Heinrich Hermann Freytag Explained

Heinrich Hermann Freytag (born around 15 April 1759 in Hamburg, died 14 April 1811) 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.

Life

Freytag was the son of a cabinet-maker from Württemberg. In 1784 he became an apprentice in the former workshop of Schnitger, which had been taken over by Hinsz. After Hinsz' death, he and (the grandson of Schnitger, and stepson of Hinsz) ran the workshop together, under the name "Snitger & Freytag". In 1793 he married the widow of an innkeeper from Groningen, Hiskia Hornemann (1765-1817). They produced ten children, of whom five reached adulthood. In order that his wife could continue her business, Freytag entered the guild of innkeepers,[1] and received the "small citizenship" (German: kleine Bürgerrecht) of the city of Groningen. When Snitger died in 1799 Freytag took over the organ-building workshop, and led north-Dutch organ building into a new era of productivity. He built to a high standard of craftsmanship in the traditions of Arp Schnitger. Freytag's pipework has a more elegant tone compared to that of Hinsz. Although his early instruments are architecturally very much in the style of Schnitger, his organ casework was increasingly influenced by Classicism. In the 1800's, Freytag built a number of single-manual chamber organs with six ranks and no pedal (for example in, Anloo and Doesburg).[2]

After Freytag's death in 1811, his employees kept the workshop going under the temporary management of his widow, as his own children were still too small to take over. In 1817, Freytag's son and heir, Herman Eberhard Freytag (1796–1869) took over the business, together with his brother Barthold Joachim (1799–1829). Herman Eberhard also worked in Germany, and carried out restorations of Hinsz's organs in Leer and Weener. Herman Eberhard's son, Willem Fredrik Freytag (1825–1861) was expected to continue the family business, but died before his father. Herman Eberhard's daughter, Jantje Freytag also died, in 1862, whereupon Herman Eberhard retired and sold the workshop to the family of, who himself had possibly been apprenticed to Freytag.

Organs on which Freytag worked

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 class=unsortable Image !Manuals Registers class=unsortable Comments
1785GroningenDoopsgezindekerkI/p8Replaced in 1816 by an organ built by
1787ZwolleIII/P64Repairs on the 1721 organ by Schnitger
data-sort-value="1790"1788–1790KampenBovenkerkIII/P46Enlargement of the organ on which Hinsz had previously worked in 1741-1743; Freytag and F.C.Snitger added an independent pedal and Brustwerk. Today the organ has a disposition IV/P/56. →
data-sort-value="1792"1790–1792't ZandtMariakerkII/p12A rebuild of the 1662 organ on a new gallery, with new windchests, action and keyboards. Eleven of the previous stops and a large part of the casework were reused. The organ was extended to contain four extra notes in the bass and two in the treble in all ranks. Three of the 1972 ranks remain.
1792BierumHervormde KerkI/p10A new-build; this was the first organ in the province of Groningen to have the keyboard at the side. Well preserved.
data-sort-value="1793"1792/1793ZuidhornHervormde KerkI/p12A new-build replacing an older organ; in 1924 the organ was enlarged and greatly rebuilt, and in 2012 restored; about half the original pipework remains.
1793EzingeHervormde KerkI/p10Relocation of an organ by an unknown builder, about 1750, possibly Johannes Jacobus Moreau. A large part remains.
1793GroningenMartinikerkIII/P47Repairs to the organ in the Martinikerk, which today has 52 stops.
data-sort-value="1795"1793–1795ZuidbroekII/P28A new-build in the style of Louis XVI replacing the older organ by . In 1853 and 1884 small changes were made to the disposition by, but otherwise remains largely unchanged.
data-sort-value="1796"ca. 1796Built in Groningen, now in Weener museum of keyboard instrumentsI5A chamber-organ built into a chest of drawers
data-sort-value="1798"1796–1798BellingwoldeMagnuskerkII/p17A new-build; remains in its original condition apart from two reconstructed stops.
1799EnkhuizenZuiderkerkII/P20A rebuild of such extent that it was nearly a new-build. The casework of the Hauptwerk, the pedal wind-chests and a few stops were retained.
data-sort-value="1800"ca. 1800LellensHervormde KerkI6A "Cabinet organ", i.e. a chamber organ constructed to resemble an item of furniture, originally built for the chateau of Lellens. The organ was moved to the church in 1860, and the chateau, which stood empty from 1875, was demolished in 1897. During the move a pull-down pedal and two side-towers were added, and the 8' Prestant converted to 16'. Otherwise, the original is retained.
1802NoordwoldeHervormde KerkII/P18A rebuild of an older, three-manual organ (ca. 1640, probably by Anthoni Waelckens), largely remaining intact.
1803LoppersumHervormde KerkII/p20Freytag replaced the pipework of the Rückpositiv in the existing organ of 1735.
1804AnlooMagnuskerkI6Another cabinet organ (see Lellens, 1800, above), possibly built for a client from Zuidhorn. It made the first of several temporary appearances in the Magnuskerk in the 1940s as a stand-in while the main organ was being renovated, but is now permanently based in the church.[3]
data-sort-value="1805"ca. 1805DoesburgMartinikerkI6A new-build of a cabinet organ without pedal, attributed to Freytag. It is unknown for whom it was built, or where it first stood. It was discovered in a farm in Middelstum in 1958, and restored in 1961 for use as a choir organ in the Oude Kerk in Soest. It then entered private ownership in Baarn, before being moved to the in 1985. Since 2003 it has been in Doesburg.
1808FinsterwoldeHervormde KerkI/p15A new-build remaining in good condition
1809EenumI/p10Addition of a pull-down pedal to a 1703/04 organ by Arp Schnitger
data-sort-value="1809"1807–1809NoordbroekII/P24A rebuild of the Arp Schnitger organ of 1695/96, which had already been modified by Hinsz.[4] Freytag added pedal towers, replaced various stops, fitted new wind chests and manuals. His Prestant ranks remain from all three divisions, and in the pedal other stops are also retained. → Organ at the Dorpskerk at Noordbroek
data-sort-value="1810"1809–1810BolswardDoopsgezindekerkI/p11Largely intact
1811OostwoldHervormde KerkII/p18A new-build whose voicing was probably carried out by J.W. Timpe. It was modified by in 1860 and 1883, and is well-preserved.
data-sort-value="1812"1811/1812WarffumHervormde KerkII/P24A new-build which was largely carried out by J.W. Timpe. Most of the old stops remain.

Literature

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Gierveld . Arend Jan . Het Nederlandse huisorgel in de 17de en 18de eeuw . 1977 . 123.
  2. News: Freytag-orgel in Lellens gerestaureerd . 2 December 2022 . Orgelnieuws.nl . 14 March 2014.
  3. Web site: Freytag cabinet organ . magnuskerk.de . Stichting vrienden van de Magnuskerk . 3 December 2022.
  4. Web site: Algemene informatie: Orgel . Kerk-Noordbroek.nl . 3 December 2022.