J. L. van den Heuvel Orgelbouw
Encyclopedia
J. L. van den Heuvel Orgelbouw is a firm of pipe organ
builders, based in Dordrecht
, Holland. The company specialises in the construction of instruments in the French
Symphonic
tradition.
in Zaandam
, where he persisted in his championship of the romantic organ in the face of Dirk Andries Flentrop
's neo-Baroque ideals.
Jan van den Heuvel constructed his first organ (one manual and pedals, 10 stops) in 1967, attracting immediate critical acclaim for its voicing and high build standard. The actual construction took place in the workshop belonging to his father, a painter. He was commissioned to build a new three manual organ of 32 stops for the Singelkerk at Ridderkerk
as a result of the many positive reactions to this first instrument - a significant milestone in the young organ-builder's career, as he was responsible not only for the design and construction of the instrument, but also for the richly-carved organ case. The commissioning of this instrument necessitated the construction of a new workshop, which Jan van den Heuvel himself designed. The instrument attracted widespread praise, leading to numerous orders for new organs and restoration of existing instruments. A new organ of two manuals and 33 stops was commissioned for the Lambertuskerk, Strijen
, which was delivered in 1975, the year in which Jan's 17-year-old brother Peter joined the firm. Expansion of the business, with further enlargement of the workshops, was underpinned by receipt of a volume of new contracts for large organs. Particularly worthy of mention amongst these are the instruments in the Nieuwe Kerk, Katwijk aan Zee
, l'Église Saint-Eustache, Paris
(the largest organ in France), the Victoria Hall
in Geneva
and the Katarina kyrka in Stockholm
(the last two buildings now restored after being gutted by fire) and the DR-BYEN Hall in Copenhagen
.
spurred them on to further studies on the Aristide Cavaillé-Coll
organs. This led to numerous visits to France, not only to study and evaluate famous Cavaille-Coll organs (such as St. Sulpice, Notre-Dame and Sacré-Cœur in Paris
). The brothers developed Cavaillé-Coll's own schemes to establish a style of organ that was entirely their own, but completely inspired by the French Symphonic tradition. This ethos continues to this day. However, not only does the firm specialise in French-style instruments, but they have also built organs in traditional Dutch style.
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, based in Dordrecht
Dordrecht
Dordrecht , colloquially Dordt, historically in English named Dort, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the fourth largest city of the province, having a population of 118,601 in 2009...
, Holland. The company specialises in the construction of instruments in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Symphonic
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
tradition.
History of the firm
Jan van den Heuvel had, from early childhood, felt an affinity with symphonic organ music. Jan founded his organ building company in 1967 at the age of twenty (this made him the youngest organ builder in the Netherlands), having spent four years in training with FlentropFlentrop
Flentrop is a Dutch company based in Zaandam that builds and restores organs.-History:It was established in 1903 by Hendrik Wicher Flentrop from Koog aan de Zaan. Hendrik, originally a house painter by trade, was an organist at the church at Zaandam, and started a piano - and organ trade...
in Zaandam
Zaandam
Zaandam is a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the main city of the municipality of Zaanstad, and received city rights in 1811...
, where he persisted in his championship of the romantic organ in the face of Dirk Andries Flentrop
Dirk Andries Flentrop
Dirk Andries Flentrop was a Dutch organ builder. He built or restored many major organs in the United States and in Europe. He was noted for his 1977 restoration of two organs from the 17th and 18th centuries in the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral.-Life:Flentrop was born in Zaandam on 1 May 1903...
's neo-Baroque ideals.
Jan van den Heuvel constructed his first organ (one manual and pedals, 10 stops) in 1967, attracting immediate critical acclaim for its voicing and high build standard. The actual construction took place in the workshop belonging to his father, a painter. He was commissioned to build a new three manual organ of 32 stops for the Singelkerk at Ridderkerk
Ridderkerk
Ridderkerk is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 44,886 in 2010, and covers an area of 25.10 km² ....
as a result of the many positive reactions to this first instrument - a significant milestone in the young organ-builder's career, as he was responsible not only for the design and construction of the instrument, but also for the richly-carved organ case. The commissioning of this instrument necessitated the construction of a new workshop, which Jan van den Heuvel himself designed. The instrument attracted widespread praise, leading to numerous orders for new organs and restoration of existing instruments. A new organ of two manuals and 33 stops was commissioned for the Lambertuskerk, Strijen
Strijen
Strijen is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality, covering an area of 57.72 km² , is located on the Hoeksche Waard island along the Hollands Diep estuary.Strijen hosts a public library, swimming pool, a small shopping centre and...
, which was delivered in 1975, the year in which Jan's 17-year-old brother Peter joined the firm. Expansion of the business, with further enlargement of the workshops, was underpinned by receipt of a volume of new contracts for large organs. Particularly worthy of mention amongst these are the instruments in the Nieuwe Kerk, Katwijk aan Zee
Katwijk aan Zee
Katwijk aan Zee is a seaside resort located on the North Sea at the mouth of the Oude Rijn. It is situated in the municipality of Katwijk and the province of South Holland.- History :...
, l'Église Saint-Eustache, Paris
Église Saint-Eustache, Paris
L’église Saint-Eustache is a church in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, built between 1532 and 1632.Situated at the entrance to Paris’s ancient markets and the beginning of rue Montorgueil, the Église de Saint-Eustache is considered a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture...
(the largest organ in France), the Victoria Hall
Victoria Hall (Geneva)
The Victoria Hall is a concert hall located in downtown Geneva, Switzerland.It was built in 1891–1894 by the architect John Camoletti and financed by the consul of England, Daniel Fitzgerald Packenham Barton, who dedicated it to Queen Victoria and gave it to the city of Geneva.Currently, the...
in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and the Katarina kyrka in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm 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...
(the last two buildings now restored after being gutted by fire) and the DR-BYEN Hall in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen 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...
.
Tonal ethos
Both Jan and Peter van den Heuvel were for a number of years interested in nineteenth century French organ building, as well as the traditions previously practiced in the Netherlands. Their contact with French organists as Michelle Leclerc and Daniel RothDaniel Roth (organist)
Daniel François Roth , is a French organist, composer, and pedagogue.-Biography:Roth began his musical training at the conservatory in his home town, Mulhouse with Professeur Joseph Victor Meyer...
spurred them on to further studies on the Aristide Cavaillé-Coll
Aristide Cavaillé-Coll
Aristide Cavaillé-Coll was a French organ builder. He is considered by many to be the greatest organ builder of the 19th century because he combined both science and art to make his instruments...
organs. This led to numerous visits to France, not only to study and evaluate famous Cavaille-Coll organs (such as St. Sulpice, Notre-Dame and Sacré-Cœur in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
). The brothers developed Cavaillé-Coll's own schemes to establish a style of organ that was entirely their own, but completely inspired by the French Symphonic tradition. This ethos continues to this day. However, not only does the firm specialise in French-style instruments, but they have also built organs in traditional Dutch style.
Notable organs
| Date | Country | Place | Building | Size | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | NL | Ridderkerk Ridderkerk Ridderkerk is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 44,886 in 2010, and covers an area of 25.10 km² .... |
Singelkerk | IIIP/32 | J. L. van den Heuvel's first major commission |
| 1979 | NL | Katwijk aan Zee Katwijk aan Zee Katwijk aan Zee is a seaside resort located on the North Sea at the mouth of the Oude Rijn. It is situated in the municipality of Katwijk and the province of South Holland.- History :... |
Nieuwe Kerk Nieuwe Kerk, Katwijk aan Zee The Nieuwe Kerk in Katwijk, the Netherlands, is the oldest and best known work of the architect H.J. Jesse . It was built to replace the nearby Andreaskerk, which had become too small.- Construction of the church :... |
IVP/80 | One of the Netherlands' largest organs |
| 1989 | FR France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... |
Église Saint-Eustache Église Saint-Eustache, Paris L’église Saint-Eustache is a church in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, built between 1532 and 1632.Situated at the entrance to Paris’s ancient markets and the beginning of rue Montorgueil, the Église de Saint-Eustache is considered a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture... |
VP/101 | The largest organ in France |
| 1992 | CH Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
Geneva Geneva Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland... |
Victoria Hall Victoria Hall (Geneva) The Victoria Hall is a concert hall located in downtown Geneva, Switzerland.It was built in 1891–1894 by the architect John Camoletti and financed by the consul of England, Daniel Fitzgerald Packenham Barton, who dedicated it to Queen Victoria and gave it to the city of Geneva.Currently, the... |
IVP/71 | The only van den Heuvel organ in Switzerland |
| 1993 | GB | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
Royal Academy of Music Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas... , Duke's Hall |
IIP/24 | The only van den Heuvel organ in Britain |
| 1994 | USA | New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... |
Church of the Holy Apostles | IIIP/32 | The first vdH organ in the USA. Originally in Castle Shiloah, TX Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... . |
| 1995 | SE 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.... |
Stockholm Stockholm Stockholm 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... |
Kungliga Musikhögskolan | IIIP/25 | The first van den Heuvel organ in Sweden. |
| 1995 | NL | Rotterdam Rotterdam Rotterdam 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... |
Maranatha Kerk | IIIP/25 | The Musikhögskolan's twin, built for another buyer who pulled out |
| 1997 | DE Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... |
St Franziskus Kirche | IIIP/51 | The only van den Heuvel organ in Germany |
| 2000 | SE 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.... |
Stockholm Stockholm Stockholm 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... |
Katarina Kyrka | IIIP/62 | Replaced a 1976 Åkerman & Lund organ destroyed by fire in 1990 |
| 2000 | NL | The Hague The Hague The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam... |
Residence of Ben van Oosten Ben van Oosten Ben van Oosten is an organist, professor and author.Ben van Oosten gave his first organ recital in 1970 at the age of 15. He was accepted at the prestigious Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam and studied the organ with Albert de Klerk and piano with Berthe Davelaar... |
IIIP/16 | vdH's first commission for a house-organ from a famous organist |
| 2000 | FI 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... |
Mänttä Mänttä Mänttä is a former town and municipality of Finland. It was merged with the municipality of Vilppula to form Mänttä-Vilppula on 1 January 2009.... |
Church | IIIP/30 | The only vdH organ in Finland: also, their only totally-enclosed organ |
| 2006 | DK 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... |
Copenhagen Copenhagen Copenhagen 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... |
Copenhagen Concert Hall Copenhagen Concert Hall The Copenhagen Concert Hall by Jean Nouvel is a part of the new DR Byen , that houses the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, DR. The concert hall and the DR Town are located in the northern part of Ørestad - an ambitious development area in Copenhagen, Denmark... |
IVP/91 | The only van den Heuvel organ in Denmark. Inaugurated in 2009. |
Notable players of van den Heuvel organs
- Ben van OostenBen van OostenBen van Oosten is an organist, professor and author.Ben van Oosten gave his first organ recital in 1970 at the age of 15. He was accepted at the prestigious Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam and studied the organ with Albert de Klerk and piano with Berthe Davelaar...
- Jean GuillouJean GuillouJean Victor Arthur Guillou is a French composer, organist, pianist, and pedagogue.-Life:Following autodidactic studies in piano and organ performance, Guillou became organist at the church St. Serge in Angers at age 12. From 1945-1955, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire under Marcel Dupré,...
- Torvald Torén
- Dirk Donker
- David LumsdenDavid Lumsden (musician)Sir David James Lumsden PhD, DPhil, MA, MusB, FRCM, FRNCM, FRSAMD, FLCM, FRSA, Hon RAM, Hon FRCO, FKC .*Choirmaster, organist and harpsichordist,**St Mary's Church, Nottingham, 1954–1956**Southwell Minster 1956-1959,...
External links
- The official website of J. L. van den Heuvel Orgelbouw bv - note that the English is somewhat broken.
- The St-Eustache organ on Music and Musicians by Robert Poliquin, Université du Québec
- The PipeDreams Public Radio page for the St-Eustache organ, where numerous recordings can be heard.
- News in The Organ magazine of the new instrument being built for the DR-BYEN Hall in Copenhagen