Friedrich Ladegast
Friedrich Ladegast ( born August 30, 1818 in High Hermsdorf (now Hermsdorf, part of Zettlitz ); † June 30 1905 in White Rock ) was a German organ builder in the second half of the 19th century.
Life
Childhood
Friedrich Ladegast was born on 30 August 1818 as the eighth child of houses owner, carpenter and tube master Johann Christlieb Ladegast and his wife Eva Rosina, born Dathin in high Hermsdorf (now Hermsdorf ) near the city Geringswalde in Saxony. The Ladegast were not a traditional musical family, but the children came through the music-making in the family in touch with music. Instruction in piano playing, which were later supplemented by lessons on the organ, dedicated the young Frederick in the basics of this art. The love of music and the acquired with the Father craftsmanship added together. He asserted in his later years to his friend, Chemnitz organist William Hepworth: "I am, basically, as musically inclined as you are, only that time and circumstances do not allow me to train my relevant skills. " What Friedrich ultimately moved to become an organ builder, it can now only guess. Besides the fact that his older brother Christlieb this profession chose is probably the model of the famous countryman Gottfried Silbermann, who worked 150 years ago in Freiberg about 50 km away, have had a strong, though not necessarily a direct influence on the brothers. There is no doubt knew the Ladegast since her childhood which are in close proximity to their home village works in Rochlitz, Ringethal and Schweikershain.
Training
His first training as an organ builder Friedrich was in the low Walder workshop of his brother. His journeyman's piece is in the Evangelical Lutheran. Church at Tannenberg (part of Mittweida ). In the subsequent years of his wanderings he worked in various organ building sites in central Germany ( Kreutz Creek in Borna, Mende in Leipzig and making beer in Dessau ). Subsequent study trips led him among other things also to Alsace, southern Germany and France. In Alsace Strasbourg Ladegast not studied according to its own statements, the early works of Gottfried Silbermann, however, as has been erroneously assumed in the past, as an employee of Martin Wetzel's workshop directly following his time as a journeyman in the central German organ building sites.
Also the assumption that Friedrich Ladegast has the famous French organ builder Aristide Cavaillé -Coll learned personally acquainted with one of his trips and even had some time worked with this turns out, according to current knowledge as not applicable. Both organ builder brought each other but against a high regard. Thus Friedrich Ladegast informed before the construction of the great organ for the Nikolai Church in Leipzig (1862 ) on a study tour of the installations in the Cavaillé -Coll large organs. Albert Schweitzer wrote:
" The great French organ builder Aristide Cavaillé -Coll has him [ F. Ladegast ] estimated as the best among contemporary organ builders of the second half of the 19th century. I have Cavaillé-Coll yet known and can confirm that he spoke of Ladegast with admiration. "
Branch
1846 requested Friedrich Ladegast in Halle Weissenfels the branch as an organ builder and instrument maker, which was approved early in 1847. His shortly afterwards appeared in Weißenfelser Kreisblatt newspaper ad can be seen as follows: " The fact that I 've established myself as an organ builder and instrument maker here, I view humbly. I beg inclined confidence, which I will make myself always by stringent Reellität worthy. White Rock, the February 5, 1847 ".
A crucial role for the determination to just settle in White Rock, will have not only played the protection of the Weißenfelser royal music director Ernst J. Hentschel, but also economic factors. White Rock, not far from the big cities of Leipzig and Halle, was one of the central German cities that developed rapidly in the course of industrialization. The opening of a railway to Erfurt on June 6, 1846 brought significant locational advantages. Also the Saale River was navigable at that time.
As can be seen his application for residence permit, Ladegast already knew the area, and through his stay in Lützen in repairing the Kreutz Bach organ (1839 ) of the local parish church. There were no other environment in organ building workshop and so little competition. Moreover, the city had a teacher training college, which had developed into a center for teacher training in the Prussian province. Since 1822, the Institute was headed by the famous educator Dr. Wilhelm Harnisch and was marked inter alia by such personalities as Ernst J. Hentschel and Moritz Hill. With Hentschel, who was also the godfather of his children, Ladegast Association for many years a friendly relationship.
Achievements
Although the economic aspects were promising, the order situation remained poor in the early years. 1849 got Ladegast through the intercession of David Hermann Engel an order for an organ at St. George's Church to Geusa at Merseburg, which should change the future of the young organ builder basic. Ladegast put everything on one card - his skills, their own resources, their own visions - and won. The originally planned as a one-manual organ work was beyond the treaty - extended by a second manual - on Ladegast own expense. At removal of the organ angels fell into " supreme delight " by the sound, from the selection of the material, the quality of the execution - all those aspects that brought fame in his lifetime Ladegast and characterize his organs today. In 1855, then Ladegast also got another order for an organ in the St. Thomas Church in Geusaer district Blösien.
New orders and related success could now no longer to wait long for. 1850 acquired Ladegast a double- storey house in the street Naumburg, where he established his workshop and emerged in the new year in the same five plants. With the exception of the organ in the village church to Albersroda ( II/15 ) it was one manual works with 5 to 10 registers.
On November 3, 1850 at the age of 32 years, Frederick Ladegast married the 24 -year-old Johanne Bertha Rosette Long ( born May 7, 1826 † January 6, 1902 ), daughter of Weißenfelser city organist. The marriage was blessed with twelve children. However, seven of the children died at an early stage. The end of 1851 Ladegast got a contract for the construction of a new organ for the church of St Peter in the town, 15 km away Hohenmolsen. This organ is today with its 24 sounding stops its biggest two-manual instrument - with the exception of the front pipes and the wind turbine - get original remained. She takes in his work a special place, not only because it was the first major job, but because they are so formed a basis for the immediately following major orders in Merseburg, Schulpforta, Leipzig because of their phonetic and structural soundness.
As 1853 Merseburg cathedral organ had to be repaired again, came to the cathedral organist angel is none other than Ladegast in question. From a repair for 4,500 dollars, however, was a new building for 6,258 dollars. While maintaining the housing of the old organ, as well as 26 of its registers, which were later also replaced by new, Ladegast put a plant with 81 stops on four manuals and pedal on has already been said about the time of manufacture, " that this organ a new section in the art of organ building call by here things have been done, so far occur in any other organ. " The inauguration took place on 26 September 1855. This is the largest organ in the Germany of that time brought Ladegast much recognition and fame and turned him out of the series of smaller organ builder out to a higher level. The work was admired by a number of prominent intellectuals and inspired, for example, Franz Liszt to some of his major organ works.
Until his next big order, the organ for Leipzig's St. Nicholas Church ( IV/84 ), which in 1862 was completed as was then the largest organ of Saxony, about 16 instruments, including the first three-manual organ for the country Pforta ( Schulpforta ) at Naumburg created (1857, 34 registers). The factory was demolished in the sixties of the 20th century and stored in the attic until it was eventually stripped of essential parts. However, there are in the auditorium of the State School a small Ladegast organ from 1884 with 11 registers. In 2005, this small organ was set by the organ workshop Rösel & Hercher repaired. Two Organs went beyond the region to East Prussia ( Memel, 1858, II/44 ) and Lower Silesia ( Görkau, 1859, II/13 ).
1864 built Ladegast on behalf of the Municipal Council of White Rock for the St. Mary's Church his second three-manual organ ( 41 stops ), which is his oldest preserved three-manual today. A plant with 39 registers for the Castle Church at Wittenberg in the historic case of J. E. Hübner ( 1767) completed - Also in 1864 was the third three-manual organ Ladegast. 1892 got this new neo-Gothic housing and was supplemented with a Barker machine.
New orders for large instruments required a larger workshop. So requested Ladegast 1865 a permit for the construction of a new workshop in the Naumburg road. Thus, a space was created, even the organ for the Schwerin Cathedral took place later in the. Such a construction hall allowed the relief of individual production plants such as wind pipe making and workshops in and allowed a simultaneous construction of several instruments. In addition, the installation option was to perform a voicing of a new organ to examine the key action for their fitness and correcting any deficiencies in the workshop. Furthermore, this led to the crystallization of individual professional specialty areas with trained specifically for this purpose personnel such Zinnarbeiter, whistling or wind loading makers, etc.
This practice continues in the central German organ builders until the eighties and nineties of the 19th century, generally with the increase of production and exports through. Thus, the organ builder Jehmlich founded in 1808 got her large construction hall until 1897. The also rich in tradition, founded in 1872, Saxon organ builder owl built their hall, 1888. One can therefore Friedrich Ladegast well as a progressive thinking organ builder of his time, the trains of industrialization not shut himself entirely designate. Unfortunately the workshop was completely demolished in 1979.
In the period 1864-1871 the workshop left about 25 new organs, three of which went to the Baltic States, one to Moscow (op. 50, 1868) and two in the Palatinate. Other instruments have been rebuilt or repaired.
The year 1871 was groundbreaking importance which finally put him in the ranks of internationally important organ builder for Ladegast. This year his work was completed by 84 votes in the cathedral at Schwerin. The construction cost 11,000 dollars, lasted three years and was completed on September 6, 1871. Used Ladegast everything had convinced him of technical innovations and insights that time in this instrument. Apart from the already proven Barker machine, the split into divisions grinding shop and the radial angle and Wellentraktur he built for the first time in the history of German organ building in an organ the pneumatically controlled crescendo. With these innovations, which actually became the standard until the introduction of the pneumatic tube, he walked ahead of its time, continuing indelible mark in the German organ building history.
On November 10, 1871 Ladegast received for building an organ of Schwerin conferred by the Duke of Mecklenburg -Schwerin Distinguished Service Cross in gold - the House Order of the Wendish Crown. Built in 1872 for the church of St. James in Köthen instrument to date is the largest organ in Anhalt.
In 1872 he was awarded the contract to build the organ for the Great Hall of the Vienna Musikverein. Your body was designed by architect Theophil von Hansen. The organ had 52 stops on three manuals and pedal, he foresaw mechanical grinding shop for the manual divisions and cone chests for the pedal mechanism. Anton Bruckner worked with on this organ issuing the concert. 1907, this organ was, however, replaced by a new instrument.
Competition
The general transformation from a craft business to the factory as the main feature of industrial development, triggered by the invention of the steam engine, profound changes brought forth in organ building. The problem associated with the industrial revolution, urban growth required new churches and organs. In addition, many as no longer appropriate perceived instruments were replaced. This increased demand could not satisfy in full the traditional craftsmanship. The existential security of many companies depended not only on the quality of their work but increasingly on their ability to increase the production volume and to keep prices low. This enormous demands only the larger companies hold in the reverse position.
In 1840 was built by the company EF Walcker & Cie.. , Ludwigsburg, the first cone chests organ. This new wind loading system led like no other invention in organ building to divisions and strife. Some enthusiastically accepted, frowned upon by others, they drew on the way of organ building at that time. No reputable organ workshop passed the cone chest. While some companies such as Walcker and Sauer completed a full migration to that wind loading system, others returned after a few tries with the cone chest to the grinding charge back or use both systems simultaneously. The latter included the workshop Ladegast. He even commented on the use of both systems as follows: " I spend virtually all systems, sometimes in a different organ, each where it seems to fit me."
In fact, we find him in the seventies and eighties both pure grinding chest organs (eg, in the parish church in Poznan, III/43, 1876), pure cone chest organs (eg in the St. Nicholas Church in Spandau, III/45, 1880) as well as organs with a mixed wind loading system (such as St. Andrew's Church at Rudolstadt, III/33, 1882). Both organs with slider chests in the manuals and taper charging in the pedal, and vice versa were built. The latter combination is preferred by Ladegast in his later period. Despite that, he remains all his life a staunch supporter of the grinding charge. On January 13, 1880, he addressed to the then Secretary-General of the Vienna Society of Friends of Music, Leopold Alexander Zellner, the already proverbial lines:
" [ ... ] Of the works delivered in the past year were two with cone shop. In many respects are the same produce lighter than sliderchest ( But to be completely under the hand) The abrasive loading system will not be displaced from the cones. However, as is almost everything cone Wow, so does it matter anything, one must - howl with "
It was not until the late 1880s, the workshop of the pneumatic turned to intense. However, since no later than 1890, almost all well-known organ builders completely went to the construction of the pneumatic tube and already had their own sophisticated systems, the traditional workshop from Weissenfels remained in the tough competition on the track - the train had left. Gradually, the once famous company was forced out of the market. Major orders were other companies that built the now regarded as modern organs reserved.
In awarding the organ new building for the newly built Gewandhaus in Leipzig in 1884, the company suffered its first major defeat against the Walcker firm. The Frankfurt organbuilder Sauer made him more jobs in the city of Leipzig, the date to " its territory " was in dispute. The great buildings of St. Peter's Church (1886, III/60 ) and Thomas Church (1889, III/63 ) were awarded Sauer. Whether this trend is due solely to alleged intrigues of which Ladegast spoke often remains speculative.
Closely associated with the technical development in organ building was also the conversion of the sound aesthetic of the organ to the late romantic orchestral style. Due to the ideas of sound Ladegast, which were at the beginning of the nineties as too straightforward and outdated, his works were no longer competitive in this respect also increasingly.
Great is the number of organ builder, who learned at Ladegast and worked. These include:
- Carl Bernecker (1844 -? ), Organ builders in Saxony
- Breinbauer Leopold (1859-1920), an organ builder in Ottenheim in Linz
- Franz Eggert (1849-1911), an organ builder in Paderborn
- Gustav Heinze (1874-1949), an organ builder in Sorau and White Rock
- Albert Hollenbach (1850-1904), an organ builder in Neuruppin, Brandenburg
- Franz Emil Keller (1843-1925), an organ builder in Ostrava in chubs, Saxony
- Johann Franz Anton Kiene (1845-1908), an organ builder in Waldkirch
- Ernst Meier Klass (1840-1926), an organ builder in Kirchheide in Lemgo
- Hermann Kopp (1837-1892) organ builder in Apolda
- Link Eugen (1855-1940), an organ builder in Giengen a d Brenz.
- Friedrich Albert Mehmel (1827-1888), an organ builder in Stralsund and Wismar
- Gustav Normann (1821-1893), Estonian organ builder
- Theodor Rühlmann († 1910), organ builders in Zoerbig
- Wilhelm Rühlmann the Elder. (1842-1922), an organ builder in Zoerbig
- Albert Spaeth (1866-1948), an organ builder in Ennetach quantities
Austria.
End of life
After his wife's death in 1892, Frederick Ladegast attracted more and more from the public. On the management of the company until then involved, he handed the reins finally in 1898 his son Oskar Ladegast (* September 26, 1858; † January 4, 1944 ).
Friedrich Ladegast died on 30 June 1905., The death of the master was taken in public with great respect for knowledge. Already on August 3 was published in 1905 in Weissenfels Tageblatt following notification by the city magistrate: " A tribute to the old master of the art of organ building Friedrich Ladegast, who died recently, the magistrate has thus taken place, that he to the road connecting the Beuditz and Gustav -Adolf road name, Ladegast street ' has been settled. "
The importance of this outstanding master of German organ building is best with the words of Albert Schweitzer gather at the then Merseburg cathedral organist Hans -Günther Wauer ( in a letter from Lambarene 1958 ):
"I think Friedrich Ladegast for the most important organ builder Silbermann, whose tradition he continued. Both technically and aurally his creations are unique in some respects. I myself was struck by the variety and beauty of tone of the Ladegast organs that I got under your fingers and have organists who wanted to rebuild and modernize their Ladegast organs, discouraged at the beginning of this century from this sin. In sound quality I make Ladegast organs even on the Cavaillé -Coll. "
List of Works
By the end of the 1880s Ladegast workshop left more than 125 new organs, including:
Extended in 1882 by him
The company's activity extended from the United States over the German Empire to Russia.
Advanced or restored, including the following instruments were: