Hugo Distler and ‘his’ organs
Het
ORGEL 104 (2008), nr. 4, 18-34 [summary]
Distler found a lively church-musical life in de Jakobikirche in
Lübeck in 1931.
The two historical organs in this church, in
particular the Stellwagen organ, played an important role in the
genesis of Distler’s organ works.
The large organ dates from
the 16th century and was rebuilt and enlarged between 1670 and 1673 by
Joachim Richborn. Hugo Distler and his brother-in-law Erich Thienhaus
accompanied the general restoration of 1935 by Kemper.
Since the Second
World War two new instruments have been built successively behind the
old façade.
The small organ in the Jakobikirche dates from the end of the 16th
century and was radically renewed and enlarged in 1636/1637 by
Friedrich Stellwagen.
Various builders worked on it in the course of
the centuries. In 1935 Kemper restored the instrument, proceeding from
a plan of Distler and Thienhaus.
Hillebrand restored it in 1977/1978,
in the direction of the situation of 1637.
In 1938 Distler had Paul Ott build him a house organ. After
Distler’s death in 1942 the organ wandered by way of Linz,
Marquartstein, Detmold, and Hildesheim to Lübeck.
After
restoration in 1991-1992 by Karl Schuke the organ was finally placed in
the manse of the Jakobikirche.
