Design for an organ by Johann Georg Dirr, 18th centuryGerman organ builder pre-voicing pipes, 1966German organ builder constructing an organ, 1966Modern organ in Basilica of St. Andoche, Saulieu, France
Organ building is the profession of designing, building, restoring and maintaining pipe organs.
The organ builder usually receives a commission to design an organ with a particular disposition of stops, manuals, and actions, creates a design to best respond to spatial, technical and acoustic considerations, and then constructs the instrument. The profession requires specific knowledge of such matters as the scaling of organ pipes and also familiarity with the various materials used (including woods, metals, felt, and leather) and an understanding of statics, aerodynamics, mechanics and electronics. However, although in theory the builder is responsible for all facets of construction, in practice organ-building workshops include specialists in pipes, actions, and cabinets; tasks such as the manufacture of pipes, metal casting, and making rarely-used components are often delegated to outside firms.
After manufacture of all parts of a new organ, the pipes must be pre-tuned and voiced to the desired pitch and sound characteristics. The instrument is then usually partly or wholly assembled in the workshop, dismantled, and reassembled on-site, after which the pipes receive a final tuning and voicing.
Organ builders also provide regular maintenance, which includes adjustment of pipes and maintenance of the action, and repairs necessitated by wear and tear, unforeseen problems or rough treatment (including inappropriate temperature and humidity). A complete overhaul of an organ consists of disassembly of the pipes and thorough cleaning of all components and maintenance where needed; changes and additions may also be made to the instrument at the same time. Older organs may also be restored to a previous state, including re-creation of damaged and missing parts using historically accurate materials and techniques.
In some countries, including Germany, Switzerland, and Norway, organ building is a regulated handwork profession.
Poul-Gerhard Andersen. Organ Building and Design. Trans. Joanne Curnutt. New York: Oxford / London: Allen & Unwin, 1969. OCLC29076
George Ashdown Audsley. The Art of Organ-Building: A Comprehensive Historical, Theoretical, and Practical Treatise on the Tonal Appointment and Mechanical Construction of Concert-Room, Church, and Chamber Organs. 2 vols. New York, 1905. Repr. New York: Dover, 1965. OCLC225672
Walter and Thomas Lewis. Modern Organ Building: Practical Explanation and Description of Organ Construction with Especial Regard to Pneumatic Action and Chapters on Tuning, Voicing, etc. 3rd ed. London: Reeves, 1939, repr. 1956. OCLC10720827
Johann Julius Seidel. Die Orgel und ihr Bau: ein systematisches Handbuch für Cantoren, Organisten, Schullehrer, Musikstudirende &c., so wie für Geistliche, Kirchenvorsteher und alle Freunde der Orgel und des Orgelspiels. Breslau, 1843. Repr. Amsterdam: Knuf, 1962. OCLC2477379(in German)
Johann Julius Seidel. The Organ and its Construction: A Systematic Handbook for Organists, Organ Builders, &c. Trans. 2nd ed. London, 1855. Repr. Da Capo Press music reprint series. New York: Da Capo, 1982. ISBN9780306761065
The organ of the St. Jacobi Church in Hamburg, was built from 1689 to 1693 by the most renowned organ builder of his time, Arp Schnitger. The organ boasts four manuals and pedal with 60 stops, 15 of which are reeds – and has approximately 4000 sounding pipes. All in all, from the organ's original installation and its condition today not much of its conception has changed. The old pipework and the prospect pipes have been preserved in almost original format. It is the largest organ in existence from before 1700 and is one of the most eminent Baroque instruments that have been preserved.
Orgelbau Klais is a German firm that designs, builds and restores pipe organs. It is a family run company, founded in 1882 by Johannes Klais senior and is now run by his great-grandson Philipp Klais. The firm is based in Bonn, Germany, and has completed many large-scale building and restoration projects around the globe in more than a century of organ building.
Walcker Orgelbau of Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, is a builder of pipe organs. It was founded in Cannstatt, a suburb of Stuttgart in 1780 by Johann Eberhard Walcker. His son Eberhard Friedrich Walcker moved the business to Ludwigsburg in 1820.
The Rysum organ in Rysum Church in Rysum, north Germany, is the oldest instrument of its kind in northern Europe that still largely has its original pipes. It is also one of the oldest playable church organs in the world alongside those in Sion, St. Valentin in Kiedrich, and Ostönnen. The exact date of its construction is not entirely known, but dates of 1457 and 1440 have been proposed. It was rebuilt in 1513. After undergoing several other modifications through the years it was restored to its 1513 condition by Jürgen Ahrend and Gerhard Brunzema in 1959. The organ has seven stops on one manual.
The Lutherkirche is one of four main Protestant churches in Wiesbaden, the capital of Hesse, Germany. It was built between 1908 and 1910 in Jugendstil and in accordance with the Wiesbadener Programm, to a design by Friedrich Pützer. With two organs and good acoustics, it is also a concert venue.
Orgelbau Vleugels is a pipe organ company producing organs in modern design and restoring historic instruments. The workshop is located in Hardheim, Germany. The owner is master pipe organ builder Hans-Georg Vleugels. The company has a history spanning over 150 years.
Paul Walcker was a German pipe organ builder.
Saalbau Essen is a concert venue in Essen, Germany, the home of the Essen Philharmonic. The original building was completed in 1902, and destroyed during World War II on 26 July 1943. It was rebuilt between 1949 and 1954 and completely renovated in 2003 and 2004. The Saalbau Essen is located a little bit south of the city center close to the Aalto Theatre. Since the 2013/2014 season Tomáš Netopil has been the music director of Essener Philharmonic. Also since 2013/2014 Hein Mulders has been the intendant of the Saalbau Essen.
The Vox Maris is an instrument that was built for the Yeosu Expo 2012 in Korea by the German organ building company Hey Orgelbau and was recognized as the acoustic signet of the exposition. It combines elements of the pipe organ and the steam whistle. The Vox Maris entwines itself around the twin sky towers at a height of 72 metres (236 ft). It is considered an aerophone, since its dynamic high pressure organ pipes are powered by air. It can be played from a wireless tablet-pc.
Orgelbau Mebold is a company building pipe organs in Siegen, Germany. It was founded in 1967 by Hans Peter Mebold, and has been run since 2018 by his son Mathias Mebold. The company builds new organs, restores historic instruments, and specializes in portable small instruments (Truhenorgel).
The west gallery organ of the Martinikerk in Groningen dates from the 15th century; it took its present form in the 18th century when it was expanded by Arp Schnitger, his son Franz Caspar Schnitger and his successor Albertus Antonius Hinsz. It has 52 speaking stops on three manuals and pedal, and is one of the largest and most famous baroque organs in Northern Europe.
The organ of St. Peter and Paul in Cappel was built in 1680 by Arp Schnitger for the St. Johannis-Klosterkirche in Hamburg and has been in Cappel, Lower Saxony since 1816. It is considered to be the most complete and sonically best-preserved organ from the late 17th century in northern Germany. The instrument has two manuals with pedal and 30 stops, of which only two are not entirely old. Helmut Walcha's recordings of Bach's organ works (1950–1952) made this instrument world-famous.
The organ of St. Ludgeri in Norden was built from 1686 to 1692 by Arp Schnitger. It has 46 stops, five divisions, three manuals and pedal, and is thus the second-largest surviving Schnitger organ in Germany and until 2018 the largest organ in East Frisia. Historically and musically it is considered an art-work of international rank.
Roland Eberlein is a German musicologist.
Orgelbau Pieringer is an Austrian organ building company based in the city of Haag in Lower Austria. The founder and owner of the company is the Haag organ builder Johann Pieringer. Orgelbau Pieringer is a reputable organ workshop active for 25 years throughout Austria, Germany and Croatia, as well as a member of International Society of Organbuilders.
Gottlieb Heise was a German organ builder. In 1894, the renowned Alexander Schuke Potsdam Orgelbau company emerged from his Potsdam workshop.
Johann Gottlob Töpfer (1791–1870) was a German organ theorist, advisor, organist, teacher and composer. He was born on 4 December 1791 in Niederroßla, and died on 8 June 1870 in Weimar. Between 1804 and 1808 Töpfer attended the Wilhelm-Ernst-Gymnasium school at Weimar. In 1830 he was appointed organist at the city church of Saint Peter and Paul at Weimar. He held this post until his death, despite attempting to resign in 1844 because of unreasonable conditions; he withdrew his request later. Töpfer was respected by his contemporaries as a virtuoso and organ expert. He enjoyed a relationship of mutual respect with Franz Liszt amongst others.
The Martinskirche is the Lutheran main church in Sindelfingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was built in Romanesque style as a basilica with a flat wooden ceiling, then part of a monastery. Today, the church is also a venue of church music events.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
