Who are some famous pipe organ composers? The Baroque period (1600-1750) was a very popular time for the pipe organ in Germany. Many famous composers wrote for the organ, including Johann Pachelbel, Georg Friedrich Händel, and of course Johann Sebastian Bach. Organ composition reached new heights as Bach was writing for the instrument. Bach is known for his greatly detailed compositions with lots of notes and ornamentation. This type of ornate style was characteristic of art created during the Baroque period, and is very well-respected to this day. Bach is known for his preludes and fugues for the pipe organ and his unique exploration of harmony in all of his compositions.
Fun Fact: Pipe organs during J.S. Bach's time were pumped manually. Throughout the whole concert or church service, boys or men pumped the organ by hand. Some organs needed so much air that they required as many as 6 pumpers! Today's pipe organs are powered with electricity, so the simple flip of a switch powers the blower to blow air through the organ.
