Christian Müller: genius or co-genius?

by Sietze de Vries | Photo's: Sietze de Vries | Het ORGEL | Year 117 | (2021) | Issue 2

Haarlem, St.-Bavokerk, Müller-orgel

The Müller organ in the Grote of Sint Bavokerk in Haarlem has been justly world-famous for several centuries.  First impressions have a lot to do with this:   the incomparable case is beyond competition.  Few organ façades have been so often reproduced and photographed as that in the Bavokerk.   One of the few organs with a similar reputation is that in Weingarten:  the Gabler organ, designed around the six west windows of the stunning South German baroque monastery church.  The sound of that instrument however never achieved the fame that the Bavo organ has had since its completion.  This article examines three aspects of the Bavo organ:

  1. How did the relatively inexperienced Christian Müller arrive at this brilliant concept?
  2. The design of the case.
  3. To what degree is this a German-Dutch synthesis?

Images

  • Haarlem, St.-Bavokerk, Müller-orgel

  • Haarlem, St.-Bavokerk, Müller-orgel