The two seventeenth-century organs of the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam are world-famous. They form an undisputed climax to organ building in the Netherlands in the Golden Age. This book is the first standard work on this earthly reflection of heavenly harmony.
The organs are among the oldest in the Netherlands. The main organ was built in 1655 by the famous organ builder Hans Wolff Schonat. The monumental case was designed by Jacob van Campen, the celebrated architect of the Royal Palace on the Dam. The spectacular paintings on the shutters are by Jan Gerritsz. van Bronchorst. They feature scenes from stories about King David, the biblical patron of music. Older still is the fascinating transept organ, the only instrument to survive in the Netherlands with a console dating from the mid-seventeenth century.
In The Profusion of Heaven these unique instruments are discussed from all angles: their history, design and restoration, and the significance of the paintings. Naturally, technical aspects are also dealt with extensively. The authors have based their study on scholarly research, and they have illustrated it with a heavenly profusion of photographs. This volume is of inestimable value to lovers of the organ.
The Profusion of Heaven is the seventh volume in a series covering important organs in the Netherlands, and is published under the auspices of The Netherlands Department for Conservation.
