The pipe organ is the king of musical instruments. No other instrument can compare
with the pipe organ in power, timbre, dynamic range, tonal complexity, and sheer majesty
of sound. The art of organ building reached its peak in the Baroque Age (1600–1750);
with the industrial revolution in the 19th century, organ building shifted from a traditional
artisans’ work to factory production, changing the aesthetic concept and design of the
organ so that the profound knowledge of the organ masters passed down over
generations was lost.
This knowledge is being recreated via close collaborations between research
scientists, musicians, and organ builders throughout Europe. Dozens of metallic samples
taken from 17th - to 19th - century organ pipes have been investigated to determine their
composition, microstructure, properties, and manufacturing proc esses using sophis -
ticated methods of ma te rials science. Based upon these data, technologies for casting,
forming, hammering, rolling, filing, and annealing selected lead - tin pipe alloys and brass
components for reed pipes have been reinvented and customized to reproduce those
from characteristic time periods and specific European regions. The new ma te rials recre -
ated in this way are currently being proc essed and used by organ builders for the restora -
tion of period organs and the manufacture of new organs with true Baroque sound