Hauptwerk

The Hauptwerk is the main manual division of a pipe organ, typically situated in front of and above the player. In German organ building, particularly from 1500 to 1800, the Hauptwerk was a central component, often featuring a principal chorus complete up to at least one mixture stop. This division, along with others like the Rückpositiv and pedal, formed a complete instrument capable of handling a wide range of organ music.1

Organs, in general, are keyboard instruments that produce sound through pipes or reeds, controlled by the organist. The earliest known organ was the hydraulus, invented in the 3rd century BCE. By the 8th century, organs were used in Europe, and by the 15th and 16th centuries, significant tonal and mechanical advances led to the emergence of national schools of organ building.2