Organ in the catholic church
St. Walburga in Grafschaft - Gelsdorf

parallel processing in history

The Gelsdorf organ was built in 1886 by the organ builder Johannes Klais sen. He learned inter alia from the famous organ builder Heinrich Koulens in Strassburg. In 1882, he came from Strassburg to found the „Orgelbauwerkstätte“ in Bonn. With this background, you can imagine the parallels between the big organ of the Abteikirche in Andau/Elsaß (built 1880 by Johann Heinrich Koulens, Strassburg) and the first works of Johann Klais, concerning the original disposition and the technical equipment of the two organs. (slider chests for the manuals, cone valve chests and mechanical trackers). *

The organ has been prevent from changes

The Gelsdorf organ has the same characteristics. This organ belongs to 10 of 600 organs which had been built by Johann Klais between 1882 and 1915 and remained unmodified until now. Particularly during Word War II and the different „taste of time“ since the time of the „Orgelbewegung“ which means re-baroquian style causes the loss of many of the organs. Fortunately, the Gelsdorf organ has not been restored in these times! Only the loss of the front display pipes, which were confiscated in World War I and parts of the wood carvin had to be to complaint. All other equipment, from pipes and windchest, mechanical trackers and the wind disposition, are originally conserved.

Back to the origin with new material

Our job was to conserve the original parts and restore them as gentle as possible. There we had to disassembly the whole organ. We cleaned and renewed these parts in our factory. Working parts, such as sleeves of leather at the valves and the magazine bellows had to be renewed and rebuilt. As during the building period we used bone-glue.

We impregnated those parts of the organ, which were damaged by woodworms, with warm air. We shut the little holes with wax and hot melt. The organ pipes were renewed with 87,5 % tin, as mentioned in quotations of Johann Klais of 1885 and on toeboard and rack board.

Preservation of the sound character

The priority in preservation of the sound was as well a gentle and restoring procedure. Many conoisseurs of organs, i.e. the authority of organs in the diocese Trier, the organist in the dome, Josef Still, certifies the Gelsdorf organ a beautiful characteristic sound. These attributes had to be kept while re-intonating the organ.

Requires Flash Player 9

Specifications

Disposition und Stellung der Register auf den Windladen

I. Manual Hauptwerk C - f'''

Tonverlauf, von vorne gesehen:
H ...... f'''
A ...... Cs
C ...... Gs
e''' ...... B

Prinzipal 8' Prospekt C - D = 3 Fichte, offen
Ds - ds' = 25 Zinn, abgef. in Prospekt
e' - f''' 26 Zinn, innen, alle mit Expression
Octave 4' Prospekt C - F = 6 Zinn, abgef. in Prospekt
Fs - f''' = 48 Zinn, innen, Expression bis g''
Bordun 16' ab c° c° - h' = 24 Fichte
c'' - f''' = 18 Zinn, gedeckt
Flaut 8' C - H = 12 Fichte, gedeckt
c° - f''' = 42 Fichte, offen
Gamba 8' C - f''' = 54 Zinn, alle mit Expression
Quinte 2 2/3' C - f''' = 54 Zinn, Expression bis h'
Superoctave 2' C - f''' = 54 Zinn, Expression bis h'
Terz 1 3/5' ab c° c° - f''' = 42 Zinn, Expression bis g'
Trompete 8' Baß C - d' = 27 Zinn, volle Länge
Trompete 8' Disk. ds' - f''' = 27 Zinn

II. Manual Echowerk C - f''' (im Untergehäuse)
Tonverlauf, von vorne gesehen: C ..........................f'''
Traversflöte 4' C - f'' = 44 Fichte, offen, außen labiert
fs'' - f''' = 12 Zinn, offen
Fernflöte 8' ab c° c° - f''' = 44 Zinn, konisch, offen
C - H gemeinsam mit Bordun 8'
Bordun 8' C - h° = 24 Fichte
c' - f''' = 30 Zinn, gedeckt
Salicional 8' C - H = 12 Fichte, offen
c° - f''' = 42 Zinn, alle mit Expression

Pedal C - d' (hinter Hauptwerkslade)
Tonverlauf, von vorne gesehen:
cs' ............Cs C ........... d'
Tuba 16' C - d' = 27 Becher in Fichte, durchschlagende Zungen, im Block
Octavbaß 8' C - d' = 27 Fichte, offen
Subbaß 16' C - d' = 27 Fichte

Gesamtpfeifen: in Zinn 519, in Fichte 242 = 761 Pfeifen
16 Register

Manual - Koppel II - I Pedal - Koppel I - Ped

Winddruck 78 mm WS Stimmtonhöhe: a' = 451 Hz bei 15° Celsius

 

Anmerkungen

Hermann J. Busch, Zwei Generationen Orgelbau Klais 1882 - 1965, in Beiträge zur Geschichte und Ästhetik der Orgel (Aus Anlaß der Einhundertjahrfeier Orgelbau Johannes Klais Bonn 1882 - 1982), S. 146 - 147.