Thomas Dressler
New member
In another post, Giovanni asked a couple questions about David Tannenberg. I'm not at home near my books (writing this on my laptop in a motel room) but I'll make a short posting, writing what I can say off the top of my head without double checking references.
It is somewhat of a mystery where David Tannenberg learned all of his organ building skills. The first answer to this question is that he apprenticed with a builder named Klemm, who had studied organ building in Germany. It is debated whether Klemm had studied with Silbermann. . .there are some stylistic similarities, though in recent years the Klemm/Tannenberg organs have been identified as being of a particular German style called "lieblichkeit" organs, a style which Silbermann did not follow.
At any rate, we do know that Tannenberg studied with Klemm, but we don't know for sure how much he learned from him. It seems that some of his skills may have been self taught. For instance, his metal pipes are built in a peculiar way where the languids are upside-down. For various reasons related to restoration, this is a very good thing, because it makes it impossible to voice the pipes outside of a small range. If the pipes speak at all, they sound very close to the way Tannenberg had them sound. So this and some other facts about his building style allow us to guess that perhaps Klemm had not taught him everything and Tannenberg improvised until he found ways that worked well. This, the quality of his workmanship, and the sound of the instruments, show him as a very rare genius. I have played several of his surviving instruments and I love them very much.
Yes, he did build a large organ for a Lutheran Church in Philadelphia. I don't have my books, but I can tell you it had three manuals and pedal, with a pedal Posaune 16'. It must have been a spectacular instrument! It was the largest organ in America at the time, and George Washington travelled to Philadelphia to hear its dedication recital. Unfortunately one of the most dissapointing facts in organ history is that the church burned several years later, completely destroying the organ. A terrible loss.
Thanks for asking the question, Giovanni! I'd be happy to go on and on and on about Tannenberg!
Thomas Dressler
It is somewhat of a mystery where David Tannenberg learned all of his organ building skills. The first answer to this question is that he apprenticed with a builder named Klemm, who had studied organ building in Germany. It is debated whether Klemm had studied with Silbermann. . .there are some stylistic similarities, though in recent years the Klemm/Tannenberg organs have been identified as being of a particular German style called "lieblichkeit" organs, a style which Silbermann did not follow.
At any rate, we do know that Tannenberg studied with Klemm, but we don't know for sure how much he learned from him. It seems that some of his skills may have been self taught. For instance, his metal pipes are built in a peculiar way where the languids are upside-down. For various reasons related to restoration, this is a very good thing, because it makes it impossible to voice the pipes outside of a small range. If the pipes speak at all, they sound very close to the way Tannenberg had them sound. So this and some other facts about his building style allow us to guess that perhaps Klemm had not taught him everything and Tannenberg improvised until he found ways that worked well. This, the quality of his workmanship, and the sound of the instruments, show him as a very rare genius. I have played several of his surviving instruments and I love them very much.
Yes, he did build a large organ for a Lutheran Church in Philadelphia. I don't have my books, but I can tell you it had three manuals and pedal, with a pedal Posaune 16'. It must have been a spectacular instrument! It was the largest organ in America at the time, and George Washington travelled to Philadelphia to hear its dedication recital. Unfortunately one of the most dissapointing facts in organ history is that the church burned several years later, completely destroying the organ. A terrible loss.
Thanks for asking the question, Giovanni! I'd be happy to go on and on and on about Tannenberg!
Thomas Dressler