The E.F. Walcker organ (op. 424) at St. Annenkirche in Annaberg-Buchholz, Saxony, Germany, completed in 1884, stands as one of the few largely original Walcker organs from the High Romantic era. This three-manual instrument initially featured 56 registers, including three free-reed stops, and was built with mechanical cone chests, akin to its larger counterpart in the Riga Cathedral, constructed in the same year. Just a decade later, in keeping with changing musical tastes, the organ underwent significant modifications: it was converted to pneumatic action, expanded visually with false prospectives, and physically by adding nine register cells to the cone chests.

Over the decades, the organ's pneumatic system began to fail, leading to its decommissioning in 1975 during church restoration works due to financial constraints and discussions about its future, including potential demolition. However, the foresighted assessment by Eule Organ Builders ultimately led to the decision to restore the organ as close as possible to its original state. This restoration, carried out after German reunification by Hermann Eule Orgelbau from Bautzen, involved 29,000 hours of work and reinstated many of the original tonal characteristics while integrating modern mechanical enhancements for improved playability. The restored organ, complete with additional registers matching Walcker’s specifications, was rededicated in 1995, reaffirming its status as one of the most significant and sonically beautiful instruments of the German High Romantic period. The church itself features a reverberation time of up to seven seconds, enhancing the organ’s rich sounds.

Additionals: Usual couplers and combinations, Swell pedal (III), Swell pedal (II Oboe), Crescendowalze

https://www.organartmedia.com/de/1884-1995-e-f-walcker-orgel