Christian Müller (organ builder)

Christian Müller ( born February 4, 1690 in St. Andrew Berg, † 1763 in Amsterdam) was a Dutch - German organ builder. It applies to the 18th century as the leading organ builders in Holland. Gained international recognition his great organ at St. Bavo Church ( Haarlem ).

Life

Proven in 1718, Müller worked at the Amsterdam organ builder Cornelis Hoorn Beeck. A year later, he seems to have his own business and became a member of the Lutheran Church in Amsterdam. On July 20, 1720, he married Elisabeth van der Berg, who already died a year later. Catherina Beverwijk was posted on October 2, 1721, his second wife, who bore him eleven children. In 's- Hertogenbosch, he worked together with Rudolf Garrels at St. John's Cathedral and received the following orders for work on three Amsterdammers organs, all of which are no longer maintained. His field of work focused on the Netherlands, the west of the country. World famous was the monumental organ in Haarlem, the St. Bavo, which was in its time the largest organs in the world. In addition to church organs Müller also created cabinet organs. Müller organ go in architectural and aurally, a synthesis between the old Dutch organ builders of the 17th century and the newer Hamburger Groninger concept of Arp Schnitger and Albertus Antonius Hinsz.

A relative named John Caspar (July 23, 1693 † 1746 ) from St. Andrew Berg occurred during the Leeuwarder organ building and to 1729 in addition to Christian, but made afterwards in The Hague on their own. The son of Pieter Müller ( * 1738) continued his father's tradition and created organs in Haarlem ( Coen Cuserhuis, 1760, I / 7 ), Wissenkerke ( Prot Kerk, 1767, I / 7 ) and Hoorn ( Luth. Kerk, 1772, II/p/17 ) similar to those of the father greatly. The most important student was Johann Bätz, who founded an organ building family and the work of Müller was continuing. Other students were Christian Ludwig King and his brother Joseph King Kaspar, Johann Nikolaus Ritter and John Snetzler (1710-1785? ), Who worked in England. Müller was buried on 8 March 1763 in the Oude Kerk on Spui Lutherse.

In the years 1740 and 1750 Georg Friedrich Händel played in Haarlem on the Müller organ and in 1766 the ten- year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. During the organist activity of Klaas Bolt in Haarlem, the instrument was largely restored to the original state back. Since 1951, improvisation competitions and an international organ festival held there.

Work

The following works are still largely intact Müller ( 5th column: capital "P " = independent pedal, small 'p' = appended pedal ):