Petr Lyko
The Influence of Factory and Mass Production on Pipe-Organ Building in the 19th Century
The phenomenon of the so-called Romantic organs, i.e. a development type of the instrument that dominated in Europe from ca the 1860s until ca the 1920s (in some aspects, however, it continued until later), was to a certain degree influenced by the beginning of industrialisation and factory production. After the middle of the 19th century, the implied trend was enhanced by the foundation of a number of large organ-building companies. In the pipe-organ industry, also new construction elements began to be used, which were characterised i.a. by easier mass or standardised production. The earlier type of slider windchests was replaced by cone chests or other types of windchests with single-rank chests; at the end of the 19th century, pneumatic tracture became widespread mainly in Central-European countries. From axiological point of view, factory production facilitated the undesirable phenomenon of the unification and art levelling of the instruments produced in this manner; on the other hand, it enabled the development of new technological solutions in organ building and contributed to the development of new technologies.
Key words: Bohemian Lands, 19th century, cultural history, organ, factory production
design by Bedřich Vémola
