The organ of the collegiate church of St. George was built by the Magdeburg organ builder Christoph Treutmann the Elder from 1734 to 1737.

As a large, three-manual and almost completely original baroque organ, it is an important instrument of central German organ building.

It is also widely known to organists and organ lovers for its extraordinary tonal quality.

 

Some essential stylistic elements of the Grauhof organ are summarized by a connoisseur of the instrument as follows: "Whereas in Northern Germany it was common for a long time to place the various organ works in spatially separated cases, in Grauhof, as in some Silbermann organs, there is a certain compression of the organ sound through the integration of the works behind an organ façade which is also perceived as a unity by the observer. In addition to a sliding coupler from the Oberwerk to the Hauptwerk, which is also common in North German organ building, there is a coupler designed as a stop action with a Stechermechanik from the Hinterwerk to the Hauptwerk, so that all three works can be played together or only the Oberwerk and the Hinterwerk together, which was relatively new for the time. Treutmann also used so-called strings. The preserved delicate stops Viola da Gamba 8' and 16' in the Hauptwerk have a very elegant, somewhat otherworldly effect, which also creates very characteristic timbres when played together with other 8' stops. This shows an influence that comes from further east. A special effect could also be created on this organ by the keyboard carillon, supplied by the Erfurt master Buttstadt."

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This carillon, a particularly elaborate accessory and initially a special pride of the Grauhof canons, was removed as early as 1848 as no longer in keeping with contemporary taste.

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A general restoration of the organ in the years 1989 to 1992 preserved all essential structural elements or renewed them true to the original. Special care was taken to restore the original sound. In 2002, the reconstructed keyboard carillon was also reinstalled.

 

The Grauhof instrument with 42 stops and about 2500 pipes on three manuals and the pedal proves to be particularly suitable for the interpretation of the extensive compositional work of Johann Sebastian Bach. The great Leipzig Thomaskantor was particularly fond of the string stops familiar to him from his native Thuringia. Bach interpreters who want to come close to the sound ideas of the master therefore particularly appreciate the Grauhof organ. Organists and organ builders travel from all over the world to get to know this organ as one of the most important, almost original preserved works of Bach's time.

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Great power when playing with the full organ, variety in the individual and solo voices and enormous gravitas in the sound are just some of its characteristics. In addition to Baroque works, it also enables the performance of German Romanticism and music of the 20th century.

 

It is frequently used for radio and CD recordings, attracts many visitors from near and far to the Grauhof Organ Summer concerts each year, and, when the 32' trombone bass is sounding, also brings them into the enjoyment of a plenum sound that a contemporary of Treutmann's described thus: "... that it might not be compared to a thunderstorm grumbling in the air."

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