Six theses on the future of Dutch organ culture by Joost Langeveld

by Joost Langeveld | Het ORGEL | Year 99 | (2003) | Issue 1

Joost Langeveld Six theses on the future of Dutch organ culture
Het ORGEL 99 (2003), nr. 1, 5-7 [summary]

Thesis 1

Dutch organ culture is doing well: there are many impressive organs, many recitals and good magazines. 

Thesis 2

Dutch organ culture is doing not so well: important organs are played less often than before, the average age of organ enthusiasts is increasing. 

Thesis 3

People tend to leave the church easier than they do organs: whereas the church formerly stimulated interest in organ culture, it does quite the opposite now. 

Thesis 4

Even the queen of instruments is not any more what she was before: the organ is not needed any more for music in large halls.

Thesis 5

Organ recitals alone will not do the trick: they have lost their function. 

Thesis 6

New functional use of organs should be developed as soon as possible: organ music should be integrated into occasions like expositions, symposia etc., as they require exactly the kind of ritual that the organ is best fit for.