Dröhnich (alias Martin Doering) playing on the Great Organs of the Auenkirche and St. Matthias, Berlin


In June 2006, after a concert of the jazz trio „HörGut” where we did some recording anyway I had the opportunity to have my own recordings.
I only had to borrow a suitable microphone – it turned out to be a Neumann RSM 191 – and plunge in.
1 1/2 years later, I recorded some tracks in St. Matthias, Berlin with their own microphones.

Just some remarks before you start listening:

Recording conditions were way from perfect, I apologize for that:

      •  Recording took place after I had had a full 15 hour working day – I was not exactly at the height of my concentration capabilities.

      •  We had about an hour's time to put up all equipment, record and pack up again, so I could only play a few things with no possibility
          to check or even do it over again. So all my mistakes and imperfections are well documented here as well and the mad rush I was in ;-)

      •  In some, especially quiet, passages you will note birds twittering and other noises. Again for lack of time we just had to leave it at that.

      •  We did not have the time to look for the absolutely perfect position and setting for the microphone either, so we installed it in a
          central position at about 20 m / 60 ft distance from the organ and set the pick-up angle of the matrix to 100°.

      •  We had had some very hot days in Berlin right before the concert so that even the church heated up and the tuning of the organ
          suffered, especially the manual reeds – there was nothing we could do about this one either.

And then there is this fundamental problem about my 4th finger on my right hand, which has been rendered useless by the efforts of an incompetent doctor ( see my life story).

  You'll find a table of all organs I was allowed to play myself here.


Sound samples Auenkirche (Berlin):

Dietrich Buxtehude: Prelude in C Major (BuxWV 137) MP3 download  [1,6 MB] WAV download  [18 MB]
  Registration:
Hauptwerk (Great): Principal 16', Octave 8', Gemshorn 8', Octave 4', Cornett V, Mixtur V-VII, Mixtur IV-V, + Coupler Positiv: Holzgedackt 8', Rohrflöte 4', Principal 2', Zimbel III
Swell 1 (Echo): Bordun 16', Gedackt 8', Quintade 8', Principal 4', Octave 2', Sesquialtera II, Mixtur V-VI, + Coupler Swell 2: Principal 8', Octave 4', Quinte 2 2/3'
Pedal: Principal 32', Untersatz 32', Octave 16', Subbass 16', Violon 16', Octave 8', Octave 4', Rauschpfeife III-IV, Mixtur III-IV, Posaune 16', Trompete 8', Coupler Swell 1

Johann Sebastian Bach: Prelude in C Major (BWV 547), beginning MP3 download  [1,8 MB] WAV download  [18 MB]
  Registration: Hauptwerk (Great): Principal 16', Octave 8', Gemshorn 8', Octave 4', Octave 2', Mixtur V-VII, Mixtur IV-V
Pedal: Principal 32', Untersatz 32', Octave 16', Subbass 16', Octave 8', Octave 4', Rauschpfeife III-IV, Mixtur III-IV, Posaune 16', Trompete 8'

Johann Sebastian Bach / Transcr. Martin Doering: Aria „When Thou Art Near” (BWV 508) MP3 download  [2 MB] WAV download  [23 MB]
  Registration: Swell 1 (c.f.): Gedackt 8', Rohrflöte 4', Sesquialtera II, + Tremulant
Swell 2: Rohrflöte 8', Flauto dolce 4'
Pedal: Subbass 16', Zartbass 16', + Hauptwerk (Great): Gemshorn 8'

George Frideric Handel / Transcr. Martin Doering: Largo from the Opera „Xerxes” MP3 download  [2,2 MB] WAV download  [24 MB]
  Registration: Swell 1 (c.f.): Gedackt 8', Spitzgamba 8'
Swell 2: Salicional 8', Vox coelestis 8'
Pedal: Zartbass 16', + Coupler Swell 2

Unknown / Transcr. Martin Doering: Irishes Folk Tune MP3 download  [0,4 MB] WAV download  [4 MB]
  Registration: Positiv: Holzgedackt 8', Rohrflöte 4', Principal 2'
Pedal: Subbass 16', Cello 8', Hohlflöte 4'

Johann Sebastian Bach: Choral prelude „Nun ruhen alle Wälder” (BWV 756) MP3 download  [0,9 MB] WAV download  [9 MB]
  Registration: Hauptwerk (Great): Octave 8', Octave 4', Quinte 2 2/3'
Pedal: Principal 16', Octave 8', Fagott 16'

Johann Sebastian Bach: Toccata in d minor (BWV 565) MP3 download  [2,3 MB] WAV download  [22 MB]
  Registration: General tutti with all Sub and Superoctave couplers
Echo: Tutti of both Swell Divisions coupled
Actually this registration is not exactly what Bach would have chosen but it does show the organ's tutti ;-)


Sound samples St. Matthias (Berlin):

Johann Sebastian Bach: Prelude in a minor (BWV 543) MP3 download  [3,6 MB] WAV download  [34 MB]
  Registration: Hauptwerk (Great): Principal 16', Principal 8', Holzflöte 8', Oktave 4', Quinte 2 2/3, Mixtur VI, Scharff IV, + Coupler Solo: Principal 8', Oktave 4', Mixtur IV
Pedal: Untersatz 32', Principalbass 16', Subbass 16', Oktavebass 8', Choralbass 4', Rauschpfeife V, Mixtur IV, + Coupler Solo; later + Trompete 8', later + Posaune 16'
Sorry for the two bad slips in the Pedal at 2:26... - it's a live and uncut recording and there was not enough time for a second try.

Craig Sellar Lang: Tuba Tuna in D MP3 download  [2,4 MB] WAV download  [24 MB]
  Registration: Hauptwerk (Great): Principal 8', Trompete 8'
Solo (accompaniment): Rohrgedackt 8', Spillpfeife 2' + Coupler Positiv: Grobgedackt 8', Rohrflöte 4', Quinte 1 1/3'
Pedal: Subbass 16', Quintade 16', Oktavebass 8', Pommer 4'
I don't have the music for this cheerful piece; I played it by ear from a CD - so it is not entirely original.

Johann Staden: Auffzug à 4 in C Major MP3 download  [2,2 MB] WAV download  [19 MB]
  Registration: Hauptwerk (Great): Trompete 16', Trompete 8', Clairon 4' + Coupler Swell; last part + Coupler Solo + Spanische Trompete 8'
Swell (Echo): Trompette harmonique 8', Clairon 4'
Positiv (Echo 2): Cromorne 8'
Solo (Echo 3): Krummhorn 8'
Pedal: Posaune 16' + Trompete 8', final chord + Kontraposaune 32'
I don't have the music for this nice piece; I played it by ear from a CD - so it is not entirely original.


Videos St. Hedwig Cathedral (Berlin):

Dietrich Buxtehude: Prelude in C Major (BuxWV 137)   [13 MB]
  It may not be top image or sound quality, and there are some drop outs, but still it conveys an idea of the church and its organ...
The Swell (Echo) is too loud here, as the camera was placed level with the Swell, sitting right in front of the organist, while the sound of the Great is "blowing over it". Down in the aisle the sound mixes well.

Johann Sebastian Bach: Prelude in C Major (BWV 547), part   [10 MB]
  This is how it sounds at the console: you practically hear the Pedal Trombone only (and - what the mono recording can't reveal - this comes in turns from the left and from the right); the sound of the Great literally blows past the organist. But as I said, down in the aisle the sound is good.


  Remark: Download of the WAV files in CD quality is only possible for subscribers with online full access to the Organ Site. You'll also find there thousands of stoplists and pictures that are not available at the public domain area of the Organ Site. Click here for the online order form.

Copyright: All sound samples are subject to copyright (© Martin Doering). If you wish to publish or distribute them please send me an email.


Link to the Auenkirche Special with more sound samples, pictures and more
Link to the stoplist of the great organ at the Auenkirche with history

Link to the St. Matthias Special with more sound samples, pictures and more
Link to the stoplist of the great organ at St. Matthias with history