Frédéric Chopin and the organ (part 1)

The following article is a reprint of the text: Szostak M. (2019). Frédéric Chopin and the organ, „The Organ”, No 389, August-October 2019, Musical Opinion Ltd, London, ISSN 0030-4883, pp. 30-49.

We encourage you to read the second part of the article: HERE.
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Prologue

19th-century Paris was a place where all important musicians wanted to perform, to be performed, to be seen and noticed. As we know, the Parisian organ world – thanks to Aristide Cavaillé-Coll’s instruments and symphonic-school organ performers – kept this trend perfectly. This pattern also became a 20-year-old Chopin, who arrived in the city in 1830.

This article – written for the 170th anniversary of Chopin’s death – is a collection of reflections from a contemporary walks a) along the streets of Warsaw, b) around the church at the village Obory (Polish lands) and c) around the church of Notre-Dame-du-Mont, Marseille, France. There are many studies on this great artist, which is why our walks will concern organ matters only – both historical and contemporary ones. For us, organ performers and lovers, Chopin is an unusual inspiration. However, it is worth stimulating our imagination by looking for not popular but still interesting facts.

Chopin and organ

We know, without any doubt, that the organ was generally an unfamiliar instrument for Chopin. He did not arouse any artistic interest in it, which two facts can explain. Firstly, the organs of that time were not able to realise the performance ideas (subtle dynamic changes, moodiness, intimacy) that Chopin was interested in. Secondly, he never showed any interest in religious life; even on his deathbed, he did not want to accept the last ministry of a friendly priest, Aleksander Jełowicki[1].

We can only find a few confirmed facts about Chopin’s contact with the organ. Firstly, we know about his regular performances during obligatory masses for Warsaw Lyceum pupils and Warsaw University students in the church of Nuns of Visitation at Krakowskie Przedmieście Street. Secondly, he visited the organ loft at the church in the small village of Obory, where he spent some Summer holidays as a teenager. And thirdly, he performed on the organ during a funeral in Marseilles. Sometimes, Chopin wrote about organ in his letters, but it was always a metaphor. F.eg. he said to one of his friends when he realised that the tsarist army attacked the Polish Uprising in November 1830 (Poland was no longer on the European map from 1792 until 1918): “My public work [as a concert pianist] is already finished. You have a small church in your village. Please, give me just some bread, and I will play on the organ hymns to Mary, Holly Queen of Poland, until the end of my life.”[2] Fortunately, he did not fulfil this forecast and was reborn for the second time in Paris.

Let us begin the trip.

Heart, Holy Cross Basilica, Warsaw

We start our walk on one of the oldest and today’s main touristic areas of Warsaw, Krakowskie Przedmieście Street, which was the kings road from the main Royal Palace (the old town) to the Łazienki Palace, where Summer royal residency was located. On the right is the Warsaw University; on the left, we see Czapski Palace (headquarters of the Academy of Fine Arts today) and Holy Cross Basilica.

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21).

According to the composer’s wish, after his death, the heart was closed in a jar filled with alcohol (spirit or cognac), and brought by his sister, Ludwika Jędrzejewiczowa, under her clothes to Warsaw – in secret from the tsarist authorities. Ludwika laid the precious shipment in their parish church of Holy Cross, which was close to their living place.

The priests were not delighted with the gift because of the relationship between Chopin and George Sand. First, the heart was stored in the sacristy, then in the catacombs. Only after 30 years it was honoured as a national relic and transferred to the upper church. Chopin’s heart was located in a special recess on the first pillar of the church. Leonardo Marconi (1835-1899) and Andrzej Pruszyński designed the epitaph made in Carrara marble and maintained as a Renaissance-Baroque (with eclectic elements) tombstone. In the culmination of the epitaph, there is a beautifully carved bust of Chopin, and in the lower part, a bas-relief with musical motifs with the image of a lyre, musical notebook, laurel twigs and Polish field poppies. A separate, modest plaque at the bottom closes the niche with the heart hidden in a double tin. Costs were covered by the income from a festive concert specially organised for this purpose by the Music Society in Warsaw at the initiative of its president, Władysław Żeleński (1837-1921, Polish composer and organist). On the 12th of January, 1945, the Nazis leaving Warsaw took out a tin with the heart. However, they gave it to Bishop Szlagowski in Milanówek village, a few kilometres from Warsaw, and it returned safely to Warsaw on its previous position on the 17th of October, 1945. Since then, it rests here calmly to this day.

The monumental Baroque Basilica of the Holly Cross has two high towers well seen over Krakowskie Przedmieście Street. Although the church is not a cathedral, events surpassing its significance in many departments are happening in it, and it took part in many historical storms. In this church – besides Chopin’s – there is also the heart of Władysław Stanisław Reymont (1867-1925, Polish writer) and the ashes of aristocrats and politicians. Hence, farewell before the last road of Stanisław Moniuszko (1819-1872, the father of Polish national opera), Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937, compositor and pianist), Marian Sawa (1937-2005, compositor and organist) and many others Polish musicians.

During Chopin’s years, the Holy Cross church had just two small organs. The first one (built by Rev. Michał Walther and Wawrzyniec Zadorski before 1731, 19/1M+P, sold in 1850) was located at the main organ loft and the second one was located in the Mary chapel (no detailed information, it burnt down during Warsaw Uprising, 1944)[3]. To this day, none of these instruments has remained…

The present beautiful romantic organ – located very close to Chopin’s heart on the loft above the main entrance – was built by “Cäcilia, Österreichische Orgelbau AG” from Salzburg in 1926. It has 58 stops, 3M+P, a pneumatic key, and stop actions. Some changes and minor rebuilds were made after World War II, but the instrument is freshly renovated and back to its entirely original shape. The warm sound of this instrument adores Chopin’s heart each day, from the morning services to the evening worship.

School worships, St. Joseph’s Care church, Warsaw

Leaving the Holy Cross Basilica, we are going left. From the place where Chopin’s heart finalised its earthly journey, we are approaching the places where Frederic spent the first years of his life: the Warsaw University campus (1817-1827) and the Czapski Palace (1827-1830). In both locations, Chopin’s parents ran a boarding house for male students and raised here young Frédéric. In both locations, we can find commemorative plaques. From September 1823 to 1826, he attended the Warsaw Lyceum, where – during the first year only – he received music lessons from organist and pianist Wilhelm Würfel (1790-1832).

We are going 5 minutes on the North and – on the right – approaching the Baroque-Rococo style Saint Joseph’s Care church, which was and still is held by Nuns of the Visitation. Here, young Chopin – replacing the organist – played regularly during obligatory masses for Warsaw Lyceum pupils and Warsaw University students. A special plaque commemorating these performances is fastened above the left-side door to the church. During these worships, he frequently met his first love, Konstancja Gładkowska (1810-1889), who sang during the services. Chopin’s accompaniment often turned into endless improvisations, and the young boy forgot to such a degree that the churchwarden had to ask him to end the performances according to the services’ rules.

The Warsaw Convent of the Sisters of the Visitation is the oldest house of the order in Poland. It was founded by the Parisian monastery with the help of the monasteries of Lyon-Bellecour and Troyes. Twelve nuns with superior Maria Catherine de Glétain came to Warsaw in the Summer of 1654 at the request of Queen Ludwika Maria Gonzaga de Nevers (1611-1667), wife of the Polish king Jan II Kazimierz Waza (1609-1672). In 1727, the construction of the present church began. Baroque and Rococo – these two stylish features can be clearly distinguished.

The organ played here by Chopin was tiny; it had just six stops located on one keyboard (Bourdon 16’, Flet kryty 8’, Dubeltflet 8’, Spitsflet 4’) and a pedalboard (Pryncypał Bass 16’, Subbas 16’); it had mechanical stop and key actions. We know that an Italian architect, Henryk Marconi (1792-1863), during the church restoration in 1847, also redesigned the organ loft and organ case. The aesthetic effect of these works was the white organ case with golden elements. In 1868, the organ was heavily worn and was slightly repaired. The works were probably insufficient because the instrument served in this shape until 1869 and was sold to another church outside of Warsaw; unfortunately, it no longer exists. The next mechanical instrument (13/2M+P) was built by Leopold Blomberg company in 1869, in the organ case made by architect J. Bem (or Behme); the builder, 1884, made some repairs, and next by Leopold Hartman, 1900.[4]

The current organ, built at the main empore by Antoni Szymański in 1909 using the case and part of the pipes from the previous instrument by Leopold Blomberg, is marked by the builder with Opus number 128-50. It has 13 stops (plus one transmission) divided on 2 keyboards and a pedalboard. Key and register actions are pneumatic. The scale of manuals is C-f³; the scale of the pedalboard: C-d¹. The console is free-standing; the organist sits facing the presbytery. In 1960, Zygmunt Kamiński (one of the largest Polish organ builders of the 20^th century) made some reparations and modifications in Orgelbewegung direction: in place of the stops of Aeolina 8’ and Vox coelestis 8’ he put in the stops 4’ and 2’ and transformed Pryncypal Bass 16’ into 8’. In 2016, his nephew, Andrzej Kaminski, reconstructed Vox coelestis 8’, at the space of the former Aeolina 8’, he inserted Traversflet 4’, and added the Flute 2’ to Manual II. Today, the instrument is in excellent condition.

Leaving this quiet place of eternal nuns’ prayers, we are going straight to the West. In 10 minutes, we can see the Holy Trinity Lutheran church’s beautiful, freshly renewed, rounded building.

A chorister and performer, the Lutheran church, Warsaw

The king’s banker, Piotr Tepper, made efforts to build the Lutheran church, and in 1777, he obtained the appropriate privilege from King Stanisław August Poniatowski. The architect was Szymon Bogumił Zug (1733-1807). However, the Lutheran church’s design was his most significant and most important architectural realisation, which was highly estimated by his contemporaries. From the beginning, the design of the central building was based on the idea of the Roman Pantheon. The church was to have the shape of a rotunda covered with a dome with four lower annexes. In the last version, the dome carried the light lantern with ionic columns surmounted by the cross. The solemn consecration took place on the 30th of December, 1781. The Lutheran church was the highest and, at the same time, one of the most prominent buildings of 18th-century Warsaw. It is considered a representative work of architecture of the second half of the 18th century in Poland and one of Europe’s first buildings in the Neoclassical style.

Thanks to exceptional acoustics, the church gathered performers and lovers of classical music. With this temple, the names of the most famous Polish musicians, i.e. Józef Elsner (1769-1854, compositor and music teacher), Karl August Freyer (1801-1883, compositor, organist and pedagogue) and Stanisław Moniuszko, are connected. Camille Saint-Saëns gave a concert here also. Many significant personalities of Polish culture and science were members of this Lutheran parish, such as Samuel Bogumił Linde (1771-1847), the author of the Polish dictionary and Wojciech Gerson (1831-1901), an outstanding painter who initiated the foundation of the Society of Fine Arts, “Zachęta”, located next to the church.

Chopin is connected with this place in several ways. We know he sang in the church choir and participated as a team performer in some concerts with his sister, Ludwika and his friend, Jan Białobłocki (1806-1828)[5]. Throughout the Warsaw period, Chopin gave piano and harmonium (different models were called aeolomelodicon or aeolopantaleon) recitals in halls and salons of the city. One of his concerts was played on aeolomelodicon at this church before Tsar Alexander I, who was visiting Warsaw in 1825[6]. The sources said that Chopin was dressed in a gala uniform of a Lyceum pupil, consisting of a blue jacket, short trousers, stockings, shoes with silver buckles and white gloves and played a fragment of Moscheles piano concert and his improvisation. The Tsar was astonished by his play on the newly invented instrument by August Fidelis Brunner, which he gave to Chopin and aeolomelodicon constructor diamond rings.[7] At the North entrance to the church, we can find the commemorative plaque.

The Holy Trinity Lutheran church organ from the Chopin time was interesting and quite substantial compared to other Warsaw instruments. It was built by Friedrich Schweinfleisch on the base of a 22-stop organ taken from the old oratory nearby with an additional one stop, 1780, and costed 2,700 Thalers. It finally had 23 stops on two keyboards (C-c³) and a pedalboard (C-c¹). The organ case – white with gilding in Classicistic style – was designed by the church architect, Zug, and – from a moment – had a clock on the top.

The organ specification was not typical for protestant churches because of the lack of reeds. That is why, in 1817, organ (and piano) builder Jakub Kościeniewicz (1786-1819) signed the agreement for some crucial repairs and addition of reeds: in Pedal – Posaun Bass 16’, in Manuals – Fagot 8’, Trompet 8’ and Vox Humana 8’. These works were held 1817-1818[8]. The instrument in this shape sounded in the church when Chopin attended choir rehearsals and performances.

1837-1838, there was another essential rebuilding of the organ (in some documents, we can read even about the building of a new organ, 27/2M+P) made by M. R. Müller (cost 23,000 Polish zloty). 1864, Riemer added two string stops in a swell box. Finally, this instrument was sold by the parish between 1898-1902.

The next organ was truly worthy of this place; built by the “Walcker-Mayer Orgelbauanstalt” in 1902, it had 50 stops on 3 Manuals (C-g³) and Pedal (C-f¹), a pneumatic key and stop action. Unfortunately, nothing has remained of it. The church fell into ruin when bombed and burnt by Nazis on the 16th of September, 1939. Almost immediately after the Nazis’ withdrawal, Warsaw Lutherans began to rebuild their church. On the 22nd of June, 1958, the consecration ceremony of the reconstructed church took place. According to Zug’s plans and drawings, the church’s mass was restored faithfully. The first instrument after wars was placed here in 1956 by “Theodor Kuhn Orgelbau”, Muennendorf; it was Op. 571, 19/2M+P built in 1924 for one of Zürich’s churches.[9]

In 1998, after nearly 60 years of break, the church again received an organ worthy of its former and rich musical tradition. The new organ is the work of a renowned organ company, Hillebrand from Hanover, which is valued both for its excellent instruments and model reconstructions of historical organs. The instrument has 30 stops, two keyboards (C-g³) and a pedalboard (C-f¹) and is fully mechanical. The stops are arranged in three sound plans: Hauptwerk (Manual I), Oberwerk (Manual II) and Pedal. The specification of the organ refers to the era of German Baroque. The instrument maintained in this style is distinguished by its richness of colour, and the diversity of the character and colour of its individual voices enables a precise rendering of the polyphonic structure of the work. The organ pitch is unevenly tempered (Neidhardt III). It is worth mentioning that Oberwerk, though Baroque at its disposal, is equipped with a Swell – the attribute of 19^th-century instruments. This broadens the scope of the organ literature and makes it possible to perform on the organ to a certain extent. As in ancient times, only traditional materials were used to build this instrument: high-quality wood, metal, and leather, with no plastics. Experts recognise it as one of the best instruments in Poland.

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[1] The letter from George Sand to Etienne Arago, November 11, 1849. After: Zamoyski Adam, “Chopin. Książę romantyków”, Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, Warszawa 2010, pp. 254-255.
[2] Koźmian A. E., “Przegląd Poznański”, 1849, T.8, p. 687.
[3] Gołos Jerzy, “Warszawskie organy”, T II, Fundacja Artibus, Warszawa 2003, pp. 87-88
[4] Gołos Jerzy, “Warszawskie organy”, T II, Fundacja Artibus, Warszawa 2003, p. 74.
[5] Szulc Eugeniusz, “Nieznana karta warszawskiego okresu życia Chopina”, in: “Rocznik Chopinowski”, No 18, Towarzystwo im. Fryderyka Chopina, Warszawa 1986, pp. 125-150.
[6] Hoesick Ferdynand, “Chopin. Życie i twórczość. Warszawa 1810–1831”, T I, Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, Warsaw 1967, p. 84.
[7] German Franciszek, “Chopin i literacy warszawscy”, Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, Kraków 1960, p. 228.
[8] Vogel Beniamin, “Organmistrzowski rodowód fortepianmistrzów”, in: “Aspekty Muzyki”, No. 7, Muzeum Historii Polski, p. 183.
[9] Gołos Jerzy, “Warszawskie organy”, T II, Fundacja Artibus, Warszawa 2003, pp. 254-261.