The organ
The organ of the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall is regarded as one of the largest concert hall organs in the world. The instrument, with 6,804 pipes, 92 stops and five manuals, was and inaugurated in May 2006 and resulted from a collaboration between Pécsi Orgonaépítő Manufaktúra and Mühleisen Orgelbau Stuttgart. As the most iconic feature of the hall, the organ unites architecture and music, connects past and present, and builds bridges between musical genres and cultures. Exploring its secrets offers technological and historical insight coupled with a profound musical experience, something thousands of visitors regularly enjoy at concerts and organ demonstrations.
Müpa Budapest’s resident organist and artistic director of the venue’s organ concert series is László Fassang, professor at the Conservatoire National Supérieur in Paris, who also served as a consultant during the construction of this monumental instrument. In addition to performing the classical repertoire, he reveals the organ’s vast possibilities through improvisation and the synthesis of diverse musical styles, such as jazz and traditional music. As curator of the organ programmes at Müpa, he takes special care to ensure that each season reveals a new facet of this exceptional instrument. For example, those attending the Organ Expedition series can enjoy the music while also discovering the unique story and mechanics behind the instrument.
In addition to classical concerts tied to the liturgical year, fans of the “queen of instruments” are invited to savour highly original organ evenings that draw from the widest possible range of genres – from silent-film accompaniment through jazz to musical journeys celebrating legendary film scores. During the ever-popular Organ Duels, the instrument’s most accomplished artists engage in playful competition, while the Gallery Concerts offer a truly extraordinary experience: the canopy, which is normally raised close to the ceiling, is lowered all the way down, allowing the audience to sit at the same level as the pipes on the organ gallery and enjoy a spectacle that is both visually and sonically remarkable.
Over the past two decades or so, the versatility of Müpa’s organ has been demonstrated by outstanding Hungarian masters and rising young talent alike, as well as by world-renowned artists such as Zsigmond Szathmáry, Olivier Latry (titular organist of Notre-Dame de Paris), Anna Lapwood (resident organist of the Royal Albert Hall), and jazz greats Larry Goldings and John Medeski, all of whom have captivated Müpa audiences.
