TRONDHEIM
The Wagner-organ in the Nidaros Cathedral
Joachim Wagner (1690-1749) was the leading organ builder of Prussia in the late baroque period. During his early years he is likely to have been influenced by the organ builder Arp Schnitger’s work in the Berlin area, but his apprentice time with Gottfried Silbermann was most important for him. His first work as independent organ builder was for the Marienkirche in Berlin. It can be verified that he was responsible for at least 50 organs in Mark Brandenburg, several of them commissioned by king Friedrich Wilhelm I. The largest of these was that of Berlin Garnisonskirche, having 50 stops. Bach’s visit to Potsdam in 1747 is well known. He played on two of Wagner’s organs, and eye witnesses have recorded that these instruments inspired to long improvising sessions.
The only organ he built outside Mark Brandenburg was for the cathedral in Trondheim. For private reasons (his wife died), he had to send his master workman Peter Migendt with the organ to Norway. Migendt later started his own firm and became a well known organ builder in Berlin.
The organ in Trondheim remained more or less unchanged until 1860. At this point in time, an extensive restoration and reconstruction of the medieval cathedral was started. The organ builder Claus Jensen was in charge of the maintenance of the organ, but he also enlarged the instrument and made several other changes. In 1930 the prospect with its pipes was placed in front of the new Steimeyer organ, and the rest of the baroque organ was packed and stored away.
Throughout the 1980s, extensive plans were made to return the Wagner organ to the cathedral in its original state. By the end of 1994 Jürgen Ahrend and his workers had completed the very successful restoration of the organ and it was placed on a new gallery on the north wall in the transept
Specifications:
Hauptwerk (I)(C,D-c3)
Bordun 16
Principal 8 (in prospect)
Rohrflöte 8
Octav 4
Spitzflöte 4
Quinta 3
Octav 2
Waldflöte 2
Cornet 3 fach
Scharff 5 fach (partly Ahr)
Mixtur 3 fach (partly Ahr)
Trompet 8 (wooden challots CJ)
Oberwerk (II)(C,D-c3)
Gedact 8
Quintadena 8
Principal 4 (in prospect)
Rohrflette 4
Nasat 3
Octav 2
Tertia 1 3/5
Tertia 1 3/5
Quinta 1 1/2
Mixtur 4 fach (partly Ahr)
Vox humana 8 (Ahr)
Pedalwerk (C,D-d1)
Subbas 16
Principal 8 (in prospect)
Octav 4
Quinta 6 (covered, orig. open 3)
Mixtur 5 fach (Ahr)
Posaune 16 (wooden challots CJ)
Trompete 8 (wooden challots CJ)
Cleron 4 (wooden challots CJ)
Tremulant (whole instrument)
Schwebung (whole instrument)
Sonne (= Cimbelstern)
Coupler II/I (as a drawstop)
(without pedal coupler)
Calcantglocke (= bell for the bellows-blower)
Sperrventil HW (= blocking valve)
Sperrventil OW
Sperrventil Pedal
Pitch: a1 = 455 (20◦ C)
Temperament: Werckmeister modified
Wind pressure: 85 mm WS
Manual keyboard (Ahr)
Pedal keyboard (CJ)
CJ = Claus Jensen, who rebuilt and altered the organ 1860-1890
Ahr = Jürgen Ahrend, who restored and reconstructed the organ 1994
