Our Heissler organ was manufactured in Markelsheim, Germany to our
specifications, disassembled, packed in a shipping container and reassembled in
our Music Center after its arrival on December 20, 2001. Our organ builder is
Mr. Darwin Klug, the sole representative of Heissler in America.
Other Heissler organs are located locally at Blake High School for the
Performing Arts in Tampa, Village Presbyterian Church in Tampa. Heissler
supplied parts which were used in the chestwork of the Sydney Opera House organ,
which is the largest mechanical organ in the world. It has a mechanical key action.
The German word is "Spieltraktur," hence the designation "tracker" action. This
positive connection between each key or pedal and the pipes gives the performer
maximum control over the sound. Also, tracker organs typically last longer and
are more stable than other organs. The only electronics in the organ are in air
pump, in the stop action and in the very versatile memory, with 256 separate
settings available for different applications.
There are 1600 pipes, 31
ranks, and 24 stops. There are three manuals, one of which is a coupling
manual. The case work is solid oak. Even concealed woodwork of the wind chest is solid oak, as compared with plywood
or pressed wood in some of the finest pipe organs. About half of Heissler's work
is supplying pipework, chestwork and parts to other builders throughout the
world. Here in America this includes Schlicker, Holtkamp, Casavant and many
others. Mr. Klug personally designed and cut the wooden
screening of the facade behind the polished pipes to coordinate with the fabric
pattern on the upholstery of the Music Center. He also is providing as a bonus
at no charge a Zimbelstern, a rotating star that activates a set of bells used
for festive music.
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