Benny to write music for innovative organ project
Shortly you will be able to be anywhere in the world and play an organ in the Norrbotten County town of Piteå in Sweden’s far north.
A super modern organ is currently being buit in the Acusticum in Piteå which can be played remotely over the web and will have already resonated to a new Benny Andersson composition.
With a design inspired by the worlds finest concert halls, developed in cooperation with leading researchers in sound engineering and acoustics, Studio Acusticum is one of Europe’s most modern, best equipped concert halls.
Organ professor Hans-Ola Ericsson, at the University of Music in Piteå told Sveriges Radio: “The idea is that we will use the web to communicate with the instrument and then you should in principle be able to sit anywhere in the world and play the organ.
“We have heard the very first notes that the organ will play but there is still much work to do. In a year’s time, the organ must be ready to take part in a 3-week première, where among other notable things, we will hear music composed for this particular organ by Benny Andersson.”
The construction will cost about SEK 30 million but that includes having one of Europe’s best organ builders Gerard Whol on the case.
I asked him how many times he works with each individual pipe, he said “About ten times”. And how many pipes does the organ have? “9,000!”
Related links:
Sveriges Radio – Fjärrstyrd orgel snart verklighet i Piteå
Acusticum website
Excellent, they have chosen the Mozart of synth (Benny) to put this creation to the test. Nothing sounds as magnificent as a pipe organ. Nine thousand pipes…Benny, that’s your proverbial dragon in the cave, command it, make that beast sing! I can’t wait to hear the music. -Robb
Yes, yes, yes! A magnificent instrument with music by a magnificent composer! I can’t wait to hear it.
Can’t wait – this is certainly an instrument to bring out the best of Benny!