Many years ago I read about the "Stier" organ of Salzburg.  Allegedly,
the original instrument was set up just to play a "roar" or noisy chord
at major times of the day.  Later it was improved to play music, but
the tradition was preserved: at the end of its performance the
mechanism would "crack" all the pallet valves and dump the remaining
wind in the bellows with a mighty roar.  I'd love to hear the real
story from someone who knows.

This organ must be special in two other ways besides its age and
location.  To be heard down in the city, its wind pressures must have
been high even by theater organ standards, maybe approaching a
Caliola.  And it had to be open to the elements, requiring special
construction with no wooden parts.  Or perhaps it was behind doors that
were only opened while playing?

My wife and I visited the fortress just last summer.  I remembered
about the Stier, but got distracted (very easy in Salzburg!) and
didn't ask anyone about it.  I guess I'd have been told it was out for
restoration, or at least not viewable.  I don't even know where in the
fortress the organ was located.  I hope to get back and see.

From atop the hill, we did hear some mechanical music: the tower
glockenspiel in one of the palaces below, which I believe plays from
a huge metal drum with adjustable pegs.  It played the minuet from Don
Giovanni, and was just barely comfortably audible up at the edge of the
Festung.  But we could also hear singers and instrumentalists
practicing in the various college buildings around the city, snatches
of scales floating up to us.  The hills really are alive with the ...
never mind!

Mike Knudsen

 [ Coming soon is an article by Bernhard Haeberle of GSM.  He's done
 [ much research on Der Salzburg Stier!  Briefly, the "bull" consists
 [ of two separate instruments: a Gothic Hornwerk that roars only
 [ the mighty chord in F-major, and an independent barrel organ that
 [ plays real songs.  -- Robbie