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Adam Gottlob Casparini and his organs

Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Abstract

Adam Gottlob Casparini (1715-1788) was an important eighteenth-century East Prussian organ builder. He built about 44 instruments in the territory of former East Prussia, Poland and Lithuania. Although many of his organs were destroyed during the Second World War, there are still some partially preserved organs in Poland, and one remarkably well preserved organ in Vilnius (Lithuania). This document provides the available biographical information about Casparini and his family, in particular his grandfather Eugenio (1623-1706), the builder of the renowned Sonnenorgel in Görlitz, and his father Adam Orazio (1675-1745).The biographical section also deals with Casparini's relationship with his teacher Heinrich Gottfried Trost (ca. 1681-1759) and his pupil Christoph Heinrich Obuch (1713-1787). There is also a list of Casparini's organs and discussion of the major influences they betray. A major part of the document presents a lengthy analysis of eleven organ specifications, including organs in Vilnius, Polotsk, Barciany, Tiszino, Mlynary, Baltijsk, Korniewo, Gusev (two organs), and Königsberg (two organs). Some of these organs have been destroyed, while some still exist in part. It also provides an analysis of five extant organ façades in Dobry, Mlynary, Sątoczno, Barciany and Vilnius. Particular emphasis is placed on the organ in the Holy Ghost Church in Vilnius, which is one of the best preserved late Baroque organs in the Northern Europe and has been chosen as a model for a replica instrument in the EROI (Eastman Rochester Organ Initiative) project. The document includes many photographs of various parts of Casparini's organs. It also discusses the significance of Casparini's instruments in the context of European organ building.

Subject Area

Music|Biographies

Recommended Citation

Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene, Ausra, "Adam Gottlob Casparini and his organs" (2006). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI3208110.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI3208110

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