Casparini, Grzegorz Zygmunt (EN)

Casparini, Caspari, Gaspari, Grzegorz Zygmunt, Georg Sigismund Caspari, *1693, †1741, worked in Königsberg. He was the son-in-law of the renowned organ builder J. Mosengel. In 1734, he completed the reconstruction of the organ in Piasty Wielkie, begun by Mosengel. In 1731 or 1734, he built a new organ in the castle chapel in Königsberg, and in 1732, he rebuilt the organ in Arnau (present-day Marjino) and Baldze (present-day Veseloje). Between 1734 and 1737, he repeatedly carried out work on D. Trampps’ instrument in the Neurossgarten district of Königsberg. In 1735, he renovated the organ in the Evangelical church in Morąg, and in 1737, he completely rebuilt the organ in Dobra near Pasłęk. He was a renowned builder and held a royal privilege to build organs.

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.