The first event within the framework of the music festival dedicated to the inauguration of Welte Philharmonic Organ (Welte Reproducing Pipe Organ) was held in the museum “Collection” yesterday.

The thematic program “MUSIC OF ANTIQUE CLOCKS”, prepared in cooperation with the Belcanto Charitable Foundation, opened the festival. The program was dedicated to music written especially for antique clocks. The choice of the theme was not accidental - the collection of clocks in our museum enumerates more than 600 exhibits that represent almost the entire history of watchmaking. Before the presentation of the Organ, the guests of the museum could join the Sightseeing Tour through The Clocks Gallery and get acquainted with various instruments for measuring time created in the 16th - 20th centuries.

After many years of restoration, the Great Philharmonic Organ "Welte Philarmonic Organ", built about a hundred years ago, sounded in the museum. This is a rare and unusual musical instrument. It is unique since it can reproduce music automatically, which happens due to a special device for playing back paper music rolls. One can select a composition encoded on the paper roll, and the organ will play it automatically. After a long and eventful life, the organ needed restoration. In the video "Restoration of  Welte Philarmonic Organ”, you will see some details and the final part of the restoration of this amazing instrument. The restoration of our organ has been carried out for several years by the team of specialists from our museum under the guidance of the collector-restorer Thomas Jansen Jensen from Germany.

The concert program included works by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart performed by the laureate of international competitions Anastasia Sidelnikova. The author of the program concept is Tatiana Lanskaya.

Photo report  about the event in our photo archive.