Pipe organ in St. Peter und Paul, Baroque pipe organ in Saint Peter and Paul Church, Görlitz, Germany
The Sonnenorgel in St. Peter and Paul Church is a Baroque pipe organ with 91 registers distributed across four manuals and a pedal system. The instrument displays its early 18th-century appearance today with its decorative wooden case crowned by 17 gilded suns.
The instrument was built between 1697 and 1703 by Italian organ builders Johann Eugen and Adam Orazio Casparini. It suffered multiple damages over the centuries until the company Mathis Orgelbau completely rebuilt it in 1997.
The instrument is called the Sonnenorgel because of the golden suns decorating its case, a visual reminder of its Italian-influenced craftsmanship. Visitors notice these shining ornaments immediately when they look at the gallery in the church.
The organ sits on the church gallery, from where you get a good view of the entire instrument. It is best experienced during concerts and services when it is actually being played.
A special feature of the instrument is the so-called Sonnenmixtur, a register made of 12 pipe ranks that sits directly behind the decorative suns. This specialized register produces a bright, shimmering tone that matches the instrument's name.
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