Marcussen & Søn
Encyclopedia
Marcussen & Søn, known as Marcussen and previously as Marcussen & Reuter, is a Danish
firm of organ
builders.
They were one of the first firms to go back to classical organ-building techniques, and have been producing mechanical-action
organs since 1930. Aside from their many instruments in Denmark
, they have built organs in northern Germany
, Sweden
, Finland
, the Netherlands, Great Britain
, South Africa
, Japan
, and the USA.
. They used the name Marcussen & Reuter from 1826 to 1848, when the name became Marcussen & Søn after the founder's son, Jürgen Andreas Marcussen, joined the firm. The company has been based in a house in the small town of Åbenrå, in southern Jutland
, since 1830. Several organs built in Scandinavia
and North Germany in their first decades are still in use today, the oldest dating from 1820.
Johannes Lassen Zachariassen (1864–1922), a grandson of the founder's daughter, took over the firm from 1902 to 1922. The firm's work was still based at this stage on the Baroque
organ-building tradition, but from about 1900, in common with nearly all other organ-builders, they began making use of pneumatics, electricity
, and other innovations popular at the time, typified by the organs of Cavaillé-Coll.
This new development did not last long. They were one of the first organ builders, following the 1925 organ conference in Hamburg
and Lübeck
, to return to the sonic, structural, and technical principles of the North-European Baroque organ
, employing ultra-low wind pressures and high-pitched, vertical principal choruses characteristic of the instruments of Sillberman and Schnitger.
The guiding figure behind the change was Sybrand Zachariassen (1900-1960), who took over management of the firm in 1922 at the age of 21. Within a few decades, Marcussen organs began to gain an international reputation, particularly as fine models of the mechanical organ
, which again became the preeminent basis of organ-building practice in the second half of the twentieth century.
Sybrand Jürgen Zachariassen (b Flensburg, 22 Oct 1931) became director in 1960. In 1994/1995 the firm became a family-owned limited company
, when Claudia Zachariassen (born 26 May 1969 in Sønderborg
, the 7th generation of the Marcussen/Zachariassen family) joined the firm; she became president in 2002.
s for churches and concert halls, and restores notable historical organs. Their new organs are based on classical organ-building traditions, with reliable slider windchests, simple mechanical 'tracker' action
with precise function and a wide sound spectrum.
Their activity encompasses all the professional organ building skills; they have a drawing office, machine and joiner
s workshops, workshop
s for the manufacture of wood and reed pipe
s, a metal
pipe workshop with casting
shop, a smith
's shop and a staff of voicers. This allows them to manufacture all the component parts in their own workshops according to their own quality standards, from the selection and manufacture of the wood
and metal
to voicing
of the completed organ.
They employ about 60 people and build about 10-12 organs per year.
The total number of organs built by Marcussen is about 1125.
Saint Nicolai (Aabenraa) (1956)
and English
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
firm of organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
builders.
They were one of the first firms to go back to classical organ-building techniques, and have been producing mechanical-action
Tracker action
Tracker action is a term used in reference to pipe organs and steam calliopes to indicate a mechanical linkage between keys or pedals pressed by the organist and the valve that allows air to flow into pipe of the corresponding note...
organs since 1930. Aside from their many instruments in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, they have built organs in northern Germany
Northern Germany
- Geography :The key terrain features of North Germany are the marshes along the coastline of the North Sea and Baltic Sea, and the geest and heaths inland. Also prominent are the low hills of the Baltic Uplands, the ground moraines, end moraines, sandur, glacial valleys, bogs, and Luch...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, the Netherlands, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and the USA.
History
Jürgen Marcussen (1781–1860) founded the organ-building company in 18061806 in music
-Events:*Carl Czerny publishes his first composition at the age of 15.*The marimba is described for the first time by Juan Domingo Juarros, a Spanish historian, in his Compendium of the History of Guatemala....
. They used the name Marcussen & Reuter from 1826 to 1848, when the name became Marcussen & Søn after the founder's son, Jürgen Andreas Marcussen, joined the firm. The company has been based in a house in the small town of Åbenrå, in southern Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
, since 1830. Several organs built in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
and North Germany in their first decades are still in use today, the oldest dating from 1820.
Johannes Lassen Zachariassen (1864–1922), a grandson of the founder's daughter, took over the firm from 1902 to 1922. The firm's work was still based at this stage on the Baroque
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
organ-building tradition, but from about 1900, in common with nearly all other organ-builders, they began making use of pneumatics, electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
, and other innovations popular at the time, typified by the organs of Cavaillé-Coll.
This new development did not last long. They were one of the first organ builders, following the 1925 organ conference in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
, to return to the sonic, structural, and technical principles of the North-European Baroque organ
German organ schools
The 17th century organ composers of Germany can be divided into two primary schools: the north German school and the south German school...
, employing ultra-low wind pressures and high-pitched, vertical principal choruses characteristic of the instruments of Sillberman and Schnitger.
The guiding figure behind the change was Sybrand Zachariassen (1900-1960), who took over management of the firm in 1922 at the age of 21. Within a few decades, Marcussen organs began to gain an international reputation, particularly as fine models of the mechanical organ
Tracker action
Tracker action is a term used in reference to pipe organs and steam calliopes to indicate a mechanical linkage between keys or pedals pressed by the organist and the valve that allows air to flow into pipe of the corresponding note...
, which again became the preeminent basis of organ-building practice in the second half of the twentieth century.
Sybrand Jürgen Zachariassen (b Flensburg, 22 Oct 1931) became director in 1960. In 1994/1995 the firm became a family-owned limited company
Limited company
A limited company is a company in which the liability of the members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by shares or by guarantee. And the former of these, a limited company limited by shares, may be...
, when Claudia Zachariassen (born 26 May 1969 in Sønderborg
Sønderborg
Sønderborg Municipality , is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark partially on the Jutland peninsula and partially on the island of Als in south Denmark, at the border with Germany. The municipality covers an area of , and has a total population of 76,236...
, the 7th generation of the Marcussen/Zachariassen family) joined the firm; she became president in 2002.
Today
Marcussen builds pipe organPipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
s for churches and concert halls, and restores notable historical organs. Their new organs are based on classical organ-building traditions, with reliable slider windchests, simple mechanical 'tracker' action
Tracker action
Tracker action is a term used in reference to pipe organs and steam calliopes to indicate a mechanical linkage between keys or pedals pressed by the organist and the valve that allows air to flow into pipe of the corresponding note...
with precise function and a wide sound spectrum.
Their activity encompasses all the professional organ building skills; they have a drawing office, machine and joiner
Joiner
A joiner differs from a carpenter in that joiners cut and fit joints in wood that do not use nails. Joiners usually work in a workshop since the formation of various joints generally requires non-portable machinery. A carpenter normally works on site...
s workshops, workshop
Workshop
A workshop is a room or building which provides both the area and tools that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods...
s for the manufacture of wood and reed pipe
Pipe (instrument)
Pipe describes a number of musical instruments, historically referring to perforated wind instruments. The word is an onomatopoeia, and comes from the tone which can resemble that of a bird chirping.-Folk pipe:...
s, a metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
pipe workshop with casting
Casting
In metalworking, casting involves pouring liquid metal into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowing it to cool and solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mold to complete the process...
shop, a smith
Smith (metalwork)
A metalsmith, often shortened to smith, is a person involved in making metal objects. In contemporary use a metalsmith is a person who uses metal as a material, uses traditional metalsmithing techniques , whose work thematically relates to the practice or history of the practice, or who engages in...
's shop and a staff of voicers. This allows them to manufacture all the component parts in their own workshops according to their own quality standards, from the selection and manufacture of the wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
and metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
to voicing
Voicing (music)
In music composition and arranging, a voicing is the instrumentation and vertical spacing and ordering of the pitches in a chord...
of the completed organ.
They employ about 60 people and build about 10-12 organs per year.
Notable Marcussen organs
- Christiansborg Slotskirke, CopenhagenCopenhagenCopenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
(1829) - Nikolaikirche, KielKielKiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
(1842) - Saint Canute's Cathedral (Odense Domkirke)Saint Canute's CathedralSt. Canute's Cathedral , also known as Odense Cathedral, is named after the Danish king Canute the Saint , otherwise Canute IV. It is a fine example of Brick Gothic architecture. The church's most visited section is the crypt where the remains of Canute and his brother Benedict are on display.-...
(1862) - St Nikolai Kirkesal, Copenhagen (1930)
- Oscars Kyrka, StockholmStockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
(1949) - Sibbo Kyrka (1951)
Saint Nicolai (Aabenraa) (1956)
- Finnish Seamen's MissionFinnish Seamen's MissionThe Finnish Seamen's Mission was established in 1875. In Finland's two official languages it is known as Suomen Merimieskirkko ry in Finnish and Finlands Sjömanskyrka rf in Swedish. It was established to help Finns travelling abroad, particularly seafarers and migrant workers...
, RotherhitheRotherhitheRotherhithe is a residential district in inner southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the Docklands area...
(1958) - Nicolaikerk, UtrechtUtrecht (city)Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
(1957) - Grundtvigskirken, Copenhagen (1965)
- ViborgViborg, DenmarkViborg , a town in central Jutland, Denmark, is the seat of both Viborg municipality and Region Midtjylland. Viborg is also the seat of the Western High Court, the High Court for the Jutland peninsula...
Domkirke (1966) - KloosterkerkKloosterkerk, The HagueThe Kloosterkerk is a church on the Lange Voorhout in The Hague, Netherlands. The church and its accompanying monastery were first built in 1397. The church is known today as the church where Queen Beatrix occasionally attends services....
, Den Haag, The Netherlands (1966) - Neuer Dom, LinzLinzLinz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
(1968) - LübeckLübeckThe Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
DomLübeck CathedralThe Lübeck Cathedral is a large brick Lutheran cathedral in Lübeck, Germany and part of Lübeck's world heritage. It was started in 1173 by Henry the Lion as a cathedral for the Bishop of Lübeck. It was partly destroyed in a bombing raid in World War II , and later reconstructed. The organ by Arp...
(1970) - St. Mary's Church, NottinghamSt. Mary's Church, NottinghamThe Church of St Mary the Virgin is the oldest religious foundation in the City of Nottingham, England, the largest church after the Roman Catholic Cathedral and the largest mediæval building in Nottingham....
(1973) - St. Mary's Church, CliftonSt. Mary's Church, CliftonSt. Mary's Church, Clifton is a parish church in the Church of England in Clifton, Nottinghamshire.The church is Grade I listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as a building of outstanding architectural or historic interest.-History:...
, Nottingham (1974) - Grote of St Laurenskerk, RotterdamRotterdamRotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
(1973) - St Jacobs Kyrka, Stockholm (1977)
- St Nicolai Kirke, KoldingKoldingKolding is a Danish seaport located at the head of Kolding Fjord in Region of Southern Denmark . It is the site of the council Kolding Municipality. It is a transportation, commercial, and manufacturing centre, and has numerous industrial companies, principally geared towards shipbuilding...
(1977) - VestervigVestervigVestervig is a settlement and parish in Denmark, located in Thisted municipality in Region Nordjylland . Vestervig has a population of 658...
Kirke (1978) - Nieuwe Kerk, AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
(1981) - St. Mary the VirginSt. Mary's Church, PutneySt. Mary's Church , Putney is an Anglican church in Putney, London sited next to the river Thames, beside the southern approach to Putney Bridge. There has been a centre of Christian worship on this site from at least the 13th century, and the church is still very active today...
, Putney BridgePutney BridgePutney Bridge is a bridge crossing of the River Thames in west London, linking Putney on the south side with Fulham to the north. Putney Bridge tube station is located near the north side of the bridge.-History:...
(1981) - Wichita State UniversityWichita State UniversityWichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
(1986) - Raphaëlis orglet, RoskildeRoskildeRoskilde is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. It is an ancient city, dating from the Viking Age and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network....
Domkirke (1991) - Vor Frue Kirke, Copenhagen (1995)
- Tonbridge SchoolTonbridge SchoolTonbridge School is a British boys' independent school for both boarding and day pupils in Tonbridge, Kent, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judd . It is a member of the Eton Group, and has close links with the Worshipful Company of Skinners, one of the oldest London livery companies...
Chapel, KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
(1995) - Bridgewater HallBridgewater HallThe Bridgewater Hall is an international concert venue in Manchester city centre, England. It cost around £42 million to build and currently hosts over 250 performances a year....
, ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
(1996) - Vestjysk MusikkonservatoriumAcademy of Music and Music Communication (Esbjerg)The Academy of Music and Music Communication is located in Esbjerg, Denmark. It was founded in 1946 as a local private initiatve as Vestjysk Musikkonservatorium and was in 1972 taken over by the Danish State....
EsbjergEsbjergEsbjerg Municipality is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. Its mayor is Johnny Søtrup, from the Venstre political party...
(2002)
Restorations
- Sint-BavokerkSint-BavokerkThe Grote Kerk or St.-Bavokerk is a Protestant church and former Catholic cathedral located on the central market square in the Dutch city of Haarlem...
, HaarlemHaarlemHaarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic... - Nieuwe KerkNieuwe Kerk (Amsterdam)The Nieuwe Kerk is a 15th-century church in Amsterdam, located on Dam Square, next to the Royal Palace.-History:The bishop of Utrecht gave the city of Amsterdam permission to use a second the parish church in 1408 because the Oude Kerk had grown too small for the growing population of the city....
, AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population... - Roskilde CathedralRoskilde CathedralRoskilde Cathedral , in the city of Roskilde on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark, is a cathedral of the Lutheran Church of Denmark. The first Gothic cathedral to be built of brick, it encouraged the spread of the Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe...
- Helsingør Sct. Mariæ Church (where Diderich Buxtehude was organist 1660-1668)
Further reading
- Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen, Hans Nyholm, Henrik Fibiger Nørfelt, Kristian Olesen, Svend Prip, with English summaries by Gwyn Hodgson: MARCUSSEN & SØN Orgelbyggeri 1806-2006; ISBN 87-981244-1-2
- L.J. Cirsovius: Lebensbild der Orgelbaumeister Marcussen & Sohn (Kiel, 1891)
- P. Hamburger: Marcussen & Søn 1806–1931 (Copenhagen, 1931)
- N. Friis: Marcussen & Søn, 1806–1956 (Åbenrå, 1956)
- H. Nyholm: Marcussen & Søn 1806–1981 (Åbenrå, 1981)
Sources
- Hans Klotz/Ole Olesen: 'Marcussen', Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 2007-06-25), http://www.grovemusic.com/
External links
http://www.marcussen-son.dk/ - in DanishDanish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...