Rieger organ of the St. Anna Church: Concerts start on December 14th

Rieger organ of the St. Anna Church: Concerts start on December 14th

In the St. Anna Church in Penzing, the Rieger organ will soon be able to sound regularly again. This organ, which is located at the St. Anna Church, is considered one of the acoustic highlights of Vienna. The organ was produced by the organ construction company Rieger from Vorarlberg and has been accompanied by the impressive horizontal whistles, known as the "Spanish trumpets" since 1977. These special whistles form the typical sound that makes the instrument so special.

But after almost 50 years in the service of music, the organ had seriously affected. The dust and the general wear had affected the sound, as Pastor Pawel Marniak confirmed: "Our organ urgently needed a basic service." Therefore, comprehensive cleaning and overhaul was essential to restore the original sound.

Financial support for the renovation

The renovation costs amounted to around 40,000 euros. The parish could not manage this considerable sum alone. That is why the so-called "organ challenge" was launched. The goal was to find 400 supporters until Pentecost who would donate 100 euros each.

Thanks to the generosity of donors and the special commitment of parishioners, the organ could finally be overhauled in general. However, the joy of this extraordinary instrument did not end after the renovation. In order to make the organ accessible to a wider audience, the “Konzertverein Baumgarten” was founded. From now on, this association will organize regular concerts and Matineen in the St. Anna Church.

upcoming concert on December 14th

The first highlight will be a concert on December 14th at 7 p.m., led by the respected organist Martin A. Seidl. Under the motto "In a winter night", he takes the audience on a musical journey through different eras - from medieval to baroque to modern works. The composers played include Bach, Arvo Pärt and the Viennese composer Anton Heiller, who once played on this organ himself. Admission to this special event is free, but a donation of 15 euros per person is requested.

In addition, a solemn Christmas mass will be held on December 24th at 10:15 p.m., followed by a musical mood. The after-Christmas party will take place at 11:30 p.m. For further details about the events, interested parties can visit the parish website: www.pfarre-heiligemutteresa.at.