The then developing cooperation with Orgelbau Jehmlich of Dresden brought me rewarding work with the appreciated restorer Andreas Hahn and many lovely work-mates. There was a first encounter with Szymon Januszkiewicz, who by now has founded his own workshop near Gdansk and with whom I am allowed to work on certain projects. Some engagements with Gerhard Grenzing and with my Portuguese friend and colleague Dinarte Machado made the beginning of my being self-employed very exciting. I also could do documental and technical work as part of the restoration of the historical organ of Marienmünster by Muehleisen of Strasbourg.

“For me, Marcus Stahl’s instruments bring the organ to itself in the best sense. Reduced to the essentials, they do not boast of greatness, but reveal a cosmos of possibilities from the innermost essence of their sound. Surprised by ever new shades of each individual stop, I have to reflect each time: what were great organs for again…?”

“Instruments built by Marcus perfectly reflect the spirit of the old sound. I don’t know by what miracle, but probably his personality allows the creation of a highly inspiring sound layer of the instruments he builds, which I can only compare to the best historical organs. In short, playing music on his instruments is not only an honour, but also a vivid experience of a rich sound, which I believe is the main impuls for true and soulful interpretations.”

“High musicality, technical curiosity, professional perfectionism, love for the instrument, everything goes hand in hand in Marcus Stahl’s organ building. And the result is a great pleasure for the fingers as well as for the ears and a great inspiration!!!”

“Nowhere else have I had such an intense professional, searching, visionary and practical exchange with an instrument maker before, during and after the process of creating the instruments I ordered.”

“Oft trifft man auf kleine Orgeln, die mit zu wenig Sorgfalt oder Ambition gebaut wurden. Doch mit Hingabe und Einfühlungsvermögen sowie dem kreativen Einsatz traditioneller Orgelbaumethoden gebaut, kann auch die kleinste Orgel reich und komplex sein, voller Freuden und Geheimnisse. Ein Instrument, das dazu einlädt, Musik und Spiel auf neue Weise zu entdecken. Durch einen fruchtbaren Gedankenaustausch hat Marcus für uns eine Hausorgel gebaut, in der wir diese Qualitäten wiedererkennen.”

“Marcus Stahl ist ein sehr phantasievoller Orgelbauer, dessen Instrumente lebendig und beschwingt, aber auch vokal und farbenreich klingen. Neben dem Solo- und Continuospiel sind seine Orgeln auch eine wunderbare Inspirationsquelle für Improvisationen in alten und modernen Stilen.”

“Der Orgelbau bietet wie andere Handwerksberufe ein breites Spektrum an Möglichkeiten. Es gibt die Rieseninstrumente, an denen viele Leute arbeiten, welche die Möglichkeit haben, so etwas zu ersinnen und zu bauen. Auf der anderen Seite gibt es Orgelbauer, die allein arbeiten, um ein Instrument mit persönlicher Identität und Musikalität zu schaffen, das untrennbar mit dem Erbauer verbunden ist. Marcus Stahl ist einer von ihnen.”

Kristian tried to integrate me in his well settled team and at the same time to fulfill my desire to do voicing. Despite the goodwill of everybody involved this attempt failed and I left after one year.

From the very beginning I asked only to get involved in restoration projects, which gave me a fantastic inside view into the characteristics and the variety of Iberian organ tradition. I was entrusted with a little team of restorers, which provided us with wonderful moments of joined work. Looking back I most of all recall the work on the gothic organ of Zaragoza cathedral, such as two restorations of smaller instruments in Galicia such as the restoration of a 16th century south German regal. Although Grenzing always positioned the sound of his instruments into the center of his creativity, I never was able to get involved in any voicing. Longing to go back to our own culture and language, my wife and me finally went back to Germany.

I got a grant in order to document and draw the Liegende Positiv of 1613 and had the opportunity to meet the then Director Dr. Eszter Fontana such as the restorers Klaus Gernhardt and Volker Seumel.

There I found relaxed creativity within wonderful wooded surroundings, passion for historical organs and the Genius of pleasant and very competent builders, which had a great impact on the way I look at organ-building. At the end of my time in England we built a new instrument after Gerard Smith for Rehringhausen near Olpe, my home-town. I was allowed to plan and to built a substantial part of that organ.

I vividly recall Janns sligthly provocative but always restless passion. Even looking back I think it remarkable, that he offered an apprenticeship despite the likelihood of losing me again wether to another builder or to another profession. It had great impact on my work to meet Armin Ziegltrum, who at the time was restorer in charge, became self-employed later and still is a close friend. During the apprenticeship Jann encouraged a six weeks internship in Saxony, in which I could document historical Jehmlich organs together with Annett Jehmlich. I am very glad to have met Georg Jann two years before his death on an organ festival in Porto. That was truly a jolly occasion.