Andreas Silbermann (16 May 1678 – 16 March 1734) was a German organ builder, who was involved in the construction of 35 organs, mostly in
Alsace
Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...
.
Andreas also established the Silbermann family tradition of organ building, training his brother
Gottfried
Gottfried is a masculine German given name.
It is derived from the Old High German name , recorded since the 7th century.
The name is composed of the elements (conflated from the etyma for 'God' and 'good', and possibly further conflated with ) a ...
and his son
Johann Andreas in the profession.
Biography
Silbermann was born on 16 May 1678 in
Kleinbobritzsch, near
Frauenstein, Saxony, the son of a joiner.
[ He himself trained as a joiner in ]Freiberg
Freiberg is a university and former mining town in Saxony, Germany. It is a so-called ''Große Kreisstadt'' (large county town) and the administrative centre of Mittelsachsen district.
Its historic town centre has been placed under heritage c ...
under George Lampertius, but soon afterwards learnt the art of organ building, moving to Alsace
Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...
in 1699.[ The exact timing and source of his training is unknown, with proposed names of his mentor including Friederich Ring] and Daniel Übermann. During his early work in Alsace, Silbermann carried out renovation work on the organ constructed by Johann-Jacob Baldner in the church of St Léger in Bouxwiller.
After this, he moved to work with Strasbourg
Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
organ builder Friderich Ring, settling permanently in the city in 1701 and receiving citizenship on 15 March 1702.[ By this time, Andreas had trained his brother ]Gottfried
Gottfried is a masculine German given name.
It is derived from the Old High German name , recorded since the 7th century.
The name is composed of the elements (conflated from the etyma for 'God' and 'good', and possibly further conflated with ) a ...
, and they built an organ together.[ Between 1704 and 1706, Silbermann moved to Paris, where he worked with François Thierry, having a particular concern to develop his understanding in the French style.][ He then returned to Strasbourg, where he worked with his brother on a few more projects, namely the Collegium Wilhelmitanum (1706) and the church of St Nicolas (1707).][
In 1708, Andreas began working alone as his brother Gottfried had returned to Saxony. In the following years, Silbermann was involved in several major commissions, including constructing an organ at ]Strasbourg Cathedral
Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg (french: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, or ''Cathédrale de Strasbourg'', german: Liebfrauenmünster zu Straßburg or ''Straßburger Münster''), also known as Strasbourg ...
(1714–1716), which was the largest organ he built during his career.[
In 1712, his son Johann Andreas was born.][ Trained under his father, Johann collaborated with Andreas during the final years of his life and continued the family business after his death.][
Silbermann died on 16 March 1734 in ]Strasbourg
Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
.[
]
Style
Silbermann's organs were built mostly in a French style.[
]
Organs built by Silbermann
*1706 – Collegium Wilhelmitanum
*1707 – Saint Nicholas Church, Strasbourg
Saint Nicholas Church, Strasbourg (french: Église Saint Nicolas) is a small Gothic church in Strasbourg, France. Jean Calvin led services and preached at this church in 1538.
Albert Schweitzer was the pastor of the church from 1900 to 1913 and us ...
*1709–10 – Marmoutier Abbey church, Alsace
*1711 – Basle Cathedral
*1714–16 – Strasbourg Cathedral
Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg (french: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, or ''Cathédrale de Strasbourg'', german: Liebfrauenmünster zu Straßburg or ''Straßburger Münster''), also known as Strasbourg ...
*1718 – Saint Aurelia's Church, Strasbourg
*1721 – Église Saints Simon et Jude, Ottrott
Ottrott () is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It lies southwest of Strasbourg. The vineyards in and around Ottrott produce the red Rouge d'Ottrott, a geographical denomination within the registered d ...
*1726 – Dominican Church, Colmar
Colmar (, ; Alsatian: ' ; German during 1871–1918 and 1940–1945: ') is a city and commune in the Haut-Rhin department and Grand Est region of north-eastern France. The third-largest commune in Alsace (after Strasbourg and Mulhouse), it is ...
*1729–30 – St Cyriaque, Altorf
Altorf (; german: Altdorf; gsw-FR, Àldorf) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in the Grand Est region of northeastern France.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Altorfois'' or ''Altorfoises''.
The commune has been awarded one ...
*1732 – Church of Saint Maurice, Ebersmunster
Ebersmunster (german: Ebersmünster) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.
It is famous for its 1727 baroque church, a work by Vorarlberg architect Peter Thumb.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Bas- ...
, Alsace
*1732 – Église Saint-Matthieu, Colmar
*1733 – Rosheim
Rosheim (; gsw-FR, Rose) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
It lies southwest of Strasbourg, on the eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains. It is a winemaking town on the tourist "Road of the Wines ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Silbermann, Andreas
German pipe organ builders
German musical instrument makers
People from Frauenstein, Saxony
1678 births
1734 deaths
Businesspeople from Saxony