Famous Organs of Fribourg
The first organ in Fribourg was registered in 1425. This instrument constructed by Conrad Belius was placed into the choir of the Franciscan church in Fribourg. Nowadays, just some elements of the early XVII century instruments are still preserved: the decorations, part of the case of the Choir organ in the Collégiale d'Estavayer-le-Lac (coming from St- Nicolas in Fribourg), with no doubts by Niklaus Schönenbühl (1600-1668) from Alpnach (some pipes of this instrument are probably still preserved in the rebuilt positive of the Fille-Dieu Abbey, near Romont) or the main organ buffet in Maigrauge Abbey near Fribourg, built in 1648/49. Some material coming from the 2nd half of XVII c. still exists. The case, the façade, the keyboard of the upper manual (with broken keys) and a large part of the pipes of the Choir organ by Sebald Manderscheidt from Nuremberg (1620-1685), replacing the one by Schönenbühl in 1655-57, have been preserved.
A positive organ with pedal built in 1667 by the same organ builder (today sited in the Chapelle de l'Hôpital des Bourgeois in Fribourg), has been almost completely preserved (with the exception of the pedal Regal stop).
Instruments dating from XIX c. represent the heart of Fribourg organ landscape, particularly the organs built by Aloys Mooser (1770-1839) who became famous all over the world thanks to the construction of the St-Nicolas organ (1834). This instrument, with 61 stops on 4 manuals (one of which is an Echo sounding in the narthex) and pedal, mentioned in many travellers’ descriptions (Georges Sand/Franz Liszt, Harriet Beecher-Stowe, Louis Spohr and many others) represents a strongly original synthesis between French and German style, between “Classic” and “Romantic” organ building.
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The Mooser organ in Fribourg Cathedral
1824-1834 Built by Aloys Mooser
1852-1966 Addictions and transformations by Haas, Kyburtz, Haller, Merklin, Kuhn,
Wolf-Giusto, Pürro, Hartmann
1974-1982 Restoration and reconstruction by Neidhart & Lhôte, St-Martin (NE). The
wholly mechanical keys and stops action, the original pitch and the slightly
unequal temperament were restored.
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The Manderscheidt choir organ in Fribourg Cathedral
1655-1657 Built by Sebald Manderscheidt
1882 Transformed by Spaich from Rapperswil, who reduced the instrument to one manual and pedal, adding a windchest with pistons
1958 H. Pürro from Willisau lightens the “romantic” composition by Spaich
1996-1998 Restoration and reconstruction of the instrument by Kuhn Organ Builders
Ltd, Männedorf (ZH)
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The Manderscheidt organ of the Hôpital des Bourgeois Chapel in Fribourg
1667 Built by Sebald Manderscheidt, from Nuremberg, for the Fribourg Hospital
1845 Transformation by Jean Mooser from Fribourg and transfer from the Notre-
Dame Church in Fribourg (the former Hospital church) to the Bächlisbrunnen
Chapel in Singine.
1959-82 After different changes of owners, purchased by the “Bourgeoisie de
Fribourg”. Restoration and reconstruction by W. Rehn of Kuhn Organ
Builders Ltd, Männedorf (ZH)
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The Mooser organ of the Montorge monastery in Fribourg
1810/11 Built by Aloys Mooser.
1932-1963 Transformed by Manufacture d’orgues SA, Genève
1987/1988 Restoration and reconstruction of «Hoboë» and «Viol-Flûte»
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The Mooser organ of the St-Pierre-aux-Liens church in Bulle
1814/16 Built by Aloys Mooser
1822 Visited by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
1871–1948 Transformation by Merklin, Goll, Ziegler
1973/76 and 1986/95-1982 Restoration and reconstruction by Hans Jakob Füglister, Grimisuat (VS)