I'm making a general reply because I thought this might be of interest to
our readers.  I visited the cathedral at Passau last fall as part of a
tour of small cities in Bavaria.

The question of allowing visitors to play the organ came up on the guided
tour (not from me--I find the whole thing intimidating), and basically
they do not allow it.  The stated reason is that it takes special training
to deal with the time delay when one plays the remote organs from the main
console.  It seems that only the organist and two apprentices are allowed
to play it.

I don't know if that's the end of the story, and I do know that where
there is a will, there's a way, but that's the information I have.

Many of you are doubtless already aware of this, but Passau pumps itself
up by making its organ out to be things it is not.  It ranks itself at the
top of church organs because as a Catholic cathedral it does not consider
the West Point Chapel and the real prize winner in California--I'm having
a memory lapse-- to be churches.  Also, it is not really one organ, but
five individual ones that because of hundreds of miles of cabling can all
be played from one console.  That is not to demean the quality of the main
organ, which makes a joyful noise indeed.

John Brosseau
Bamberg, Germany



> Dear list members,
>
> I have an orgnist friend travelling through Germany and Austria this
> summer
> and would like an opportunity to check out the instrument at the Dom in
> Passau.  Could anyone supply me with contact information?
>
> Thanks.
> Elaine Dykstra
>
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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Note:  opinions  expressed on PIPORG-L are those of the  individual con-
tributors and not necessarily  those of the list owners  nor of the Uni-
versity at Albany.  For a brief  summary of list  commands, send mail to
[log in to unmask]  saying  GET LSVCMMDS.TXT  or see  the  web
page at http://www.albany.edu/piporg-l/lsvcmmds.html .
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::