How did it start that a pipe maker in Germany become so popular in Uilleann piping circles? There are so many very good pipe makers, what made star-makers so popular? This is espacially interesting, IMO, with Andreas Rogge.
Miki
History of Andreas Rogge's Reputation
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Joseph E. Smith
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Re: History of Andreas Rogge's Reputation
I'll bet it's because he makes good instruments.nemethmik wrote:How did it start that a pipe maker in Germany become so popular in Uilleann piping circles?
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Fergmaun
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If you go into google.com and type Andreas Rogge this web site comes up. Press translate and wait for a few sec. Now this German section is in English.
Peter Browne did a RTE radio programme on Andreas Rogge "A pipermakers journey" a few years back. I have an audio tape recording of that radio programme.
Cheers
Ferg
Peter Browne did a RTE radio programme on Andreas Rogge "A pipermakers journey" a few years back. I have an audio tape recording of that radio programme.
Cheers
Ferg
Last edited by Fergmaun on Fri May 11, 2007 3:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Nanohedron
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Re: History of Andreas Rogge's Reputation
No doubt about that, and there's something particular about the way they look, too. Every time I see a set, there's something about it that makes me think of a Rolls Royce: nothing over-the-top, but obviously a thing of class. Might be that German engineering thing.Joseph E. Smith wrote:I'll bet it's because he makes good instruments.nemethmik wrote:How did it start that a pipe maker in Germany become so popular in Uilleann piping circles?
"If you take music out of this world, you will have nothing but a ball of fire." - Balochi musician
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The Sporting Pitchfork
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Some people really like his instruments, others don't. I guess enough people like them that his reputation has grown quite a lot over the years.
Geoff Wooff had to put up with a lot of crap when he started with people in Ireland not believing that somebody in Australia of all places could make a decent set of pipes. I think that thanks to him and Andreas, pipers are a lot more open minded about the idea of quality instruments made in places other than Ireland...In fact, given the current distribution of pipemakers around the world, Ireland could probably use a few more, actually.
Geoff Wooff had to put up with a lot of crap when he started with people in Ireland not believing that somebody in Australia of all places could make a decent set of pipes. I think that thanks to him and Andreas, pipers are a lot more open minded about the idea of quality instruments made in places other than Ireland...In fact, given the current distribution of pipemakers around the world, Ireland could probably use a few more, actually.
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Joseph E. Smith
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My thought on the matter exactly.The Sporting Pitchfork wrote:
Geoff Wooff had to put up with a lot of crap when he started with people in Ireland not believing that somebody in Australia of all places could make a decent set of pipes. I think that thanks to him and Andreas, pipers are a lot more open minded about the idea of quality instruments made in places other than Ireland...
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Ed Harrison
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Joseph E. Smith
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sean an piobaire
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My fellow pipers....
I have to tell you about a conversation I had with Andreas Rogge,
at the San Francisco Piper's Club Tionol back in 1995.
He reminded me of our meeting up at Matt Keirnan's house in Cabra, Dublin, circa 1975.
That was back when he was a long haired "Euro-Hippie" (I think my own hair was "Beatles" length, but we BOTH have short hair cuts, these days).
Anyway, Andreas told me how he was jailed in East Germany for trying to escape to the West, and how he made musical instruments out of various
materials that he could find in the jail.
There were frequent inspections of his cell, and Andreas was able to disassemble his Banjo and other instruments that he made, and quickly hide them, so they wouldn't be confiscated by the UBER STASI.
He finally DID get to the West (I don't remember if he told me the details of that adventure), and because he loved the music of the Irish Pipes, he went to Ireland, and studied with Matt Keirnan, Dan Dowd, and all the rest of the Irish Piping-scene of that (1970s) era.
Now...I would have to say that Andreas Rogge IS a highly motivated individual !!! (HuH ?.... Say what...Yeah!)
I saw Andreas at 2 more S. F. Tionols (1997 & 1999) and the last time I talked to him, he was talking about how he had really TOOLED
up his Pipe making and had hired extra staff for his business, and so on...but he complained that the potential buyers who made inquiry, didn't want to pay for his Irish Pipes in a way that would compensate him for his investment. He said "These same people wouldn't blink twice at the purchase price of a Porsche sports car for themselves, but the Pipes are
supposed to be cheap ! Not my Pipes however, they are the best Pipes I can make" !
Well, I have to say I was really impressed by the stability of his Regulators on a Snakewood C set that I tried.. they were in tune and would not vary in intonation, not even under hard pressure.
Andreas is not only a Pipe maker, he is also a very good Piper as well,
and it shows in the Pipes that he makes.
Wiedersehn ! Meine Dudelsacke kring-schaft !
Sean Folsom
I have to tell you about a conversation I had with Andreas Rogge,
at the San Francisco Piper's Club Tionol back in 1995.
He reminded me of our meeting up at Matt Keirnan's house in Cabra, Dublin, circa 1975.
That was back when he was a long haired "Euro-Hippie" (I think my own hair was "Beatles" length, but we BOTH have short hair cuts, these days).
Anyway, Andreas told me how he was jailed in East Germany for trying to escape to the West, and how he made musical instruments out of various
materials that he could find in the jail.
There were frequent inspections of his cell, and Andreas was able to disassemble his Banjo and other instruments that he made, and quickly hide them, so they wouldn't be confiscated by the UBER STASI.
He finally DID get to the West (I don't remember if he told me the details of that adventure), and because he loved the music of the Irish Pipes, he went to Ireland, and studied with Matt Keirnan, Dan Dowd, and all the rest of the Irish Piping-scene of that (1970s) era.
Now...I would have to say that Andreas Rogge IS a highly motivated individual !!! (HuH ?.... Say what...Yeah!)
I saw Andreas at 2 more S. F. Tionols (1997 & 1999) and the last time I talked to him, he was talking about how he had really TOOLED
up his Pipe making and had hired extra staff for his business, and so on...but he complained that the potential buyers who made inquiry, didn't want to pay for his Irish Pipes in a way that would compensate him for his investment. He said "These same people wouldn't blink twice at the purchase price of a Porsche sports car for themselves, but the Pipes are
supposed to be cheap ! Not my Pipes however, they are the best Pipes I can make" !
Well, I have to say I was really impressed by the stability of his Regulators on a Snakewood C set that I tried.. they were in tune and would not vary in intonation, not even under hard pressure.
Andreas is not only a Pipe maker, he is also a very good Piper as well,
and it shows in the Pipes that he makes.
Wiedersehn ! Meine Dudelsacke kring-schaft !
Sean Folsom
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Gabriel
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I suppose that people who are good in what they're doing automatically become popular with time (i.e. an increasing count of customers who can speak positively about their instruments). As every instrument the pipes are very individual and some people love them and other's don't, but I think that Andreas' "special feature" is that there are more people who love his pipes than people who don't. And that might be the trick.
I don't think that it's important who actually makes the pipes and where (s)he's from. An irish man who's coincidentally named William Rowsome not necessarily makes good pipes (if at all) just because he's irish and has the same name like a famous maker of the past.
Not to say that Andreas is also simply a great chap once he's got his red wine
I don't think that it's important who actually makes the pipes and where (s)he's from. An irish man who's coincidentally named William Rowsome not necessarily makes good pipes (if at all) just because he's irish and has the same name like a famous maker of the past.
Not to say that Andreas is also simply a great chap once he's got his red wine
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Joseph E. Smith
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DIAGONALINE
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I spent a short time in Andreas's workshop making a practice set, it was a great experience red wine, German beer, having my jokes translated into German and dutch by Mikko the Japanese piper, all in a 12C German castle. Sounds surreal but it was very pleasant.
I think it was Gabriel that put me onto the short course Andreas runs every year.
Andreas has convinced the whole of Hunfeld (Frankfurt) that Irish culture is worth studying, they have Bodrhan courses, Irish guitar , irish dancing etc.
Andreas has a natural understanding of materials and how to work them.
He made and played at least four different types of European pipes while i was there.
He also has an interest in perpetual motion machines and hydrogen fuel cells with an eye to the future. His assistants Jens and Anna where a great help as well.
I would recommend anybody having a go if you can get there.
I came home with a hangover and a fine practice set .
Les
I think it was Gabriel that put me onto the short course Andreas runs every year.
Andreas has convinced the whole of Hunfeld (Frankfurt) that Irish culture is worth studying, they have Bodrhan courses, Irish guitar , irish dancing etc.
Andreas has a natural understanding of materials and how to work them.
He made and played at least four different types of European pipes while i was there.
He also has an interest in perpetual motion machines and hydrogen fuel cells with an eye to the future. His assistants Jens and Anna where a great help as well.
I would recommend anybody having a go if you can get there.
I came home with a hangover and a fine practice set .
Les