Jakub Janšta: organs in Cheb – St. Wenceslas´ Church (Zaus 1904), The Church of Peace (Steinmeyer 1871), St. Clare´s Church (Choir Organ by Rieger-Kloss 1973, Grand Organ by Rieger-Kloss 1973), St. Nicholas´ Church (Zaus 1894)
The historical and contemporary organs located in the magnificent surroundings of the churches of the unique Cheb heritage area have always inspired and still inspire today. The charming environment of the Church of St. Wenceslas, the structurally and sonically unique Steinmeyer instrument in the Evangelical Church of Peace, two concert organs in the unique acoustic environment of St. Clare, the unrivalled tonal palette of the huge Zaus organ at St. Nicholas’ Church...
The condition of these instruments is not always perfect and some require a complex restoration. Therefore, this sound picture which documents the organs, was only possible thanks to the expertise of the skilled organ artisan before and during the recording. Czech and German music can be heard on the organs; this not only has a symbolic meaning with regard to the location and history of the city of Cheb, but also – and above all – logically reflects what sounds best on the Cheb instruments.
The concept of this album is inspired by many anniversaries. The oldest of them must be connected with the hereditary heir of Bohemia, Duke St. Wenceslas, whose death occurred 1090 years ago this year. That is why more space is devoted to him on this recording, and the first improvisation was created directly in the church dedicated to him. The current sound of the present organ dates mainly from 1904, when it was built into the original Baroque organ case by the Cheb organ builder Martin Zaus. In the nineteen sixties, the instrument was no longer playable. It was repaired using most of Zaus's pipes and wind chests, and in 1966 a new console was installed by the firm Organa Kutná Hora. The repairs were carried out by the Rieger concern in Krnov. The positive, installed in the railing of the choir loft, continued to remain mute. The instrument has retained a relatively authentic romantic sound, which on a restricted scale is represented by the chorale fantasy.
The organ in the Evangelical Church of Peace from the workshop of G. F. Steinmeyer, a Bavarian organ builder of international importance, is one of the first purely romantic instruments in our country. Six years later, in 1877, the same organ builder constructed a slightly larger organ in the Church of St. Adalbert in Prague; Antonín Dvořák played here at this time. In earlier years, during his studies at the Prague Organ School, he composed his graduation work – Composititonsversuche in Präludien und Fugen. Taking into account this connection and the fact that the most famous Czech composer will celebrate the 185th anniversary of his birth in the coming year, several of these remarkable student compositions must not be missing from this album.
The well-known Protestant chorale Herzlich tut mich verlangen with a melody by Hans Leo Hassler deals with the desire for a happy death and faith in eternal salvation. It has been musically adapted many times in the German cultural milieu. Bach's lyrical choral prelude on this theme can also be successfully played on the Steinmeyer organ, but it needs to be adapted to later Romantic practice, especially in the style of articulation and in the interpretation of ornaments.
Next year it will be 130 years since Johannes Brahms composed eleven chorale preludes – about a year before his death. These are short but very mature compositions. The composer even used the aforementioned chorale twice. The shorter arrangement sounds like a true musical gem on the organ by the Bavarian master.
In 1845, Robert Schumann wrote his Six Fugues on B-A-C-H. It is his only cycle intended specifically for the organ, and the composer himself considered it a very successful work. The fifth piece, a fugue, is virtuosic, lighter and can be perceived as a Scherzo or Gigue. The final sixth piece (composed as a double fugue) begins calmly, but its tempo and dynamics continue to rise to a powerful conclusion with symphonic elements. In the Church of Peace, the organ and both fugues get along well in terms of sound and are proof that here – even on a small instrument – the highest organ literature can be heard. At the same time, they are a small contribution to the 170th anniversary of Schumann's death, which we will commemorate next year.
The very prolific composer Andreas Willscher was born 70 years ago in Hamburg, where he still works today. His lively Partita on the original medieval melody of the St. Wenceslas Chorale is characterized by clearly used modal systems. The individual short segments are excellently presented on the "choir organ" located on the higher choir loft under the very vault of the Church of St. Clare. This church, designed for the Poor Clares by Christopher Dientzenhofer, went through various vicissitudes and difficulties after the abolition of the Order by Joseph II; today it serves as a very dignified exhibition and concert space for the city.
In 1973, in addition to this small organ, the Rieger-Kloss Krnov concern also built a large organ on the site of the former altar. If one were to look for an "Eben-type" organ, this giant concert instrument with its large number of reed and mutation stops, would be one of the leading candidates. The most important Czech organ composer of recent times, Petr Eben, regularly went to Cheb, and it was at the church of St. Clare that he composed a number of his compositions. The Small Chorale Partita was composed in 1978 based on a German sacred song from the 19th century. This composition in an innovatively processed historical form contains the composer's characteristic harmonies and use of melody; of course, there are numerous virtuoso elements.
The magnificent church of St. Nicholas contains the largest and most important instrument of the aforementioned Martin Zaus, whose death occurred 120 years ago. Zaus lived and worked in Germany and France before becoming an independent organ builder, so his work also bears small traces of inspiration from French organ building. However, the St. Nicholas organ is in full harmony with the compositions of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. His well-known Prelude in G major is a mature piece that can be represented by the mutual interpenetration of weaker to moderately strong lower registers.
From Robert Schumann's review in his Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, we learn that in August 1840 Mendelssohn gave a concert in Leipzig's St. Thomas’ Church and that at the end of the concert he performed a great free fantasy (improvisation), which included the chorale "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden", the theme B-A-C-H and a fugue. In a library in Oxford, there is a preserved fragment of Mendelssohn's harmonization and an unfinished variation on the same chorale (the melody is identical to Herzlich tut mich verlangen). In 2007/2008, the Swiss composer and organist Rudolf Lutz, who will celebrate his 75th birthday in the coming year, extended and completed this fragment after thorough study. The result is a magnificent sonata that is on par with Mendelssohn's other organ compositions. The first movement consists of two extensive chorale variations, the second movement a fugue with chorale entries and an inserted motif B-A-C-H. As a finale, we shall hear – typical of Mendelssohn – Andante in pianissimo with reminiscences of all the themes used.
This year, 90 years have passed since the death of Josef Suk. The creation of his Meditation is related to the outbreak of the First World War. In these circumstances, the Czech Quartet, where Suk played the second violin, had to open its concerts with the Austrian anthem. Suk decided to balance this requirement with a composition inspired by the old Czech chorale on Saint Wenceslas. The real message of the work, in which the original chorale addresses the national saint with a plea for the preservation of the people, was fully understood by the audience. Pick's tasteful and sensitive organ arrangement with a minimum of intrusive interventions leaves the final form, including registration, entirely to the performer. The evolutionary character of the work with interconnected contrasting sections requires a three-manual colourful instrument; the organ in St. Nicholas’ Church and the composition suit each other perfectly.
With a final improvisation on the theme of C-H-E-B, I would like to congratulate this city on two upcoming important anniversaries – 965 years since the first written reference to Cheb and the already mentioned 30 years since the founding of the Cheb Organ Summer festival. Like the introductory improvisation, this one also moves stylistically mainly in the field of German Romanticism, with the first fantasy being followed by two fixed historical forms. However, the improvisation does not hesitate, in the interests of the presentation of the organ and with a nod to the French inspiration of its builder, to include musical elements from other regions. After all, cultural ideas from all over Europe have been flowing to Cheb along its trade routes for many years.
Jakub Janšta, August 2025
Organ craft in the Cheb region
The town of Cheb used to be an important crossroad of trade routes due to its location and this is supported by the collections of the Cheb Museum, which inform us about the many crafts that flourished here. In general, however, it is little known that the Cheb region was also one of the traditional regions for organ artisanship. Other organ centres along the border of the country included the towns of Jáchymov, Loket, Karlovy Vary, Planá, Tachov and Sokolov. An indisputable influence on the establishment of organ workshops here was the occurrence of silver and tin deposits, which were used to make pipes.
Organ building in the Czech lands has always been under the influence of the South German and Italian traditions, which was due to the prevailing activity of the Catholic Church. In the Cheb region and its surroundings, however, there was an intermingling with Central German influences. A resounding example of this influence is the beautifully crafted instrument in the Evangelical Church in Cheb from the Steinmeyer company from Oettingen.
In the introductory chapters of textbooks of organ history, we can find information about the organ in the Church of St. Nicholas in Cheb. Here, in 1552, the famous master Friedrich Pfannmüller built an organ called "yellow". Some books add: "It became a counterpart to the already existing instrument of Hans Peysinger of Kempten from the end of the 15th century – the so-called 'white' organ." Both instruments were placed above the east and west entrances to the nave as was common in the Gothic period – that is, as "swallow-nest" types. Evidence of this placement of the instruments are the still preserved chambers for the bellows of the organ and the access staircases, which lost their significance after the disappearance of the organs.
In ancient times, organ builders in Cheb allegedly belonged to the glassmakers' guild. Historical sources from 1477 mention the name of N. Donata. Another is Johann Thomas Thumser, who practiced the crafts of glass and organ building; he built smaller organs for churches in the area. Before the organists themselves began to carry out minor repairs to the organ, the town council entrusted him with the maintenance of the instruments (e.g. in 1724 he received 14 guilders for the inspection of both large instruments at St. Nicholas).
From the middle of the 18th century, the Müller family appeared in Cheb in connection with organ building and they worked here until the end of the 19th century. Other names are Jan Jiří Sommer and his contemporary Hermann Sálenský. The workshop is mentioned in the directory from 1864. The tools of these builders were found on the choir lofts of churches throughout the region, but most of them have not been preserved. In some cases, only the cupboards for the original tools have survived but are now rebuilt or devastated.
At the end of the 19th century, Martin Zaus (1861–1905), who was clearly the most important organ builder for Cheb and its surroundings, also trained in the workshop of J. J. Sommer. His three-manual instrument in the archdeacon's church of St. Nicholas, completed in 1894, is one of his largest and most successful. This commission was entrusted to him after his previous works (e.g. an instrument in the no longer existing Cheb synagogue) were evaluated as of high quality. Zaus also built several other, smaller instruments in Cheb and the surrounding towns of Chlum sv. Máří, Kynšperk nad Ohří, Karlovy Vary, Františkovy Lázně.
At the beginning of the 20th century, organ builders Jan Halm and Franz Schusser were still active in Cheb. Information about them is included in directories from 1921 and 1934. After the Second World War, the organ craft is no longer mentioned in Cheb. Its absence in the region and the gradual devastation of religious buildings in the border areas resulted in the deterioration of the organs and the gradual disappearance of traces of local organ history. The Cheb organs featured on this recording are fortunate because they are currently receiving regular maintenance thanks to their use in concert performances. However, the current situation is not equally optimistic for other instruments in the region. This recording is also an impetus for increasing the interest of the professional and lay public in these valuable organs and not to let them fall into oblivion.
From the history of the Cheb Organ Summer concert cycle
The introductory organ concert organized by the Vystyd Studio was performed on 10.11.1996 in the Church of St. Clare in Cheb. In the following year (1997) an extended cycle of concerts was given the name Cheb Organ Summer. The founder, organizer and financial guarantor of the cycle (together with other sponsors) was Ing. Arch. Luděk Vystyd, a patron of the arts in Cheb.
Luděk Vystyd’s vision was to provide the people of Cheb with the opportunity of experiencing organ music in the uplifting environment of Cheb's churches and concert halls for a favourable admission fee. The intention was to invite not only the top musicians in the field, but also to introduce young, talented musicians and to give opportunities to capable amateurs, preferably from the home region. The cycle includes solo organ recitals but also concerts with additional instruments or voice which are preferred by audiences in the Cheb region. The fact that this is a well-chosen route is evidenced by the ever-increasing number of visitors. In the beginning, the audience consisted of only 30-60 loyal listeners; now the concerts are attended by 120-180 visitors, which makes the organizers very happy.
From 1997 to 2026, the cycle has undergone many transformations with changes in organizers, collaborators, organ artisans and concert venues. Over time, the City of Cheb became the financial guarantor and organizer. In recent years, the co-organizers of the cycle have been the Roman Catholic parish of Cheb and the local Parish Congregation of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren. The good condition of the instruments has been assured for twenty years by the organ artisan Václav Vála from Prague-Stodůlky. The liaison person of the cycle from its inception and for the last thirty years has been organist and creative director Martina Kolářová.
At present, there are five organs available in Cheb that can be used for concert purposes and the sound of these instruments is captured on this CD. This recording marks the 30th anniversary of the Cheb Organ Summer concert series.
Martina Kolářová
Jakub Janšta (1979) received his fundamental musical education at the Art School in Opava with Oriana Šenfeldová, and his first steps at the organ were accompanied by Aleš Rybka. He studied organ and composition at the Brno Conservatory in the class of doc. Zdeněk Nováček and Pavel Zemek. At his graduation, he received the Leoš Janáček Award for the best graduate of the year. He continued his organ studies at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague in the class of Prof. Jaroslav Tůma and completed an internship in Stuttgart with Prof. Jon Laukvik. He also participated in a number of foreign master classes. He is the holder of prizes from international performance and improvisation competitions in Opava, Brno, Schlägl in Austria, Ljubljana in Slovenia, Korschenbroich in Germany and a two-time semi-finalist in Odense, Denmark. He has also been awarded several times in the Ostrava composition competition "Generation". He gives solo concerts and plays with various choirs and ensembles. He performs at major festivals (St. Vitus Organ Evenings, Sunday Organ Music at St. Ludmila's, Czech Organ Festival, Litoměřice Organ Festival, Cheb Organ Summer, Concentus Moraviae, etc.). He specializes in improvisation in historical forms. He teaches organ and improvisation at the Prague Conservatory and is the organist and choir director at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Prague (at the Knights of the Cross), where the unique Starck organ from 1702 is located. In recent years, he has released three solo CDs on the ARTA label. The first of them features the precious instrument at the basilica of St. Ludmila in Prague, following its successful restoration. The second is dedicated to various historical instruments of the Knights of the Cross churches, and the third to the recently completed Pradella organ in Chyšky, South Bohemia.
