Christian Vater

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The Vater organ of the St.-Johannis-Kirche, Wiefelstede
The Vater organ of the St.-Johannis-Kirche, Wiefelstede

Christian Vater (11 October 1679 - 25 January 1756) was a German organ and harpsichord builder.

He was born in Hanover; his father Martin Vater was an organ builder and gave him his first instruction in the craft. He went on to work for Arp Schnitger as a journeyman between 1697 and 1700. He worked independently from c.1702. He was organist to the court of the Elector of Hanover from 1708–1709, and became organ builder to the court in 1714, a role in which his son Johannes would follow him. By 1717 he had built or renovated thirty-three organs. He mainly worked in Hanover and surrounding places: Osnabrück and Oldenburg. Outside this area, he worked in Cassel and Darmstadt; he also built an organ for the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam, 1724–1726, and rebuilt an organ in the Westerkerk in 1726. Aside from organs, he made harpsichords and clavichords.

His surviving organs are at Bockhorn, Oldenburg (1722); Wiefelstede, Oldenburg (c.1729); St Nikolai, Gifhorn (1748) and Hohenrode, Bad Hersfeld (1749); remnants such as cases and pipework survive elsewhere. His organs have well-balanced specifications and are typical of the late northern German Baroque organ.

Parisian harpsichord maker Antoine Vater was his brother, and taught Henri Hemsch.

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Persondata
NAME Vater, Christian
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION =Organ and harpsichord maker
DATE OF BIRTH 11 October 1679
PLACE OF BIRTH Hanover, Germany
DATE OF DEATH 25 January 1756
PLACE OF DEATH Hanover, Germany
Languages