Casparini, Adam Gottlieb (EN)

Casparini, Caspari, Gaspari, Adam Gottlieb, Gottlob, *1715, †1788, presumably the son of Adam Horacy. His life has been relatively well documented. He was primarily active in Ducal Prussia, Warmia, Lithuania and Livonia, where he arrived from Wrocław. In 1742, he settled in Königsberg and received the privilege of building organs from the late Grzegorz Zygmunt. Between 1742 and 1744, Christoph Heinrich Obuch worked for him. In 1745, Adam Gottlieb Casparini renovated the instruments in Młynary near Pasłęk, and presumably in Bartoszyce in 1746. Around 1750, he built a new instrument in the town church in Königsberg, in 1752–54 a new 48-voice instrument in the church in the Haberberg district of Königsberg, and in 1756 he assembled and renovated the organ in Pełen (now Pieleń), which had been moved from Zinten (now Korniewo). In 1758, he renovated the organ of the cathedral in Frombork, and in 1765, he built a new organ in the Catholic church in Reszel, which was destroyed in 1812. Around 1775, he left for Vilnius, where he remained for a long time. According to researchers, Adam Gottlieb Casparini is the creator of a large group of instruments from the Duchy of Prussia, Warmia and Masuria. They are characterised by soaring, multi-towered facades and uniform woodcarving, which in several cases is probably the work of the woodcarver Gędowski (Endofski, Gedowsky). This group includes instruments in the Evangelical congregations in Nowy Kościół near Jędrychów, Nemmersdorf (present-day Majakowske), Insterburg (present-day Czerniachorsk, 1764), the parish church in Szyrwinty (ca. 1770), transferred around 1859 to the congregation in Wieliczki near Olecko. His workshop is also credited with an instrument built in 1782 for the Evangelical congregation in the Löbenicht district of Königsberg. Adam Gottlieb Casparini also used the nickname Casparini grandson.

The Casparini family descends from Adam Caspar or Caspari. Two branches of the family – that of Eugen Casparini and his brother Grzegorz Adam Casparini – were mainly active in Silesia, Lusatia, the Duchy of Prussia, Lithuania and Livonia, as well as in Italy and Austria. The large number of craftsmen using the same surname, as well as the same first names, makes it difficult to accurately document their activities. Eugeniusz, mentioned in volume 2 of the PWM Music Encyclopaedia, who was active in the vicinity of Żary, is identical with Johann Eugen Casparini. Grzegorz Adam Casparini, Georg Adam, Georg Caspar, signed a contract in 1671 for the construction of an organ in the Evangelical Church of the Holy Cross in Leszno Wielkopolskie. The instrument proved to be defective and was rebuilt by W. Libowicz as early as 1682. According to the literature, Grzegorz Adam Casparini collaborated with Adam Horacy from Wrocław, but he cannot be identified with Adam Horacy.

Literature:  L. Burgemeister Der Orgelbau in Schlesien, Strasbourg 1925, Frankfurt am Main 2nd edition 1973; A. Reichling Orgellandschaft Südtirol, Bolzano 1982; J. Gembalski Die Tätigkeit der Familie Casparini und ihr Beitrag zu den Orgeln in Schlesien, “Musik des Ostens” IX, 1983; W. Renkewitz, J. Janca Geschichte der Orgelbaukunst in Ost- und Westpreussen von 1333 bis 1944, vol. 1, Würzburg 1984; E. Smulikowska Prospekty organowe w dawnej Polsce, Wrocław 1989; J. Janca A Brief Overview of Organ Building in Former East Prussia, «Organy i Muzyka Organowa» X, 1997.