Jürgen Ahrend (German pronunciation: [ˈjʏʁɡn̩ ˈʔaːʁənt]; 28 April 1930 – 1 August 2024) was a German organ builder famous for restoring instruments such as the Gothic Rysum organ and the Arp Schnitger organs of the Martinikerk in Groningen, Netherlands, and of St. Jacobi in Hamburg as well as building original instruments. He ran the workshop Jürgen Ahrend Orgelbau in Leer from 1972 to 2004, operating internationally.
Jürgen Ahrend | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | 1 August 2024 Leer, Lower Saxony, Germany | (aged 94)
Occupation | Organ builder |
Organizations | Jürgen Ahrend Orgelbau |
Awards | Lower Saxony State Prize |
Life and career
editAhrend was born in Göttingen on 28 April 1930.[1][2] From 1946 to 1948, he was an apprentice in the firm of Paul Ott there.[2][3] He then worked for the firm as an employee. He undertook study travel with Gerhard Brunzema , who had also been an apprentice of Ott, to European organ builders, Metzler Orgelbau in Switzerland, Flentrop in the Netherlands and Marcussen & Søn in Denmark.[4] The two formed a partnership in Leer–Loga, Lower Saxony in 1954.[1][2][3] They produced 54 new organs and restored 19, until Brunzema left the firm in 1972[1] to work in Canada.[5] They restored the original tuning of organs from the Renaissance and Baroque eras, beginning with the Westerhusen organ , the Uttum organ and the Gothic Rysum organ.[2][3] When they built a new organ in Baroque style for the Zorgvlietkerk in Scheveningen in 1958, they received international recognition.[2][5] They built a new transept organ for the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam and a new organ for the Doopsgezinde Kerk in Haarlem, and restored instruments of the Waalse Kerk in Amsterdam and the Hooglandse Kerk in Leiden.[5]
The workshop operated as Jürgen Ahrend Orgelbau from 1972.[3][4] Ahrend was also commissioned to restore the organs and their tuning for the Arp Schnitger organs in the Martinikerk in Groningen (including the main organ in the west gallery), the organ of St. Jacobi in Hamburg and organ of St. Ludgeri in Norden.[3] In Hamburg, the organ pipes had been removed from the organ case for safety in 1942. The church was destroyed by bombing. In the restored church, Ahrend used the historic pipes in a new case to revive the sound he had in mind.[5]
Ahrend used several historic building techniques in his restoration work. He devoted about half of the workshop's time to restoration. He restored internationally, such as the organ of Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød and the Martinikerk.[1] He was interviewed extensively in the film Martinikerk Rondeau, released in 2009.[6]
Since 2005 his son Hendrik Ahrend has run the workshop. Jürgen Ahrend became involved in the organ festival Orgelfrühling in Krummhörn from its beginning. The 2020 edition was dedicated to him to honour his 90th birthday, but it could not be held until 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]
Ahrend died in Leer, Lower Saxony on 1 August 2024, at the age of 94.[2][3][7]
Awards
edit- 1962, Staatspreis für Kunsthandwerk Niedersachsen (State Prize for Craftsmanship in Lower Saxony)[4][8]
- 1986, Lower Saxony State Prize for culture[3][9]
- 2000, Honorary doctorate of law from the Monash University, Victoria, Australia[3][10]
- 2007, The Buxtehude Prize from the city of Lübeck.[3][11]
Works
edit- Roman number = number of manuals
- Arabian number = number of stops
- P = independent pedal
- p = pull down pedal
- R = restoration
- Rc = reconstruction
- NB = new built
Ahrend & Brunzema (1954–1971)
edityear | opus | town | church | picture | kind | manuals | stops | information |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1954/88 | 1 | Larrelt (D) | Larrelt church | R | I/p | 11 | organ | |
1955 | 4 | Westerhusen (D) | Westerhusen Church | R | I/p | 7 | organ | |
1957 | 9 | Uttum (D) | Uttum Church | R | I | 9 | organ | |
1957 (1997) | 10 | Veldhausen (D) | Altreformierte Kirche | NB | I (II/P) | 6 (13) | [12] | |
1959/2002 | 18 | Scheveningen (NL) | Zorgvlietkerk | NB | III/P | 26 | [13] | |
1961 | 25 | Rysum (D) | Rysum Church | R | I | 7 | organ | |
1961 | 27 | Aurich (D) | Lambertikirche | NB | II/P | 25 | [8] | |
1962 | 29 | Espel (NL) | Ref. Church | NB | I | 7 | [14] | |
1962 | 30 | Bremen (D) | St. Martini | NB | III/P | 33 | organ | |
1963 | 34 | Wassenaar (NL) | Kivietkerk | NB | II/P | 21 | ||
1965 | 41 | Amsterdam (NL) | Oude Kerk (transept organ) | NB | II/P | 17 | [15] | |
1965 | 43 | Amsterdam (NL) | Waalse Kerk | R | II/P | 26 | [16] | |
1965 | 40 | Groningen (NL) | Magnaliakerk | NB | II | 13 | [17] | |
1965 | 42 | The Hague (NL) | Johanneskapel | NB | II/P | 14 | [18] | |
1966 | 45 | Bremen (D) | Protestant Church Oberneuland | NB | II/P | 22 | [19] | |
1967 | 49 | Castrop-Rauxel (D) | Johanneskirche Schwerin-Frohlinde | NB | III/P | 27 | ||
1968 | 51 | Aalten (NL) | Gereformeerde Zuiderkerk | NB | II/P | 16 | [20] | |
1968 | 58 | Haarlem (NL) | Mennonite Church | NB | III/P | 24 | [21] | |
1969 | 62 | Hamburg (D) | Reformed Church, Altona | NB | II/P | 15 | [22] | |
1966/69/87 | 65 | Marienhafe (D) | Marienkirche | R | II/p | 20 | organ | |
1970 | 68 | Frankfurt am Main (D) | Cantate Domino | NB | III/P | 33 | [23] | |
1970 | 69 | Uelsen (D) | Reformed Church | NB | II/P | 20 | [24] | |
1970/76 | 70 | Innsbruck (A) | Hofkirche | R | II/p | 15 | organ | |
1963–71 | 74 | Leer (D) | Große Kirche | R | III/P | 37 | organ |
Jürgen Ahrend (1972–2004)
edityear | opus | town | church | picture | kind | manuals | stops | information |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1972 | 76 | Eugene | MarAbel B. Frohnmayer Music Building of the University of Oregon | NB | IV/P | 38 | [25] | |
1966–73 | 79 | Ochtersum (D) | St. Materniani | R | I/p | 9 | [26] | |
1972–75, 1993/94 | 81 | Stade (D) | St. Cosmae et Damiani | R | III/P | 42 | organ | |
1974 | 83 | Taizé (F) | Eglise de la Réconciliation (now in Lyon) |
NB | III/P | 28 | [27] | |
1975 | 84 | Hamburg (D) | Christengemeinschaft Johnsallee | NB | II/P | 18 | ||
1975 | 90 | Frankfurt am Main (D) | Evangelische Stadtkirche Höchst | NB | II/P | 18 | ||
1975 | 92 | Sloten (NL) | Reformed Church | R | II/p | 16 | [28] | |
1977 | 97 | Duderstadt (D) | St. Servatius | NB | III/P | 28 | ||
1978 | 98 | Edinburgh (GB) | Reid Concert Hall | NB | II/P | 21 | ||
1978 | 100 | Joure (NL) | Reformed Church | NB | III/P | 27 | [29] | |
1979 | 103 | Melbourne (AUS) | Monash University[30] | NB | IV/P | 45 | [31] | |
1980 | 104 | Leiden (NL) | Hooglandse Kerk | R | II/P | 24 | [32] | |
1981 | 105 | Toulouse (F) | Musée des Augustins | NB | III/P | 33 | [33] | |
1982/99 | 107 | Lüdingworth (D) | St. Jacobi | R | III/P | 35 | [34] | |
1978–83 | 108 | Weener (D) | Weener Church | R | II/P | 29 | organ | |
1976/77/83/84 | 111 | Groningen | Martinikerk | R | III/P | 52 | [35] | |
1985 | 115 | Porrentruy (CH) | Lycée Cantonale | NB | II/P | 30 | [36] | |
1981–85 | 116 | Norden (D) | Ludgeri-Kirche | R | III/P | 46 | organ[37] | |
1985 | 118 | Stellichte (D) | Ss. Georg, Christopherus et Jodocus | Rc | II/p | 12 | [38] | |
1986 | 120 | Tokyo (Japan) | St. Gregory House | NB | II/p | 13 | ||
1986/2007 | 121/178 | Kantens (NL) | Ref. Church | R/Rc | II/p | 15 | [39] | |
1986/87 | 127 | Vienna (A) | Michaelerkirche | R | III/P | 40 | [40] | |
1987–90 | 128 | Stade (D) | St. Wilhadi | R | III/P | 40 | [41] | |
1989 | 130 | Tsukuba (Japan) | Bach-Grove | NB | II/P | 19 | ||
1989 | 131 | Wetzlar (D) | Franziskanerkirche | NB | II/P | 22 | organ | |
1990 | 134 | Milano (I) | San Simpliciano | NB | III/P | 35 | [42] | |
1991 | 135 | Pilsum (D) | Pilsumer Kreuzkirche | R | II/p | 16 | organ | |
1991 | 138 | Zwettl (A) | Zwettl Abbey | R | III/P | 35 | organ | |
1990–93 | 139 | Hamburg (D) | St. Jacobi | R | IV/P | 60 | organ | |
1993 | 140 | Payerne (CH) | Payerne Priory | Rk | II/P | 22 | [43] | |
1993/94 | 143 | Trondheim (N) | Nidaros Cathedrale | R | II/P | 30 | [44] | |
1994/95 | 144 | Osteel (D) | Warnfried Church | R | II/p | 13 | organ | |
1995 | 145 | München (D) | Deutsches Museum | NB | II/P | 17 | ||
1997 | 147 | Landshut (D) | St. Jodok | NB | II/P | 15 | ||
1997 | 149 | Tokyo (Japan) | Casals Hall, Nihon University | NB | III/P | 41 | [45] | |
1997 | 150 | Stuttgart (D) | Musikhochschule Stuttgart | NB | II/P | 15 | [46] | |
1998 | 151 | Logabirum (D) | Logabirumer Kirche | NB | I/P | 10 | [47] | |
1997/98 | 153 | Dornum (D) | St. Bartholomäus | R | III/P | 32 | organ | |
2000 | 157 | Lübeck (D) | Lübeck Cathedral (little organ) | R | I/p | 10 | [48] | |
2000 | 158 | Kongsberg (N) | Kongsberg Church | R | III/P | 42 | organ[49] | |
2001 | 159 | Trebel (D) | Feldsteinkirche | R | II/P | 19 | [50] | |
2002 | 160 | Leer (D) | Lutherkirche | NB | III/P | 39 | [51] | |
2002 | 161 | Köln (D) | Ursulinenkirche | NB | II/P | 19 | [52] | |
2002/03 | 162 | Wilten (A) | Stift Wilten | R | I/P | 4 (10) | [53] | |
2003/04 | 163 | Altenbruch (D) | St. Nicolai | R | III/P | 35 | organ | |
2004 | 164 | Hokksund (N) | Haug, Norway kirke | NB | II/P | 22 | [54] | |
2004 | 165/183 | Oldersum (D) | Oldersumer Kirche | NB | II/P | 16 | [55] |
Hendrik Ahrend (from 2005)
edityear | opus | town | church | picture | kind | manuals | stops | information |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2005 | 170 | Notre Dame/Indiana | University of Notre Dame | NB | I | 5 | ||
2005 | 171 | Pernegg (A) | Stift Pernegg | R | II/P | 18 | ||
2006 | 172 | Calgary (CA) | University of Calgary | NB | II/P | 21 | [56] | |
2007 | 176 | Herzogenaurach (D) | St. Otto | NB | II/P | 26 | [57] | |
2007 | 177 | Vaison-la-Romaine (F) | Vaison Cathedral | NB | II/P | 20 | [58] | |
2007 | 178 | Kantens (NL) | Antoniuskerk | Rk | II/p | 15 | [39] | |
2007 | 179 | Våler, Hedmark (N) | Våler kirkelige fellesråd | R | I | 8 | [59] | |
2007/08 | 180 | Leer (D) | Catholic-Apostolic Church | NB | II/P | 10 | ||
2009 | 187 | Venice (I) | Chiesa di San Salvador | NB | I | 8 | [60] | |
2009 | 188 | Melle (D) | St. Matthäus | R | II/P | 23 | [61] | |
2009 | 189 | Königs Wusterhausen (D) | Kreuzkirche | NB | II/P | 19 | [62] | |
2010 | 194 | Brixen (I) | Frauenkirche am Kreuzgang | R | I/P | |||
2010/11 | 195 | Hollern (D) | St. Mauritius | R | II/P | 24 | ||
2011/12 | 199 | Worpswede (D) | Zions's Church | NB | II/P | 24 | organ | |
2011/12 | 200 | Buttforde (D) | St. Marien | R | I/p | 9 | organ | |
2012/13 | 202 | Badia, South Tyrol (I) | St. Jakob und Leonhard, Abtei | NB | III/P | about 35 | ||
2013 | 203 | Sankt Peter (D) | Maria Lindenberg | NB | II/P | 17 | ||
2013/14 | 204 | Rinteln (D) | Kloster Möllenbeck | R | II/P | 20 | ||
2015 | 207 | Langwarden | St. Laurentius | NB | II/P | 21 | ||
2015–16 | 210 | Heidelberg | St. Raphael | N | II/P | 32 | ||
2017 | 213 | Tokyo (J) | Concert Hall | NB | II/P | 21 | ||
2014–18 | 206/215 | Leer (D) | Große Kirche | R | III/P | 48 | organ | |
2018–20 | 217 | Regensburg | Dreieinigkeitskirche | NB | II/P | 30 |
References
edit- ^ a b c d Hamilton 2004.
- ^ a b c d e f Orgelnieuws 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wagner 2024.
- ^ a b c Lade 2016.
- ^ a b c d Kerkhof 2024.
- ^ Martinikerk Rondeau, Fugue State films, 2012, OCLC 810658764
- ^ Zum Tod von Orgelbaumeister Jürgen Ahrend (in German)
- ^ a b "Ahrend-Brunzema-Orgel". Kirchengemeinde Aurich Lamberti (in German). Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ^ "Niedersächsischer Staatspreis". Portal Niedersachsen (in German). 15 September 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
- ^ "Roll of Honorary Graduates". Monash University. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
- ^ "Buxtehude-Preis der Hansestadt Lübeck". Handbuch der Kulturpreise (in German). Retrieved 3 August 2022.
- ^ Organ in Veldhausen. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Scheveningen. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Espel Archived 16 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Amsterdam, Oude Kerk. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Amsterdam, Oude Waalse Kerk. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Groningen, Magnaliakerk Archived 15 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Den Haag, Johanneskapel. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Bremen-Oberneuland. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Aalten Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Haarlem, Mennonite Church. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Hamburg-Altona. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Frankfurt, Cantate Domino, p. 162f. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Uelsen. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Eugene. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Ochtersum. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Taizé. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Sloten. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Joure. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ "Monash Ahrend organ". Organ Historical Trust of Australia. 11 April 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
- ^ Organ in Melbourne. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Leiden. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Toulouse. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Lüdingworth. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Groningen, Martinikerk. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Porrentruy. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Norden. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Stellichte. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ a b Organ in Kantens. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Vienna Archived 26 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Stadem St. Wilhadi. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Milano. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Payerne. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Trondheim. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Tokyo, Casals Hall. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Stuttgart. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Logabirum. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Lübeck Cathedral Archived 22 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Kongsberg. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Trebel. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Leer, Lutherkirche. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Köln, Ursulinenkirche Archived 11 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, p. 10f. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Wilten. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Hokksund. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Oldersum. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Calgary. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Herzogenaurach Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Vaison-la-Romaine. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Våler, Hedmark Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, p. 10. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Venice Archived 1 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Melle. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ Organ in Lönigs Wusterhausen. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
Cited sources
edit- Hamilton, John (2004). Bush, D.; Kassel, R. (eds.). The Organ: An Encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis. p. 23. ISBN 978-1-135-94796-5.
- Kerkhof, Merlijn (5 August 2024). "Door Jürgen Ahrend (1930-2024) werd het orgel van de Groningse Martinikerk misschien wel het mooiste ter wereld". De Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- Lade, Günter (2016). "Ahrend, Jürgen". MGG. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
- Lade, Günter, ed. (1994). 40 Jahre Orgelbau Jürgen Ahrend (in German). Edition Lade.
- Wagner, Ina (5 August 2024). "Ein Orgelbauer aus Ostfriesland von Weltruf". Nordwest Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- "Orgelmaker Jurgen Ahrend 94 overleden". Orgel Nieuws (in Dutch). 2 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
Further reading
edit- 25 Jahre Orgelbau Jürgen Ahrend 1954–1979. Leer-Loga 1979.
- Fiori gratulatorii Jürgen Ahrend – Organopoeius. Zum 50jährigen Bestehen der Orgelwerkstatt in Leer und Loga dagli amici e ammiratori. Ed. Peter Golon and Harald Vogel. CSW Druckservice, Grasberg 2004.
- Pape, Uwe: Jürgen Ahrend and Gerhard Brunzema. In: Organ Yearbook. No. 3, 1972, p. 24–35.
- Ahrend, Jürgen; Wallmann, James L.; Moe, Lawrence; American Organ Academy; American Organ Academy. Conference (1995). Jürgen Ahrend, Organbuilder : Celebrating Forty Years of his Career (1954–1994). Oakland, California. pp. 22–23. ISBN 0-9646650-0-X. OCLC 33407872.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
External links
edit- Official website
- Ahrend, Jürgen Bayerischer Musiker Lexicon Online
- Jürgen Ahrend, facteur d'orgues de génie (in French) orgues-et-vitraux.ch
- Organ index: Ahrend, Jürgen (in German) organindex.de
- Jürgen Ahrend discography at Discogs
- Jürgen Ahrend talks about the Martinikerk pipe organ on YouTube