St. Mary's cathedral was built in the Roman style around 1180/1190. The church has been granted the rank of collegiate church and cathedral in 1480. Following a fire in 1484, it was rebuilt in the Gothic style until 1501. The community went to Lutheran faith in 1537.
The organ
The gallery organ, built by Gottfried Silbermann, is not only the most important of the 30 organs built by the reknowned organbuilder, it is considered to be the one with the world's best tonal structure since it incorporates both French and Saxon tonal elements.
Elias Lindner, the young Cathedral organist, is responsible for the design of both the instrument and the organ case. In 1738, the organ was cleaned and the organ case was regilded by Christian Polycarp Butzaus and two stops were modified by Gottfried Silbermann. At the same time, the reservoir system (6 large cuneiform single rise bellows) has been modified.
During the restoration carried out from 1981 to 1983 by organbuilding firm Jemmlich Orgelbau, from Dresden, wind pressures were brought back to the levels they were in 1714 and the unequal temperament was slightly modified in order to get a compromise between the modern equal temperament and the meantone temperament originally used. In order to protect the historical pipework and to be sure that no pipe would be cut or modified, new tuning collars were installed.
A special attraction for organ enthusiasts is the great organ by Gottfried Silbermann with its three Organ manuals and 2574 organ pipes. Opposite of it is another, smaller Silbermann organ, which is also an excellent instrument.
J.S.Bach: Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr BWV 662
Christian Skobowsky an der Gottfried Silbermann-Orgel im Mariendom zu Freiberg click here
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Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)Prelude and triple Fugue in E flat major BWV 552
2. Fuga à 5 con pèdale pro Organo pleno
Ton Koopman at the Silbermann organ of Freiberg Dom (Germany)
Ton Koopman plays Bach's Fugue in g minor on the great Silbermann organ (built 1714-18, renovated 1981-83) at St. Marien Cathedral in Freiberg.
J. S. Bach (1685-1750): Fuga sopra il Magnificat BWV 733
Gabor Soos - organ Freiberg, Dom (J. G. Silbermann, 1714)
Silbermann organ in the Dom St. Marien of Freiberg, Saxony, Germany
Silbermann organ in the Dom St. Marien of Freiberg, Saxony, Germany
In Middelburg, the two-aisled Nieuwe Kerk (16th C.), the parish church, and the aisleless Koorkerk (early 14th C.), the abbey church (beautiful reticulated vaulting), were originally joined. Since the parish church had no choir of its own, the west end of the monks' church, known as the middle choir, was used as the choir for the lay congregation. Over this is the tower known as Lange Jan ("Long John"). In this church is the double tomb of the brothers Jan and Cornelis Evertsen, two admirals killed in the English war of 1666, and memorial tablets for Count William of Holland (d. 1256), king of Germany, and his brother Floris (d. 1258). The magnificent marble tomb was the last great work of Rombout Verhulst (1680-82).
After their restoration both churches were provided with ancient, historical organ cases by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
1481 Peter Gerritsz-organ case in the Koorkerk in Middelburg.
The organ case in the Koorkerk (built in 1481) came from St Nicolaaskerk in Utrecht, that in the Nieuwe Kerk (1693) from a Protestant church in Amsterdam.
HISTORY
The organ case of the organ in the Nieuwe Kerk comes from the Old Lutheran Church in Amsterdam.
In 1693 John Duytschot built a new organ for this church, whose case was designed by the carpenter Jan Albertsz Schut. The first organ built in 1658 by the builder Jan Norel from Kalkar is first placed on the balcony opposite the pulpit. Johannus Duyschot gets the assignment in 1690 to increase the instrument. He moved it and creates an entirely new instrument.
The new instrument now hangs above the pulpit of the Old Lutheran Church in Amsterdam and reaches to the roof. This instrument consists of 2 manuals and pedal with shutters that have been painted by the German painter Philip Tideman.
In 1886, the Duyschot organ is replaced due to defects to the wind system and the then prevailing desire for an instrument with a more orchestral sound. The Old Lutheran Church in Amsterdam obtains a quote, among others, from the organ maker Cavaille Coll. The contract for this organ, however, is awarded to the builder J.Frederik Witte (firma J. Bätz en Co.). He builds an instrument with three manuals and pedal.
In 1954 the Lutheran Church at the Spui in Amsterdam donated the empty 1693 Duyschot organ case to the Reformed Church in Middelburg. The old 1693 case of the organ of Duyschot can now be admired in the Nieuwe Kerk in Middelburg.
The company van Leeuwen from Leiderdorp built a completely new organ in this Johannus Duyschot 1693 case. The pedal ranks were placed in a louvered space in the wall beside the organ case.
During 1996 renovation and refurbishment of the New Church the organ case was restored. In the workshop of Joop van Litsenburg in Amsterdam the organ shutters were restored to their original luster by a thorough restoration.
Between January and September 2004 the Flentrop Orgelbouw company from Zaandam under advice of Prof.dr. Albert Clement, led a major overhaul of the instrument.The organ was cleaned, the bellows of the Rugpositief are restored and the operation of the shutters. Also, the windchests received normal sliders, rather than the former VEKA-sliders. The points of tightening of the valves were moved and re-tuned. The disposition remained unchanged, but mixtures were moved up and the reeds were revoiced and adjusted, the intonation of the other labials were only checked. The Trumpet 4' of the bovenwerk was changed to a Schalmey 4' and the Ruispijp IV to VI. The re-opening of the instrument took place on August 28, 2004.
In 2005 the organ was completed by a total tuning. The Van Leeuwen organ in the old Duyschot case now has a beautiful sound!
Erbarm dich mein, o Herre Gott, BWV 721
Gespeeld door Dingeman Wolfert
op het orgel van de Nieuwe Kerk te Middelburg
Preludium en Fuga in C, BWV 545
Gespeeld door Dingeman Wolfert
op het orgel van de Nieuwe Kerk te Middelburg
Preludium en Fuga in G, BWV 541 Gespeeld door Dingeman Wolfert op het orgel van de Nieuwe Kerk te Middelburg
Dorische Toccata BWV 538 Gespeeld door Dingeman Wolfert op het orgel van de Nieuwe Kerk te Middelburg
Ciacona in D, Pachelbel Gespeeld door Dingeman Wolfert
There is no doubt that the Hildebrandt Organ in St. Wenzel belongs to the most significant creations of late baroque organ building. It exceeds all Silbermann organs not only in number of stops but also in variety. The specification shows conservative elements with deep roots in German baroque organ building and also aspects matching the new sound sensibilities which developed in the 18 th century, with French characteristics in the background. Thus this unique work has come into being from the universality of Bach`s spirit, from the cosmic multiplicity of his work, and likewise it unifies traditional achievements and foreshadows future developments in a brilliant synthesis.
Ulrich Dähnert (author of "The organ builder and instrument maker Zacharias Hildebrandt" and "The organs of Gottfried Silbermann in Central Germany")
BWV 548 Bach's Prelude in E minor from Prelude and 'wedge' fugue. Registration included newly reconstructed pedal Posaunenbass 32 with it's violone like qualities John Scott Whiteley at the organ
History of the Hildebrandt organ in Naumburg
On the 27th of August 1743, the Naumburg City Council entered into a contract with Zacharias Hildebrandt of Leipzig for the building of the new organ of 52 stops in the existing case of the organ by Zacharias Thayssner (built 1696 -1705). Previously a report from J. S. Bach about the organ had been obtained which was "most kindly found acceptable". Thus we can surely assume that Bach had an influential role in the drawing up of the specification, and that this instrument corresponded to his idea of a fine large organ. On the 27th of September 1746 J. S. Bach and Gottfried Silbermann examined the finished organ and certified that Hildebrandt's work was good. In 1748 Joh. Chr Altnikol, Bach's son-in-law, became organist of the Hildebrandt organ.
J.S.Bach - Ricercare a 6 für Orgel Bearbeitung für "Organo con Pedale" von J.F.Agricola, Bachs Schüler. Gerhard Weinberger an der Orgel in St.Wenzel, Naumburg
In 1834 some small changes to the specification in the taste of that time were made by Friedrich Beyer, a local organ builder. In 1864 Friedrich Ladegast of Weissenfels overhauled the organ and also changed the specification. In 1917 Oskar Ladegast removed the windchests of the Oberwerk and replaced these with cone-chests. In 1932/33 the organ was extensively rebuilt by the Walcker firm (Ludwigsburg). The mechanical action remaining until then was removed and replaced by electropneumatic action, and an electrical console installed on the first gallery. The specification was nominally restored to that of 1746 following the advice of Christhard Mahrenholz.
PLEASE NOTE: WRONG PICTURE** (above) but CORRECT SOUND:
organ used: Zacharias Hildebrandt Organ, St. Wenzel Naumberg, 1743-46
Johann Sebastian Bach - (1685-1750)Piece d'Orgue in G, BWV 572 - 8'31" performed by: Gerhard Weinberger **note: the video picture is not the organ used for the music
In 1964, the Eule firm of Bautzen made the sound closer to that of the Hildebrandt original. In 1992 an international symposium took place on the past, present and future of the Hildebrandt organ. The unanimous vote for uncompromising restoration of the organ opened the way to restoration and reconstruction work from 1993 to 2000, again carried out by Hermann-Eule-Organbuilding of Bautzen. The work included: key action, stop mechanism, winding, pipe work, pitch, tuning, case, structural framework, carving, and colouring. Brunhilde Engelhardt says: "My favorite organ I have ever played was the Wenzel in Naumburg in East Germany. This organ was built by Zacharias Hildebrandt, and actually Bach and the organ builder Gottfried Silbermann (who built many famous organs in Saxony) examined it together in September 1746 and gave their final approval to this instrument. What an unforgettable experience to play this instrument and to know that its colors of sound are as close as it gets to Johann Sebastian Bach's ideas himself!" The 1746 Hildebrandt Organ in St. Wenzel’s Church in Naumburg, Germany; is arguably the best extant example of a “true Bach organ.”
SBach ; Sonata VI (BWV 530) 1st Movement
Organist ; John Scott Whiteley
St. Wenzel's Church Naumburg Germany
Organ by Zacharias Hidlebrandt (1743-46)
Restored by Evle Orgelbau in 2000
This organ was appraised & played by J S Bach (1746)
Coupler OW - HW
Coupler RP - HW
Pedal coupler HW - P
Tremulant HW + RP
Schwebung OW
(Tremulant doux)
Sperrventil HW
Sperrventil OW
Cymbelstern
Pitch a`= 464 Hz/15°C
Temperament Neidhardt l (1724)
Wind-pressures Man. 74 mm
Ped. 78 mm
Compass C,D-c```
C,D-d`
Praeludium and Fuga in A BWV 536: Johann Sebastian Bach: (1685-1750)
performed by: Gerhard Weinberger
on the Zacharias Hildebrandt Organ, Naumburg St. Wenzel, built 1743-46.
a work for organ by J S Bach. Composed in 1708, the whole work has a rather quaint, quieter sound and quite unlike his consuming larger, more volcanic works.
Cappel, St. Peter and Paul 1680 Schnitger Organ Germany
Brief History:
The Arp Schnitger organ standing today in the St.Peter-und-Paul-Kirche of Cappel - a little village east of the river Weser estuary - had initially been built in 1680 for the Dominican monastery St.Johannis in Hamburg which no longer exists. It replaced an instrument there dating from 1567 with a high rate of certitude, from which Arp Schnitger adopted a number of late renaissance stops. Unfortunately no records were kept in the Hamburg State Archive about this occurence. But sitting above the console an inscription in golden letters has been preserved, stating that the organ was built by Arp Schnitger "from April until December 1680".
It was the first work of the organ maker in Hamburg. There is evidence that in 1688 Schnitger carried out some smaller works perfecting the instrument, yet no documentation has been passed down to this day. A document by Schnitger's first biographer, the Dutch organist Siwert Meijer, quotes that Schnitger "in 1679 made a new opus for the St.Johannis church in Hamburg with 30 voices, two keyboards and an independent pedal". Further sources mention six bellows for the wind supply.
The organ had endured the 18th century without any changes or damage. During the French occupation of Hamburg (1806 - 1814) by Napoleon's troops the church served to store buffer stock and was never used for religious services anymore. The organ probably mainly survived since it was dismantled in 1813 by the Hamburg organ builder Geycke and stored in a monastery room adjacent to the church.
In December 1810 the church in Cappel and a fairly new organ built by Georg Wilhelm Wilhelmy in 1800 burnt down completely, leaving the parish for about six years without an instrument. It was thus a welcome coincidence that the Schnitger opus from St. Johannis was offered to them for 2000 Reichs-Talers as initial price. A ship transport for the parts from Hamburg to Cuxhaven was arranged, the rest of the route to Cappel with horse and cart. In the course of 1816 Wilhelmy re-erected the organ within slightly more than four months; it was played first on Christmas Eve the same year. He was paid 385 Reichs-Taler in gold currency. The parish decided to spend an additional amount of 15 Reichs-Talers for a Zimbelstern with "harmonically tuned bells". The statues on top of the organ were removed to enable it to fit on the organ loft. These statues are now above the altar at the front of the church.
Since the beginning of the 17th century not only rich Hanse cities like Hamburg had good sounding and magnificently equipped organs, it was not unusual even on the countryside to install them in comparatively small churches. Yet it presumably took a while for the Cappel parish councel to fully recognize what a gem they had acquired, the more so as Schnitger's name had not been mentioned in the sales contract.
In 1846 the same organ builder carried out some minor repair works but introduced no changes beyond that. Due to the remoteness of Cappel village the organ remained unaffected for 100-years; it prevented it from any adaption to the prevailing taste of the 19th and 20th century. When during the organ renovation movement the instrument's high merit became realized it was restored 1939 in several steps by Paul Ott, Goettingen, followed in the years 1976/77 by comprehensive overhaul works which Beckerath organ workshop carried out. The company reworked the Zimbel III to the Hauptwerk manual and the Cornet 2 in the Pedal, all other stops remained unaltered. Organ case, Principal (tin) pipes of the facade, manuals and wind chests were designed and built by Schnitger. Above text and translation by Dieter Thomsen
The following passage is an exact copy of the text by Helmut Walcha, as found on the DGG LP's.
"Of all the organs still in existence, which have come out of the workshop of Arp Schnitger, the grand master of German organ construction (born 1641 in Golzwarden near Oldenburg, died 1719 In Hamburg, the one in Cappel is the best preserved and the most valuable. Every visitor who enters the small village church of Cappel is surprised to find here such an ornate baroque work of art.
The exterior of the organ, which is richly carved, is painted white and green and is decorated with gild statues. The impression of great preciousness is further emphasized by the contrast with the church itself, which is designedly simple, and which has a pale blue barrelvault painted with stars. But the visitor will be still more astonished when he listens to this instrument, with its incomparable freshness and crystal-clear transparency, which can reproduce the polyphonic achievements of the old composers of organ works in a most impressive manner.
The explanation for this is given by the history of the organ. The Instrument was built in 1695 (or 1618?) for the church of the St. Johannis monastery in Hamburg. In contrast to many of the known Schnitger-organs, which were largely reconstructions of organs then in existence, or on which he worked as a journeyman, as in St. Cosmae Stade, this organ has been built specially by the master. Merely some particularly wide ranks of pipes, such as the chimney flute 8', the nason flute 3' or the gemshorn 2', were taken from an older instrument, probably from one made by a member of the Scheerer family of organ builders.
During Napoleon's occupation, the Church of the St. Johannis monastery was used as a store shed. The organ had to go and was sold in 1816 to the people of Cappel, whose church was burnt down in 1806 end had in the meantime been rebuilt, but who, much to their regret, could not afford a new organ.
It is due to these circumstances that the organ did not perish in the great fires of Hamburg in 1842 and 1943. For over 100 years the organ lived an uneventful life in Cappel. The modest resources of the church made it fortunately impossible to execute any but the most urgently necessary repairs, so that the organ was preserved from all reconstructions or improvements in the taste of the turn of he century - which means from serious interference with its original character. In consequence of this we have here a monument of the period of Schnitgers greatest achievements, which has come down to us unaltered and represents an inestimable value.
There is a conspicuous wealth of mixture stops, of which the pedal board has two, and the great organ and chair organ (the small choir organ at the back of the player) have three each (rauschflute, mixture, scharff, cymbel, sesquialtera, tierce). There cannot be many historical organs still in existence which have all mixed stops preserved in their original form, in this case from the hand of Schnitger.
Particularly beautiful are the principals, which with all their velvety smoothness have a tone of such vigorous pungency as will rarely be found elsewhere. The entire pipe work is free from signs of later interference with its intonation. This fact allows the conclusion that in this organ from Cappel we have preserved for us the genuine ideal diapason of the most flourishing period of classical organ construction.
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Toccata and fugue in D minor BWV 565
Helmut Walcha, Schnitger organ in Cappel
The organ is still tuned in the choir pitch of the baroque period (which is half a pitch sharp compared with the present day standard pitch). To retune the organ would upset the whole tonal structure and would be quite insupportable. The fact that the tracker mechanism gives rise to certain small noises is only to be expected considering the age of this venerable instrument."
Text from the CD of Egbert Ennulat
In 1678, Schnitger set out as an independent organ builder, and his first extant instrument (1680) was the organ for the church of the Benedictine monastery St. Johannis in Hamburg, Germany. During the French occupation (1806-1814) this church was confiscated by Napoleon and served as a military depot. The organ was put into storage in 1813. Meanwhile, the church of St. Petri and St. Pauli in Cappel, a village northwest of Hamburg, was destroyed by fire (1810) due to negligence of the organist. The rebuilding of the church exhausted the financial means of the congregation and did not allow for the acquisition of a new organ. An opportunity to buy the organ of St. Johannis/Hamburg for 600 Reichstaler in Louisdor, made possible the installation of this instrument in Cappel in 1816.
The remote location of Cappel and the continuing lack of finances allowed this organ to fall into oblivion and to escape the inappropriate and harmful restorations typical of the 19th century. The fact that Cappel was accessible only by a dirt road during World War I also prevented the confiscation of its front pipes for the war effort. Of all Schnitger's instruments, the organ in Cappel is the only one to retain the original pipes in the front of the organ case. Built for a much larger church, this organ dominates the small village church of Cappel. Until the installment there in 1816 by Johann Georg Wilhelmy, the organ had not been subjected to alterations and, fortunately, there were no changes until 1939, when the concepts of the Orgelbewegung made possible a faithful stylistic restoration.
HISTORY SUMMARY
1680: New organ by Arp Schnitger for the Johannis Kirche in Hamburg. Pipework from a former organ was used and perhaps also parts of the case. 1816: Georg Wilhelmy moved the organ to Cappel. 1939: Restoration by Paul Ott. 1978: Restoration by von Beckerath after damage by a new heating-system. The original frontpipes still are present. They were "forgotten" in 1917.
The tonal design contains 30 stops in two manuals and pedal, as follows:
Manual Couplers
chair to Great
Tremulant
Tuned Bells
The keyboard gives some information about the remarkable elaboration in the construction of this organ. In contrast to the "reduced octave" which at that time was common in manual keyboards, in which the only genuine sharp in the tenor octave was the key of B, the organ in Cappel possesses two doubled sharps, by means of which the keys F sharp and a sharp can also be played. The reasons for the reduced octave were probably considerations of economy and the moderate requirements of the period prior to Bach. The two additional keys in Cappel represent an important increase to the manual, it is only by Ibis means that the nearly complete performance of Bach's organ works becomes possible. It is easy to see that the unusual fingering involves a great complication for the player.
BWV 565 - Arp Schnitger organ Cappel, Kay Johannsen
