitzsch.de