At the initiative of Xavier Darasse, with encouragement from Denis Milhau (who was Curator of the “Les Augustins” Museum at the time) and support from the City of Toulouse, it was decided to build a new organ for the Museum’s church.
After long discussions, the German organ-builder Jürgen Ahrend was commissioned to create an organ based on the Baroque instruments of Northern Germany. The oak organ case, with panels painted in the tradition of the 16th and 17th Centuries, is installed on a specially adapted gallery, decorated by Pierre Belin.
This well-lit, stylish organ produces a pure, crystalline sound and is capable of delicate polyphonies despite the church’s massive acoustic environment. It was designed to be an ideal instrument for performing the works of German composers of the 17th and 18th Centuries (such as Dietrich Buxtehude, Heinrich Scheidemann, Jean-Sebastian Bach, etc.).
Its outstanding harmonisation also makes it suitable for several other repertoires, whether Baroque or contemporary.