A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Schulze, J. F. and Sons
SCHULZE, J. F. and Sons, a firm of organbuilders, whose founder, J. F. Schulze, was born at Milbitz-bei-Paulinzella, Thuringia, in 1794, and began his manufactory there in 1825. His first organs were for Horba (with 10 stops), and Milbitz (21 stops). In 1825 he moved to Paulinzella, where his business largely increased. At this period his principal organs were those for Bremen cathedral, and Solingen. In 1851, the firm—then J. F. Schulze and Sons—sent an organ to the International Exhibition in Hyde Park, which obtained a prize medal and was the beginning of much work done for England. This is now in the Town Hall, Northampton. In 1854 they built the great organ in the Marienkirche at Lübeck. J. F. Schulze died in 1858, but was succeeded by his three sons, the most distinguished of whom was Heinrich Edmund, who introduced many new and valuable improvements. On the rebuilding of the parish church of Doncaster, England, after the fire in 1853, the construction of the organ was entrusted to the Schulze firm, and it proved a very great success. Besides this fine instrument, their most important organs are in Bremen, Düsseldorf, Söst, and Aplerbeck. H. E. Schulze died in 1878 at the age of 54, and shortly after, on the death of the surviving brother, the firm ceased to exist.
The Schulzes' organs are most celebrated for their flue-pipes, which are constructed so as to admit as much wind as possible. In order to do this the feet are opened very wide, and the pipes are in consequence cut up unusually high. By this means, with a comparatively low pressure of wind an extraordinarily rich quantity of tone is produced. The Schulzes carried the same principles into their wooden flute pipes. Their organs are also celebrated for their string-toned stops, but the drawback in all of these is a certain slowness in their speech. Besides the organs at Doncaster and Northampton, the Schulzes have instruments in England at churches at Armley; Leeds (in conjunction with Hill); Hindley, Wigan; Tyne Dock, South Shields; Harrogate; also at Northampton Town Hall; Charterhouse School, Godalming; Seaton Carew (Thos. Walker, Esq.). They were also employed by Mr. Hopkins to make some alterations and additions to the organ in the Temple church, London.