Organ culture in Stralsund and Tallinn

by Han Leentvaar | Het ORGEL | Year 96 | (2000) | Issue 2

 

Peter van Dijk Organ culture in Stralsund and Tallinn
Het ORGEL 96 (2000), nr. 2, 25-29 [summary]

Kindten-organ in Gingst St. JakobiIn Stralsund (Germany), the famous organ in the Marienkirche drawsour attention. It was built in 1659 by Friedrich Stellwagen. It’s not in originalcondition, but sounds good since the restoration in the 1950s, which was carried out byAlexander Schuke, who reconstructed the original specification. Important as well are theChristian Kindten organ at Gingst (1790, restored by Eule in 1957) and the Nerlich &Haase organ at Patzig on the island Rügen (1846). Friedrich Mehmel was the most importantorgan builder at Stralsund in the 19th century. Tallinn (the capital of Estonia) does notposess any organs built before 1800. Interesting are the Ladegast organ from 1878 at theDom, renewed in 1913 by Sauer, and the Walcker organ from 1923 in the Karlskirche. Thework of Estonian organ builders like Stein, Kessler, Tanton, Normann and Mülverstedtshows German influences. Around 1900, two major organ builders started in Estonia:Terkmann (Tallinn) and Kriisa (Haanja, now at Rakvere). Organ culture in Stralsund andTallinn has become very lively in the past years. That is the result of the enthusiasm andwork of respectively Martin Rost and Andres Uibo.