Hans Gerd Klais

Hans Gerd Klais (actually: Johannes Gerhard Klais ; born December 2, 1930 in Bonn ) is a German organ builder .

Life

Hans Gerd Klais is the son of the organ builder Johannes Klais (born August 3, 1890, † October 9, 1965). After graduating from the Beethoven grammar school in Bonn, he did an organ building apprenticeship in his parents' company from 1944 to 1947. After study trips through Europe, he began studying economics and physics . When his father fell ill in 1955, he broke off his studies and took over the management of the Klais organ building workshop . After his father's death in 1965, he took over sole management. In 1995 he handed over the management of the company to his son Philipp (born March 13, 1967).

In 1966 he became a board member of the Society of Organ Friends . In 1967 he became a board member of the Association of German Organ Builders , was its first chairman from 1974 to 2000 and is now honorary chairman.

Organ building

See also : Johannes Klais organ building

In the 30 years under the direction of Hans Gerd Klais, around 400 new organs were built and numerous instruments restored. The company employed an average of 70 people. Thanks to skillful company management, he brought scientists like Hans-Wolfgang Theobald into his staff.

Hans Gerd Klai's idea was to find a synthesis between polyphonic (baroque) and symphonic (romantic) organs. His organs have almost exclusively mechanical slide chests . The brochures are not historical, but modern and partly avant-garde. Klais developed an independent synthesis of French-symphonic and Catholic-South German styles. In the early 1970s, he began to combine the mechanical stop action with an electrical setting system .

Works (selection)

Organs

Some important new buildings that were built under the direction of Hans Gerd Klais are:

• 1969, Opus 1345: Würzburg, Dom , with V / P 87
• 1974, Opus 1485: Trier, Trier Cathedral , with IV / P 67
• 1977, Opus 1526: Ingolstadt, Liebfrauenmünster , with IV / P 70
• 1978, Opus 1553: Limburg an der Lahn, Limburg Cathedral , with IV / P 60
• 1978, Opus 1536: Graz, Graz Cathedral , with IV / P 70
• 1980, Opus 1577: Altenberg (Bergisches Land), Altenberger Dom , with IV / P 82
• 1985, Opus 1626: Munich, Gasteig , with IV / P 74
• 1986, Opus 1625: Cologne, Philharmonie , with III / P 70
• 1990, Opus 1698: Athens, Konzerthaus , with IV / P 76
• 1995, Opus 1740: Kyoto , Symphony Hall, with IV / P 90

Since 1967 he has also devoted himself increasingly to the restoration of historical organs. Some great examples are:

• 1967, Oberlahnstein, St. Martin , Stumm organ with II / P 25 from 1742
• 1978, Rhaunen, Ev. Church , Stumm organ with I / 13 from 1723
• 1989, Rot an der Rot, St. Verena , Holzhey organ with III / P 36 from 1793
• 1994, Vienna, Votive Church , Walcker organ with III / P 61 from 1878
• 1995, Hof an der Saale, St. Marien town church , Steinmeyer organ with II / P 24 from 1885

Books and writings

• Organ examples from the 20th century. Vol. 1: The Würzburg cathedral organs: history, development, architecture and structure, constructions, dispositions and lengths, registration, liturgical function. Verlag Das Musikinstrument, Frankfurt a. M. 1979.
• Organ disposition considerations: theory and practice from the organ workshop. Verlag Das Musikinstrument, Frankfurt a. M. 1973.
• The bamboo organ in the Catholik Parish Church of St. Joseph at Las Pinas, Province of Rizal on the Island of Luzon, Philippines. The Praestant Press, Delaware, Ohio 1977.
• Philippine organs from the 18th and 19th centuries. Publisher Hans Gerd Klais, Bonn 1980.
• Contributions to the history and aesthetics of the organ. Verlag Freiburg Musol-Forum 1983.
• The Klais organ in Aachen Cathedral. Karlsverein, Aachen 1994.
• The queen of instruments - organ engravings from Beethoven's time from the Hans Gerd Klais collection: Begelit book for an exhibition in the Beethoven House. Beethoven House, Bonn 2000.

honors and awards

• March 29, 2006 Entry in the Golden Book of the City of Bonn.

literature

• Hermann J. Busch , Matthias Geuting (Hrsg.): Lexicon of the organ . Laaber, Laaber 2007, ISBN 978-3-89007-508-2 , keyword Klais (family), p. 374-375 .
• Hermann Fischer , Theodor Wohnhaas : Lexicon of southern German organ builders . Florian Noetzel Verlag, Wilhelmshaven 1994, ISBN 3-7959-0598-2 , p. 198 .
• Hans Steinhaus: Organ builder Johannes Klais. Company brochure Johannes Klais Orgelbau GmbH & Co KG, Bonn 1989.
• Ludger Stühlmeyer : Curia sonans. The music history of the city of Hof. Heinrichsverlag, Bamberg 2010 (Phil Diss.), ISBN 978-3-89889-155-4 , pp. 215-224.

Web links

• History of the Klais organ building workshop on the company website
• Literature by and about Hans Gerd Klais in the catalog of the German National Library
• Literature by and about Hans Gerd Klais in the bibliographic database WorldCat
• Works by and about  Hans Gerd Klais  in the German Digital Library

Individual evidence

1. ^ Association of German Master Organ Builders: The BDO Committees , accessed on May 6, 2020.
2. ^ Hermann Fischer , Theodor Wohnhaas : Lexicon of southern German organ builders . Florian Noetzel Verlag, Wilhelmshaven 1994, ISBN 3-7959-0598-2 , p. 198 .
3. ↑ Impulses for organ building , accessed on May 6, 2020.
4. ↑ Golden Book of the City of Bonn