The sounds of 18th-century Berlin came alive during the inaugural conference and concert festival celebrating Cornell's new $2 million baroque organ, March 8-13.

The handcrafted organ in Anabel Taylor Chapel re-creates the tonal design of an instrument built by Arp Schnitger in 1706 at the Charlottenburg palace chapel in Berlin -- "one of the high points in the music history of Berlin," reflecting the "high cultural ambitions" of the new century, according to organist Harald Vogel, who performed a keynote concert March 12 featuring Bruhns' "Orfeo" and several preludes and fugues by J.S. Bach.

The Charlottenburg organ also made an impression on Princess Anna Amalia of Prussia (1723-1787), whose music collection, including the complete organ works of J.S. Bach, is an invaluable resource today. Professor of music Annette Richards performed some of Anna Amalia's favorite pieces in a March 10 recital.

The conference featured organists, musicologists, composers, craftsmen and musician-chemists involved in the organ project, commissioned by the Department of Music as a research effort in collaboration with the University of Gothenburg's Organ Art Center (GOArt) in Sweden.

On March 12, master organ builder and designer Munetaka Yokota explained the enhancements to the Berlin design he applied to the Cornell organ, while professor of music David Yearsley demonstrated the stops and mixtures unique to the instrument, at one point playing the pedals with hands and feet.

Oberlin College chemist Catherine Oertel, who studied organ with Richards while earning her Cornell Ph.D., presented her research on the causes of corrosion in organ pipes. She looked for chemical fingerprints of corrosive agents in historic organs, including acetic acids present in wooden organ cases.

Lead-rich pipes are more susceptible to corrosion than alloy pipes containing tin, Oertel found. Controlling humidity and ventilation can be crucial to preserving "the organ's health over time," she said. Oertel's collaborators included Cornell materials science and engineering professor Shef Baker, who also has a music background.

The ornate designs adorning Schnitger's pipe cases also served a purpose. "These wooden pieces were carved by hand to help with the dispersion of the sound," said instrument builder and musicologist Joel Speerstra during his talk on design elements of the Charlottenburg and Cornell organs.

Project manager Peter Geise of Parsons Pipe Organ Builders, local craftsman Chris Lowe -- who made the wooden case -- and Paul Peeters of GOArt discussed project research, documentation and the use of 17th- and 18th-century construction methods. "Our workers were very appreciative of learning not to use power tools and do it all by hand," Geise said.

Visiting scholars from Europe and the United States included Laurenz Lütteken from the University of Zurich, whose March 10 keynote lecture surveyed the cultural politics of early 18th-century Berlin.

The organ project involved "a synthesis of skills and disciplines," Richards said. "We've been very fortunate to have a lot of supporters in the community throughout this process."

She singled out volunteer Maureen Chapman, a food science technician and organ enthusiast "who has essentially learned the skills of an organ builder," Richards said. Chapman assisted throughout the installation, working on the pipes and helping Yokota by pressing keys on the console as he voiced the instrument.

Preceding Vogel's March 12 concert, assistant professor of music Kevin Ernste showcased the organ's applications for new music. He premiered his composition "Anacrusis," featuring construction noises, all of the pipes sounding at once, a Bach melody Ernste adapted with software he created, and the sounds of other Cornell organs.

Conference attendees were also given an opportunity to play the organ. "I think it's wonderful," said concert organist Jonathan Biggers, music department chair at Binghamton University. "The organ is quite splendid. It sounds rich in the room."