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Complete description of the selected organ
Photo: Piet Bron. Date: 5 December 2008.

Photo: Piet Bron

Arnstadt, Deutschland (Thüringen) - Evangelische 'Bachkirche' (Bonifatiuskirche), Bach-Orgel
Municipal: Arnstadt
Address: Marktplatz, 99310, Arnstadt
Website: https://kirche-arnstadt.de/

Description nr.: 2000025.

Built by: Hoffmann Orgelbau (2000)
The organ contains older material: Organ case and pipes from 1703 by Johann Friedrich Wender

YearBuilderOpusActivity
1703 Johann Friedrich Wender  new organ
1866 Julius Hesse  restoration and enlargement
1878 Friedrich Meißner  restoration and enlargement
1913 G.F. Steinmeyer und Co.1185 rebuild
1939 Wiegand Helfenbein  rebuild
2000 Hoffmann Orgelbau  reconstruction

  • On October 17, 1699, Johann Friedrich Wender signed a contract for the construction of a new organ in the Neue- or Bonifatiuskirche in Arnstadt. The church building was opened in 1683. The organ was completed in 1703, and was judged by Johann Sebastian Bach. Johann Sebastian Bach was organist here from 1703 to 1706. The organ had some problems, which caused major repairs in 1710.
  • In 1864-1866, Julius Hesse, organ maker in Dachwig, carried out a restoration, which, however, was not completed. The work was taken over by Friedrich Meißner a few years later. Under the advice of the organist of the church, Heinrich Bernhard Stade, he enlarged the instrument in the years 1874-1878 to a three-manual organ with 54 stops and an independent pedal. The old Brustwerk was expanded and placed as a Positiv in the back of the organ in a swell box. The old keyboard was initially placed on the side of the organ gallery, and an Rohrflöte 8' was connected to it. It was later placed in the municipal museum in Arnstadt. Since 1934 it has been placed in the Bach Museum. On July 25, 1878 the renewed organ was put into use again with a concert by Heinrich Bernhard Stade.
  • This was followed by a conversion by Steinmeyer to pneumatic action in 1911-1913. This was a so-called Bach organ, in which the old work was incorporated. Wiegand Helfenbein from Gotha restored it in 1938/1939. A number of original ranks were still present.
  • In 1997, Otto Hoffmann started a reconstruction of the Wender organ. The facade was still there, but only 320 pipes from 1703 were left. The original manuals were, with various changes, stored in the municipal museum. Parts of this were copied. The work was completed at the beginning of 2000. The organ was inaugurated on January 16, 2000 with a recital by Gottfried Preller.

Technical data
Number of stops per division
- Oberwerk10
- Brustwerk7
- Pedal4
Total number of stops21
Manual compassCD-c'''
Pedal compassCD-c'd'
Key actionMechanical
Stop actionMechanical
Windchest(s)Slider chests
Pitcha' = 465 Hz
TemperamentZeven reine en vijf getempereerde quinten
Wind pressure74 mm

Specification
Oberwerk (CD-c'''): Principal 8', Viola da Gamba 8' - 1703, Quinte Dene 8' - 1703/2000, Großgedacktes 8' - 1703, Gemshorn 8' - 1703, Offene Quinta 6', Octava 4' - 1703, Cymbel Doppelt 2 fach (1'), Mixtur 4 fach (2'), Trompete 8'.
Brustwerk (CD-c'''): Stillgedacktes 8' - 1703, Principal 4', Spitzflöte 4', Nachthorn 4' - 1703/2000, Quinta 3', Sesquialtera Doppelt 2 fach (3'), Mixtur 3 fach (1').
Pedal: Sub Bass 16', Principal Bass 8', Posaunen Bass 16', Cornet Bass 2'.
Other stops: Cymbelstern C, Cymbelstern G.
Couplers: Manual - Brustwerk - schuifkoppel, Pedalkoppel.
Accessories: Tremulant, Calcant.

Other specifications
Different specifications

  • In the time of Bach the stop list was:
    Oberwerk: Principal 8', Viola da Gamba 8', Quinte Dene 8' (of 16'), Grossgedacktes 8', Gemshorn 8' (of 2'), Offene Quinte 6', Octave 4', Mixtur 4 fach, Cympel Doppelt, Trompete 8'.
    Brustwerk und Positiv: Stillgedackted 8', Principal 4', Nachthorn 4', Spitzflöte 2' (of 4'), Sesquialtera Doppelt, Mixtur 3 of 4 fach.
    Seitenbass oder Pedal: Sub Bass 16', Principal 8', Violon Bass 16' (of Cornett Basse 2'), Posaunen Basse 16'.
    Tremulant im Oberwerk, Glocken Accord (Cymbelster), Manualcoppel, Pedalcoppel zum Oberwerk.
    Manuaalomvang CDE-d''', Pedaalomvang CDE-d'.

  • The stop list in 1864 (notation by Terry) was:
    Hauptwerk: Quintatön 16', Prinzipal 8', Gedackt 8', Viola da Gamba 8', Gemshorn 8', Quinte 6', Octave 4', Mixtur 4 fach, Cembal 3 fach, Trompete 8', Tremulant, Glockenaccord.
    Brustwerk: Gedackt 8', Prinzipal 4', Nachthorn 4', Spitzflöte 4', Quinte 3', Octave 2', Sesquialter 2 fach (1 3/5'), Mixtur 4 fach, Glockenaccord.
    Pedal: Subbaß 16', Violon 16', Prinzipalbaß 8', Hohlflöte 8', Posaun-Baß 16'.
    Koppelingen: Manualkoppel, Pedalkoppel.

  • After the rebuilt and enlargment by Meißner (1874-1878) the stop list was:
    Hauptwerk (Weite Mensur): Bordun 16', Principal 8', Hohlflöte 8', Gemshorn 8', Gambe 8', Gedackt 8', Rohrflöte 8', Schweizerflöte 8', Quintflöte 5 1/3', Octave 4', Hohlflöte 4', Rohrflöte 4', Fugara 4', Quinte 2 2/3', Octave 2', Cornett 3-5 fach (8'), Mixtur 5 fach (2'), Cymbal 1', Trompete 8'.
    Manual (Mittlere Mensur): Quintatön 16', Praxis 8', Spitzflöte 8', Viola d'Amour 8', Flauto Traverso 8', Gedackt 8', Quintatön 8', Octave 4', Spirzflöte 4', Viola 4', Flauto Traverso 4', Quinte 2 2/3', Octave 2', Scharf 2 fach, Mixtur 4 fach (2'), Clarinette 8'.
    Positiv (Schwellwerk): Lieblich Gedackt 16', Geigenprincipal 8', Hosiana 8', Pianoflöte 8', Lieblich Gedackt 8', Salicional 8', Flauto Dolce 8', Geigenprincipal 4', Flauto Dolce 4', Nachthorn 4', Octave 2', Sesquialter, Progressio Harmonica 5 fach, Oboe 8'.
    Pedal I. Abtheilung: Principalbass 32', Principalbass 16', Violon 16', Quintbass 10 2/3', Principalbass 8', Octavbass 8', Posaune 16', Trompete 8'.
    Pedal II. Abtheilung: Subbass 16', Gedackt 8', Violoncello 8'.
    Nebenzüge: Coppel Pedal - Hauptwerk, Coppel Pedal - Manual, Coppel Hauptwerk - Manual, Coppel Hauptwerk - Positiv, Coppel Manual - Positiv, Positiv Forte, Positiv Piano, Crescendo/Decrescendo.

Literature
  • Das Joh. Sebastian Bach-Denkmal : Oder die in ihrer Ursprünglichkeit erhaltene, in neuerer Zeit restaurirte und an Stimmen vermehrte Orgel in der St. Bonifaciuskirche (Neuenkirche), genannt die Bach-Orgel zu Arnstadt in Thüringen / J. Georg Zahn. - In: Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau, 2. Band No. 9, 1. Februar 1882.
  • Das Joh. Sebastian Bach-Denkmal : Oder die in ihrer Ursprünglichkeit erhaltene, in neuerer Zeit restaurirte und an Stimmen vermehrte Orgel in der St. Bonifaciuskirche (Neuenkirche), genannt die Bach-Orgel zu Arnstadt in Thüringen (Schluss) / J. Georg Zahn. - In: Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau, 2. Band No. 10, 15. Februar 1882.
  • Die Joh. Seb. Bach-Orgel in Arnstadt in Thüringen. - In: Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau, 16. Jahrg., No. 24, 21. Mai 1896.
  • Joh. Seb. Bach's orgel in de Bonifaciuskerk te Arnstadt / P. van Dijke. - In: Organist & Eredienst, jrg. 20, nr. 212, januari 1954.
  • In het spoor van J.S. Bach / A. en K. D'Hooghe. - In: Orgelkunst, vijfde jaargang nummer 4, december 1982.
  • Orgeln in Nord- und Westthüringen / Hartmut Haupt. - [Erfurt] : Thüringische Landesamt für Denkmalpflege, 1998. - (Arbeitshefte des Thüringischen Landesamtes für Denkmalpflege ; 13).
  • 'Bach-orgels' in Thüringen: trefpunten en raakvlakken (1) / Bart van Buitenen. - In: De Orgelvriend, jrg. 42 nr. 10, oktober 2000.
  • Bachkirche- en orgel in Arnstadt / W.J. Eradus. - In: Kerk & Muziek, jrg. 49 nr. 2, maart/april 2000.
  • Die Orgeln der Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Kirche zu Arnstadt / Gottfried Preller. - In: Arnstadt : Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Kirche. - Passau : Kunstverlag-Peda, 2007. - (Peda-Kunstführer ; 160).
  • Landeskirchen Musiktage in Erfurt 3.-27. September 2010. - Programm. - Erfurt : Evangelische Kirche in Mitteldeutschland, Zentrum für Kirchenmusik, 2010.
  • Orgeln in Thüringen - ein Reiseführer / Felix Friedrich, Eberhard Kneipel. - 2. verbesserte Ausgabe. - Altenburg : Verlag Klaus-Jürgen Kamprad, 2010. - (242. Veröffentlichung der Gesellschaft der Orgelfreunde).
  • Zur Disposition der Kellner-Weise-Orgel von 1736 in Gräfenroda / Peter Harder. - In: Ars Organi, 69. Jhg., Heft 3, September 2021.
Recordings Johann Sebastian Bach in Arnstadt / Gottfried Preller.
Links http://www.preller-gottfried.de/html/bachkirche.htm
YouTube Demo of the 1703 Wender organ in Arnstadt, Germany / Balint Karosi (2019)

Photo: Piet Bron. Date: 5 December 2008.
Photo: Piet Bron
 Photo: Piet Bron. Date: 5 December 2008.
Photo: Piet Bron
 Photo: Bert Wisgerhof. Date: 19 September 2006.
Photo: Bert Wisgerhof
 Photo: Bert Wisgerhof. Date: 19 September 2006.
Photo: Bert Wisgerhof
 Photo: Piet Bron. Date: 5 December 2008.
Photo: Piet Bron
 Photo: Piet Bron sr. Date: 9 July 2008.
Photo: Piet Bron sr.