Stephan Kaschendorf (''Caschindorf'', ''Castendorfer'', ''Kastendörfer'') (ca. 1425 – after 4 February 1499) was an early

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

builder. He was born in

Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...

(then ''Breslau'') and at first was an apprentice to a

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. He only learnt organ building later and it is not known who his teachers were. He was one of the leading organ builders of the second half of the 15th century and a progressive one. His instruments all feature independent divisions and stops (Hauptwerk and Rückpositiv/Brustwerk), unlike the older

Blockwerk The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurised air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single tone and pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ' ...

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organs. Churches he built organs for include the following: * St. Mary Magdalene's Church, Wrocław (1455) * St. Egidien, Nuremberg (1460) * St. Elisabeth, Wrocław (1460–64) * Georgskirche,

Nördlingen Nördlingen (; Swabian: ''Nearle'' or ''Nearleng'') is a town in the Donau-Ries district, in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, with a population of approximately 20,674. It is located approximately east of Stuttgart, and northwest of Munich. It was ...

(1464–66) * Frauenkirche, Nuremberg (1464–66) * Mariendom Cathedral,

Erfurt Erfurt () is the capital (political), capital and largest city of the Central Germany (cultural area), Central German state of Thuringia, with a population of around 216,000. It lies in the wide valley of the Gera (river), River Gera, in the so ...

(1480–83) * St. Sebaldus Church, Nuremberg (lead roofing maintenance only, 1483) * St. Ulrich und Afra,

Augsburg Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...

(chancel organ only, 1490) Kaschendorf's sons Caspar, Melchior, and Michael were also organ builders and assisted their father in Erfurt. He owned houses in Schweidnitz (where he also built an organ) and

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

, but apparently died in poverty.

References

*Hermann Fischer. "Kaschendorf, Stephan", ''

Grove Music Online ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language '' Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and t ...

'', ed. L. Macy
grovemusic.com
(subscription access). *"The Organ: An Encyclopedia", edited by Douglas E. Bush and Richard Kassel. Routledge, 2006. German pipe organ builders Businesspeople from Wrocław 1420s births Year of birth uncertain Year of death unknown {{Germany-music-bio-stub

See also

References