Gottfried Silbermann
Gottfried Silbermann (born Kleinbobritzsch, 14 January 1683; died Dresden, 4 August 1753) was a very important German builder of keyboard instruments. He built harpsichords, clavichords, organs, and pianos.
Life
He was born in Kleinbobritzsch. He learnt to build organs from his brother in Strassburg. In 1711 Silbermann opened his own workshop in Freiberg. Then, in 1723 got the title "Honorary Court and State Organ Builder to the King of Poland and Elector of Saxony" from Frederick Augustus I. Gottfried Silbermann designed and built approximately 50 organs. He had different ideas about organ building from Arp Schnitger who was an organ builder in the north of Germany. Silbermann's organs were some of the best instruments in the south of Germany, some of them still exist. The Hofkirche organ and that of Freiberg Cathedral are considered his greatest works.
Silbermann's pianos
Silbermann also played a big role in the history of the piano. He built the first German fortepiano in 1732. During the 1740s, King Frederick the Great of Prussia became familiar with Silbermann's pianos and bought a number of them. He employed Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach who was playing Silbermann fortepianos and wrote music for this particular fortepiano model. They were also played by Johann Sebastian Bach during his visit to Potsdam where during his second visit Silbermann pianos met Bach's "complete approval".
References
Other websites
www.silbermann.org Gottfried-Silbermann-Society
1683 births
1753 deaths
People from Saxony
Organ builders
Piano makers