It was quite a journey, but finally the 1,819 tubes for the huge instrument made it to Moscow: an eight-ton organ from Belgium is now housed at the reconstructed Bolshoi Theater.
The organ for Russia’s landmark theater was made on special order. Apart from the Belgian masters who crafted the outstanding instrument, the production involved consultations with top international experts and specialists in the acoustics department at Moscow State University.
Before the major reconstruction of the Bolshoi, which began in 2005, there was no such instrument in the theater.
The tuning of the giant organ is due to be complete in a week.
The Bolshoi’s historic building, which underwent substantial restoration and reconstruction over the past six years, will officially reopen on September 11. The Bolshoi’s main stage will again welcome theatergoers on September 28, with a performance of Mikhail Glinka’s opera Ruslan and Ludmila.