Friedrich Kalkbrenner

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Lore & Background

Wilke took up his first post as organist in Spandau on 27 July 1791, also giving private music lessons. After Prussia's defeat by France in 1806, his position was cancelled and he lived in Charlottenburg solely on income as a private teacher. From 1 December 1809, he was music teacher at the Friedrich-Wilhelms-Gymnasium in Neuruppin as well as cantor and organist at both the Pfarrkirche St. Marien and the Klosterkirche St. Trinitatis. In Neuruppin, he initiated the founding of a masonic lodge in 1811, officially opened in 1812 as Ferdinand zum Rothen Adler; he declined the office of Worshipful Master but served as deputised Master from 1813 and was Master of the Chair from 1834 to 1838. He was appointed Honorary Master in 1838 and Honorary Member of the lodge 'Constantia' in Kyritz in 1842. Wilke began his publishing career in 1811 with a description of the organ in the parish church at Neuruppin, and later published a Leitfaden zum praktischen Gesang-Unterricht (Berlin 1812). He was sworn in as inspector in organ building matters by the royal government in Potsdam on 24 August 1821. However, complaints against him led by Carl Friedrich Zelter and August Wilhelm Bach caused the Prussian minister of culture to forbid the government from entrusting him with revisions in 1825. Wilke then sought clients in more remote regions of Prussia and neighbouring countries. After the construction of the large organ in the Marienkirche in Wismar (1839–1841), he got into fierce disputes with other organ experts that lasted until the end of his life. He invented an instrument for tuning the piano called the Octochord, and also devised a 'compensation mixture' installed in the organ of St. Marien in Wismar. He was appointed music director on 12 March 1821, awarded the Great Gold Medal for Art and Science in 1830 by King Frederick William IV, and received the Order of the Red Eagle IV Class on his retirement in 1845. On 27 July 1841, he celebrated his 50th anniversary of service in Neuruppin with tributes from the city and citizenry, including a banquet and evening fireworks. After his retirement in 1845, he moved in with his foster daughter in Treuenbrietzen. He donated his music library to the Potsdam schoolteachers' seminary and in his will donated 4000 Rth. to supplement the salary of his successors in office. He died in Treuenbrietzen at age 79.

Reader's Guide

Wilke's significance lies in his dual role as organist and organ revisor. He was involved as an expert in the acceptance of newly built organs, for example as revisor of the organ built in 1816 by Johann Tobias Turley in Hohenbruch and in 1821, together with government building inspector Salomo Sachs, as appraiser of the organ from Buchholz & Sohn in the village church of Schöneberg. The government announced on 24 August 1821 that through Wilke's active and tireless cooperation, several important organs had been built in recent years. However, due to preference given to the self-taught baker Turley over regularly trained organ builders, complaints against Wilke grew loud, led by Carl Friedrich Zelter and August Wilhelm Bach. As a result, in 1825 the Prussian minister of culture Karl vom Stein zum Altenstein forbade the government from continuing to entrust Wilke with revisions and appointed Bach as Commissarius for Organ Affairs. Wilke then collaborated several times with Friedrich Turley, son and successor of Tobias Turley. After the construction of the large organ in the Marienkirche in Wismar (1839–1841), which partly deviated from his design, he got into fierce disputes with other organ experts including Bach and the organist in Neubrandenburg, disputes carried out in journals and pamphlets until the end of his life. His last publication was a 'Letztes Wort' shortly before his death. Wilke was a correspondent for the Leipzig Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung and wrote articles for Caecilia and the Berliner allgemeine musikalische Zeitung. He also wrote a number of specialist books.

Did You Know?

• Wilke invented an instrument for tuning the piano called the Octochord.
• He was sworn in as inspector in organ building matters by the royal government in Potsdam on 24 August 1821.
• He initiated the founding of a masonic lodge in Neuruppin in 1811, officially opened in 1812 as Ferdinand zum Rothen Adler.
• He was awarded the Great Gold Medal for Art and Science in 1830 by King Frederick William IV.
• On his 50th anniversary of service on 27 July 1841, tributes included a banquet and evening fireworks, with a delegation from Spandau and guests including composer Gottfried Wilhelm Fink.