 | This article has an unclear citation style . The reason given is: This translation relies heavily on General References ("Literature" section) for Schnitger's biography; inline citations would be more helpful to the reader.(April 2023) |
Franz Caspar Schnitger (baptised 15 October 1693 in Neuenfelde, buried 5 March 1729 in Zwolle) [1] was a German organ-builder active in the Netherlands.
Franz Caspar Schnitger was one of the sons of the organ-builder Arp Schnitger. After Arp's death in 1719, Franz Caspar and his brother Johann Jürgen (Georg) (1690–1734 or later) transferred the family workshop to the Netherlands, settling first in Zwolle. There, between 1719 and 1721, they completed the large new organ at the Sint-Michaëlskerk, which had been planned by their father.
In January 1720, Franz Caspar Schnitger married Anna Margreta Debert in Hamburg. She was the daughter of a city councillor from Usedom. They had two sons and two daughters, the first three born in Zwolle, the youngest, Frans Casper Snitger (1724–1799), in Alkmaar. After the untimely death of Franz Caspar Schnitger (senior), Albertus Antonius Hinsz took over his workshop and continued the Schnitger tradition. In 1732 Hinsz married Franz Caspar's widow and became the stepfather of Frans Casper Snitger (junior). Snitger then led his father's workshop following Hinsz' death in 1785, together with Heinrich Hermann Freytag. Freytag's son, Herman Eberhard Freytag (1796–1869) was the last representative of the Schnitger-school of organ-building in the Netherlands, a tradition that thus continued until the middle of the 18th century.
The roman numerals indicate the number of manuals. An uppercase "P" indicates an independent pedal organ with its own sounding stops, while a lowercase "p" indicates a pull-down pedal linked to the keyboards, merely allowing the player to play manual keyboard notes with their feet. The Arabic numerals indicate the number of sounding registers (i.e. stop-knobs excluding accessories such as tremulants and couplers).
| Year | Location | Church | Image | Manuals | Registers | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1719–1721 | Zwolle | Michaelskirche |  | IV/P | 64 (63 on completion) | Work carried out with his brother Johann Georg Schnitger, to the plans of his father; largely survives. This large organ replaced a predecessor destroyed by the collapse of the church tower in 1682, and incorporated some of its pipework. The remaining pipework was cast in a workshop established in the church of Our Lady in Zwolle. After completion, the organ was assessed favourably by three famous organists of the day. Franz Caspar remained in Zwolle and continued to maintain the organ for the remainder of his life. [2] → Organ details |
| 1720 | Vollenhove | St. Nicolaaskerk |  | II/p | 19 | A major rebuild by Schnitger of an original organ by Apollonius Bosch (1686), with new stops and windchest in the rugwerk. Subsequently, in 1860 pedal towers were added. [3] [4] [5] |
| 1720–1722 | Deventer | Lebuïnuskerk |  | III/p | 35 | A rebuild by Schnitger of an organ by Bader (c. 1665). The organ was entirely rebuilt by Johann Heinrich Holtgräve in 1839. Holtgrave, impressed by his predecessor's work, retained some labial stops, all the reeds, four bellows and parts of the mechanism. A windchest from the old organ ended up in Borne, and Schnitger's oboe stop in the Bergkerk, Deventer. Unfortunately all Schnitger's reeds were removed in 1892, but have been replaced in 2017/2018 by reeds based as closely as possible on originals elsewhere. [6] |
| 1722 | Meppel | Mariakerk |  | III/p | 27 | Completion of a new-build started by Jan Harmens Kamp, following Kamp's death in 1721. Later rebuilt and enlarged to (III/P/38). Two or three registers from Schnitger remain. [7] [8] |
| 1723 | Duurswoude | Hervormde Kerk |  | I/P | 10 | Originally built as a gift for the Lutheran church in Zwolle; sold in 1917 to Duurswoude. [9] |
| 1723–1725 | Alkmaar | Laurenskerk |  | III/P | 56 | An enlargement by Schnitger of an organ by van Hagerbeer, largely preserved. [10] |
| 1728/1729 | Groningen | Martinikerk |  | III/P | 47 | This renovation was started by Schnitger but completed in 1730 by Hinsz after Schnitger's death. [11] |
Arp Schnitger was an influential Northern German organ builder. Considered the paramount manufacturer of his time, Schnitger built or rebuilt over 150 organs. He was primarily active in Northern Europe, especially the Netherlands and Germany, where a number of his instruments still survive.
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.
Matthias Dropa was a German organ builder. A pupil of Arp Schnitger, he built organs in Northern Germany, including St. Michaelis, Lüneburg.
The Jacobikerk organ in Uithuizen in the Dutch province of Groningen was built in 1701 by Arp Schnitger. It has 28 stops which are distributed on two manuals and pedal. The instrument is one of the best preserved Schnitger organs. The organ has been used as a template for newly built organs in the 20th century and for the reconstruction of lost stops of other Schnitger organs.
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 the Dorpskerk in Noordbroek in the Dutch province of Groningen was first built in 1696 by Arp Schnitger. Today it has 24 stops over two manuals and pedal. The case and the disposition are largely preserved as they were in 1809.
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 the Grasberg church, or Findorffkirche, in Grasberg was built in 1693–1694 by Arp Schnitger, originally for the orphanage at Rödingsmarkt in Hamburg, and transferred to Grasberg in 1788. It is one of the few instruments by Schnitger to have been structurally changed as early as the 18th century. The organ has 21 stops, over two manuals and pedal. 15 stops are still original Schnitger work.
The organ of the St. Pankratius in Hamburg-Neuenfelde was built in 1688 by Arp Schnitger, and is his largest two-manual organ. The instrument has 34 stops, of which about half are original. Neuenfelde itself belongs to the Altes Land and was incorporated to Hamburg in 1937.
Berendt Hus was a German organ builder.
The west gallery organ in the Aa-kerk in Groningen was built by Arp Schnitger in 1699–1702. Originally built for the Academiekerk in Groningen it was moved to the Aa-kerk in 1815. Today it has 40 stops on three manuals and pedal, and is a monument of European significance.
Johann Michael Röder was a German organ builder in Berlin and Silesia from the first half of the 18th century. He was a pupil of Arp Schnitger.
Gustav Fock was a German music historian, editor early music and organologist. He is considered the most important Schnitger researcher of his time.
Gottfried Fritzsche was a German organ builder.
Johann Paul Geycke was a Hamburg organ builder of the 18th century.
Johann Dietrich Busch was a German organ builder.
Hans Christoph Fritzsche was a German organ builder from Dresden who worked in northern Germany, Denmark and southern Sweden.
Johann Hinrich Klapmeyer was a German organ builder.
Albertus Antonius Hinsz was an organ builder in the Netherlands, who followed in the tradition of Arp Schnitger.
Heinrich Hermann Freytag was a German/Dutch organ builder. A pupil of Albertus Antonius Hinsz, he became one of the most important organ builders in the Netherlands around 1800. His work, of a high standard, follows in the traditions established by Arp Schnitger.
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