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The new organ for the church of the Hospital de Los Venerables
in Seville was commissioned by the Focus foundation of Seville
and constructed by Gerhard Grenzing to Simon Platt's design.
The organ enriches Seville with an ideal instrument for interpreting
the music of Bach and his contemporaries and Iberian music,
but its design posed a very delicate challenge. The monumental
organ case had to harmonise with the exquisite baroque interior
of this 17th century church, covered with frescoes by Valdes
Leal and Lucas Valdes (among the greatest painters of the
Seville school of their period). There was no way to introduce
a discreet contemporary element contrasting with its surroundings
-the organ was too large. So a wholeheartedly baroque vocabulary
was adopted, borrowing references from other late 17th century
organ cases in Mexico and Andalucia. The underlying architectural
orders were constructed from Palladio and Vignola. A sculptor,
José Barbero and painter, Antonio Díaz, both from the Seville
School, collaborated in the creation of carvings, gilding
and polychrome finishes, using traditional techniques.
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