University of Michigan Historic Tour LVI: Spain (Catalonia) and France, July 7–22

Oberlin’s Organ Tour de France

Simon Thomas Jacobs

Despite the best efforts of Winter Storm Hercules, all but one of our group of seventeen made it to Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport as scheduled on Friday, January 3. Once we had gathered our luggage, we headed off to our first point of interest: a cemetery . . . where else!?

The cemetery at Montparnasse is the final resting place of a number of notable figures from French history and culture. Among the graves we visited were those of Jean-Paul Sartre, Louis Vierne, César Franck, and the tombs of the Cavaillé-Coll, Saint-Saëns, and Guilmant families. Interestingly enough, while the map at the entrance to the cemetery (marking the burial locations of those considered worthy of listing) includes Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, César Franck, and Camille Saint-Saëns, Louis Vierne and Alexandre Guilmant were not listed. Fortunately, Professor James David Christie knew where they were and many a photograph was taken!

We then took the wonderful Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV)—France’s high-speed rail service—for a three-and-a-half-hour trip to Bordeaux where, after a glass (or two!) of wine, we rested in preparation for what would be a life-changing two weeks for all involved.

 

Bordeaux

The next morning, we rose early and made our way to the eleventh-century abbey of Sainte-Croix, home to the only remaining instrument of Dom Bedos, a monk and secretary of the abbey as well as a mathematician, clock builder, and author of the monumental treatise The Organ-Maker’s Art. We gathered in the large church as Professor Christie demonstrated the instrument with Louis Marchand’s Grand Dialogue in C. It was clear from the first few notes on the mighty reed chorus, the Grand Jeu, that this organ was to set the tone (no pun intended!) for our entire visit. It is impossible to describe just how powerful this instrument is—it must be heard to be believed. The entire space was filled with a raw brilliance supported by one of the finest acoustics I have ever experienced. Next we heard the instrument’s other “big” chorus—the Grand Plein Jeu—made up of foundations and mixtures. On this instrument the Grand Plein Jeu is built on a 32′ foundation and its 23 ranks of mixtures produce thrilling and rich sound.

The original instrument was constructed in 1748; during the nineteenth century it was moved to the cathedral in Bordeaux and tonally romanticized, while the organ’s case remained in the abbey church, now fitted with the former cathedral organ. Thankfully, the organ was saved in the second half of the twentieth century and restored and returned to the abbey church, with Dom Bedos’s aforementioned treatise acting as an incredibly detailed guide as to what should be done. As part of this restoration, the red paint that then covered the case was stripped, initially so that the case could be repainted. In the process, the instrument’s original green was revealed along with the beautiful stop labeling at the console. As a result, we have today one of the finest and most aurally and visually beautiful organs in all of Europe, if not the world.

After hearing the instrument in the church, we made our way up to the large organ gallery, walking through the enormous blower room (where, before electricity, the instrument required seven people to pump it!), eventually arriving at the exquisite five-manual console: Positif de dos; Grand-Orgue; Bombarde; Récit; Echo. The Positif de dos and Grand-Orgue contain the majority of stops. The Bomdarde contains only two large reed stops—this was for practical reasons concerning the winding of the instrument. Nevertheless, the Bombarde can be coupled down to the Grand-Orgue to create an astonishing Grand Jeu chorus built on the 16′ reed. This is neither common nor necessarily appropriate for a majority of the so-called French Classical repertoire, but used judiciously and in the right pieces, this registration creates one of the greatest sounds in all organ music.

Perhaps the most “alien” aspect of the French Classical organ is the Pédale division. Unlike its German or Dutch counterparts, the pedalboard and stops of a French Classical instrument are not designed for counterpoint, but to provide a bass part centered around an 8′ flute pitch (with occasional 16′ pitch added by use of manual couplers) or to play the cantus firmus on the 8′ Trompette, accompanied by the Plein Jeu of the manuals. In the case of the Sainte-Croix Dom Bedos, the Pédale division has both flue and reed stops at 16′ pitch as well, but this was by no means common. We all had some challenges negotiating the odd pedalboard at Sainte-Croix: not only was its design different from anything else we had ever encountered, its compass stretched down to F below the C where modern pedalboards stop. This meant that no note was where we thought it should be! That being said, the mighty 16′ Pédale Bombarde extended down to low A, allowing Bach’s French-inspired Pièce d’orgue, BWV 572, with the usually unplayable low B in the middle section, to be played on this instrument. As with everything on this organ, the sound of these low reed notes was something to experience!

We were incredibly fortunate to spend the entire day and much of the evening with this wonderful instrument and were soon to discover that the organ’s uncompromising mechanical action and the church’s glorious acoustic could teach us a great deal about how to play—certainly something that would be a recurring theme throughout the trip. I should also mention that the food and wine in Bordeaux were exquisite, and I could not help but think of Julia Child—it was easy to see why she fell in love with French cuisine!

The next morning, a number of the group attended Sunday Mass at Sainte-Croix. Titular organist Paul Goussot, a winner of the improvisation prize at St. Albans in 2011, and the winner of the Haarlem International Organ Improvisation Competition in 2012, improvised brilliantly during the Mass. 

Then we took the train to the city of Toulouse, in southwest France, near the Spanish border. Toulouse is, without a doubt, one of the great organ “capitals” of the world, and we had four days to explore some of its treasures.

 

Toulouse

Following a wonderful supper of bread, cheese, foie gras, and “king’s cakes” (in honor of the Epiphany) at the home of Michel Bouvard, as well as a private fortepiano performance by Madame Yasuko Bouvard, we made our way to the stunning Romanesque Basilica of Saint-Sernin, where Professor Bouvard is titulaire. The organ, built in 1889, was among the last instruments of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll and, for many of us, the first Cavaillé-Coll we had ever encountered “in the flesh.” Although based in Paris for most of his professional career, Aristide Cavaillé-Coll was originally from Toulouse and came from a family of organ builders. From the age of twenty, he worked with his father; this included restoring a number of instruments in Spain. The Spanish influence can be seen in a number of Cavaillé-Coll’s instruments that make use of en chamade reeds, and Saint-Sernin is no exception.

Saint-Sernin is a vast church with an incredibly long nave extending into a choir that certainly had an influence on Cavaillé-Coll’s concept for the organ. There is one word to describe the tutti of the Saint-Sernin Cavaillé-Coll: TERRIFYING! The huge wall of sound produced was definitely intended to travel from the organ gallery to the high altar, and it does so with ease. That being said, Professor Bouvard treated us to a spectacular performance of César Franck’s Grand Pièce Symphonique in which we also heard the more lyrical side of this outstanding organ.

Every evening during our time in Toulouse, we had unfettered access to the organ in Saint-Sernin, which, while very different from the Dom Bedos in Bordeaux, also had a great deal to teach. Much of the time was spent adjusting to the large space, Barker-lever action, and a very heavy swell shoe! As was the case with nearly all the organs we played, “inflicting one’s self” was not an option—you had to listen, feel, and respond to what the instrument and room were telling you in order to achieve the most satisfying musical results. It was also huge fun to “let rip” on full organ, although after 11 p.m. the tutti had to be used sparingly owing to its audibility throughout most of the surrounding area.

While the name of Cavaillé-Coll is well known among organists throughout the world, the name of Théodore Puget is perhaps not quite so well known. . . but it should be! We encountered two instruments by the Toulouse-based organ builder in his native city: Notre Dame du Taur—Puget’s first large instrument in the city, inaugurated by Guilmant in 1880; and Notre Dame de la Dalbade, inaugurated by Widor in 1888. We were all in awe of these exceptionally fine instruments placed in churches with glorious acoustics. In contrast to the fiery directness of the Cavaillé-Coll in Saint-Sernin that bellows “I’m here,” the two Puget instruments enveloped the listener with a far warmer sound. While perfect for the music of the great French Romantic composers, it was unfortunate that none of us had brought along any Howells or Whitlock, which would work equally well. Sadly, Puget never built a major instrument in Paris owing to Cavaillé-Coll’s monopoly in that city.

We also spent time at the church of Saint-Pierre des Chartreux, home to a four-manual French Classical instrument dating from 1683, with rebuilds in 1783 and 1983. While more modest in scale than the instrument at Sainte-Croix, it was perfectly suited to the ornate Baroque church and gave us another chance to work on our French-Classical pedaling!

On the evening of Wednesday, January 8, four students—Nicholas Capozzoli, Mitchell Miller, Alcee Chris, and I—performed a short concert at the Musée des Augustins. This former monastery, which was used to store horses during the French Revolution, became a museum in the nineteenth century and is home to a North-German influenced organ built in 1981 by Jürgen Ahrend. It was here that we probably encountered the largest acoustic of our entire visit—nine seconds, which would have been closer to twelve were it not for an exhibition at the back of the space.

This was followed by a visit and reception held at Toulouse les Orgues, headquarters for the annual organ festival that brings countless organ enthusiasts to visit the numerous musical masterpieces of this city. The festival staff, headed by Yves Rechsteiner, is housed in the former Church of the Gesu, a stunning Victorian Gothic edifice. The rear gallery of the nave houses a modest two-manual Cavaillé-Coll organ in absolutely original condition.

The next day we took the train to Albi, whose cathedral dedicated to St. Cecilia—claimed to be the largest brick building in the world—is home to one of the most impressive organ cases in Europe. At the neighboring (and considerably smaller) church of Saint-Salvy, parts of which date back to the eighth century, we heard the 1930 Maurice (grandson of Théodore) Puget organ. While containing some seventeenth-century pipework and being housed in the original case (which had once been in the cathedral) this was certainly a twentieth-century instrument in the French-Romantic style.

We then returned to Toulouse; a small group of us visited the church of Saint- Nicholas, home to an 1844 organ by Callinet. This was certainly one of the hidden gems of the trip—an instrument indebted to its French-Classical predecessors, but also looking forward to the larger romantic instruments that would follow it, particularly in its foundation and solo voices.

We then took the TGV to the city of Poitiers—the birthplace of Louis Vierne. We made our way to the beautiful cathedral, home to the 1791 François-Henri Clicquot organ—one of the crown jewels of all the organs in France. Compared with the “rustic” and almost bombastic Dom Bedos in Bordeaux, this instrument was incredibly refined, with a sweet, singing tone, even in the Grand Jeu. It was therefore not surprising to learn that this is the same Clicquot family who make the famous Veuve Clicquot champagne—everything about the instrument suggested elegance and class. Our gracious host was the cathedral organist, Olivier Houette. A couple of hours later we arrived in Paris, where we were to spend the remainder of our visit. 

The next morning we took a train to the small town of Houdan, about 40 miles west of Paris, to visit the church of Saint-Christophe Saint-Jacques and play the church’s Louis-Alexandre Clicquot (father of François-Henri) organ. This was certainly an unexpected highlight of the whole trip: the instrument has remained almost completely untouched since it was built in 1734, with some of the pipework dating from as far back as 1667, making it one of the most ancient instruments in France. Sadly, this is only one of a handful of such instruments in the Paris area that survived the French Revolution. The sound of the instrument was absolutely exquisite and it was a joy to play; the pitch (ca. A=390) and meantone temperament added additional spice and color. Its modest size also made it particularly suited to playing the works of earlier French Classical composers such as Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers, François Couperin, and Nicolas de Grigny (to name but a few), despite having been constructed relatively late in the period. The organ was demonstrated by its titulaire, Régis Allard. In addition to its delightful organ, Saint-Christophe Saint-Jacques also had the distinction of being the coldest church we had visited to date, making all that French ornamentation a little tricky!

On our return to Paris, we stopped in Versailles. After a private tour of the King’s and Queen’s Apartments and the Hall of Mirrors, our host and organist of the Royal Chapel at Versailles, Jean-Baptiste Robin, gave us a wonderful demonstration of the 1994 Bertrand Cattiaux organ, which is housed in the original and lavish 1709 case. Although a modern instrument, it is a faithful reconstruction of what would have reigned supreme in the early eighteenth century. Sadly, the original Robert Clicquot of 1711 was subjected to a number of changes over the centuries eventually being replaced by a Cavaillé-Coll which was, in turn, rebuilt by Gonzales. 

The chapel itself is a fascinating space, and it would be impossible to describe in words just how beautiful and ornate it is. For one, there are no “hard” edges—everything, including the organ case, is curved—quite a contrast to the more conservative cases in Houdan and Poitiers. Unusually, the organ is above the altar, but it is customary in French churches for the organ to be behind the congregation, and in the Royal Chapel, the congregation faced the King, who would be seated in a gallery at the back of the chapel, facing the altar and the organ. Jean-Baptiste also informed us that the Holy Trinity is very important to French Roman Catholics and drew our attention to a number of allusions to the Holy Trinity in the Royal Chapel. He went onto say that it is perhaps not coincidental that the French-inspired organ works of J. S. Bach, namely Pièce d’orgue, BWV 572, and the Prelude and Fugue in E-flat, BWV 552, can also be viewed in a Trinitarian light.

 

Paris

On our only Sunday in Paris, we were encouraged to attend Mass at one of the city’s many churches. While some opted to go to Notre Dame or Saint-Sulpice, a few of us went to the church of Saint-Gervais, perhaps most famous for its association with the Couperin family who served as organists of the church for almost 200 years. The church was full for this celebration of the Mass in French. One of the most pleasant surprises was the music: although the organ provided a number of interludes at certain points of the liturgy in a variety of styles, a majority of the service was sung without accompaniment. While the singing was led by a large chorus of nuns, it was wonderful to hear the congregation joining in enthusiastically. Perhaps the most unusual, yet incredibly effective and beautiful moment of the service was during the Eucharistic prayer, when the clergy around the altar started singing in three-part harmony, accompanied by slow moving chords hummed by the nuns. It was nice to be involved in a real French parish Mass and to see that, although very different to what the Couperins would have known, music still plays an important part in the life of the parish.

Later that afternoon we made our way to La Madeleine for an organ recital performed by Vincent Grappy. It was quite a welcome surprise to see the church almost full—several even likened the audience size to an AGO convention recital. This magnificent church is perhaps most famous for hosting the premiere of Fauré’s Requiem, and we even had a chance to briefly glance at the intact Cavaillé-Coll choir organ which was used at that performance. 

Following the recital, it was time to make our pilgrimage to perhaps one of the most famous and important (especially for organists) Parisian churches—Saint- Sulpice. We received a warm welcome from the present titulaire, Daniel Roth, one of a line of distinguished musicians who have held this important and coveted post. Both Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers and Louis-Nicolas Clérambault were organists there, although neither knew the present building that was commenced in the middle of the 17th century and finally completed 100 years later. The great five-manual, 64-stop organ by François-Henri Clicquot was dedicated in 1781. It was reported that Clicquot was so happy with the results that he danced for joy during the dedication, and the organ became very famous throughout Europe. The organ survived the French Revolution in 1789 thanks to a blind organ pumper who, wishing to save the instrument, cleverly stamped the official seal of the government on the door to the gallery, making it seem as though that part of the church had already been inspected and approved.

Mendelssohn visited the church in 1833, and it was clear that the organ was in desperate need of restoration, with the renowned composer likening its sound to a choir of old women! In 1835, the builder Callinet began a restoration project that took ten years; it was ultimately unsuccessful and left him bankrupt. In 1854, one of the priests at Saint-Sulpice, a great admirer and friend of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, declared that such a beautiful church needed two beautiful organs. And so it was that Cavaillé-Coll began work on the instrument in 1857. When it was completed five years later it was one of the three largest organs in the world. By retaining all of the Clicquot stops—which account for about 40 percent of the instrument—Cavaillé-Coll not only demonstrated his respect for the craft of his predecessors but also created an instrument that successfully melds old and new styles into a coherent whole.

If there was one thing we learned about Cavaillé-Coll, it was that he was a consummate artist whose concept was perfectly suited to the space for which it was intended. While he had very little to do with the actual building of his instruments, the concepts were his and he knew just whom to employ to get the results he wanted. This project was clearly very important to Cavaillé-Coll: following the aborted Callinet project that had cost the church a fortune, with nothing to show for it, Cavaillé-Coll’s initial proposal was for a four-manual, 74-stop instrument. Over time, the instrument grew larger with the addition of a fifth manual and 26 more stops—none of which had been contracted or paid for. It is no surprise that Cavaillé-Coll was often close to bankruptcy with many of his projects, but if he had not cared so much, we probably would not have some of the great instruments we have today.

After Saint-Sernin, we were all rather surprised at how elegant and soft-spoken the Saint-Sulpice Cavaillé-Coll was in comparison, even the tutti. The overall tone was darker and more rounded than Saint-Sernin, and this seemed totally in tune with the majestic building, creating a wash of sound that filled the room rather than launching a battery of sound directly to the other end of it. Another contributing factor to the sound is the enormous case, with its huge 32′ façade pipes and colossal statues, keeping the sound contained to a certain extent.

Finally, a lucky few had the opportunity to play the instrument, and it was such a privilege to be able to hear the sounds Widor and Dupré knew and worked with. I played Dupré’s exquisite Prelude and Fugue in F minor, op. 7, no. 2. I had been warned that after playing this piece at Saint-Sulpice it would be difficult to play it anywhere else, and after hearing the first few sixteenth notes of the Prelude, on the 8′ Gamba and 2′ Octavin of the distant Récit, I understood—the eerie sound combined with the building’s acoustic was like nothing I had ever encountered before.

The vast five-manual console required some getting used to; the Récit is the fourth manual—it used to be the fifth (!)—and therefore presented the more vertically challenged among us with quite an extensive reach. At one point, Monsieur Roth kindly held on to my shoulders to prevent me falling off the bench while both hands were playing on the Récit! He was also gracious enough to operate the hitch-down swell pedal which, being located to the far right of the console, would have required my left foot to be considerably busier than it wanted to be. Cavaillé-Coll used these until 1870, when he introduced the more convenient but certainly less expressive balanced swell pedal. 

Upon playing a wrong note, I apologized, but was told by Monsieur Roth, “Don’t worry, he [Dupré] is not here, but with Widor, we have to be far more careful . . .” Yes, Widor’s tomb is down in the crypt and we were taken down to pay homage, following our evening with Professor Roth.

The next morning we made our way to the church of Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile to hear and play the church’s Bernard Aubertin organ, in North-German Baroque style. This is one of the finest of its kind in Paris and somewhat of a rarity. It was a welcome palate cleanser at this point of the trip to hear the sound of baroque-inspired principals and a particularly beautiful double-flute stop.

Having never been inside Notre Dame, a number of us stopped in briefly to gaze in awe at the gorgeous stained glass of one of the most famous buildings in the world. Unfortunately, the main organ was then undergoing restoration work and was unplayable. We then headed up to La Trinité, the church of Guilmant and, more recently, Olivier Messiaen.

This was somewhat of a pilgrimage for me personally, being particularly devoted to the music of Messiaen, and upon arrival at the church, I was greeted with a deeply moving vision: it had been raining, but as I approached the church, the sun came out, and a perfect rainbow appeared over the church—it could not have been more appropriate with Messiaen’s love of nature and the importance of color in his music.

The organ’s curator, Olivier Glandaz, was our host and had been a close friend of Messiaen. The organ has been well cared for and is in excellent condition. It was incredibly special to be able to hear Messiaen’s music on his organ, the combination of instrument and room creating what I can only describe as a glorious “shimmer.”

Day 12 was spent in the old French town of Rouen, perhaps most famous for being the place of Joan of Arc’s martyrdom. It is also home to Cavaillé-Coll’s last organ—the mighty four-manual instrument in the former Abbey Church of Saint-Ouen, which knocked the church in Houdan to second place as the coldest building of the entire trip! While in need of thorough restoration, it was wonderful to hear (and play) this “Grand Old Lady,” and yes, that 32′ reed really is as earth shattering as it sounds on recordings! Our hosts were the titular organist Marie-Andrée Morisset-Balier and her husband, trumpet virtuoso Michel Morisset.

Upon our return to Paris, we visited the van der Heuvel organ at Saint-Eustache, beautifully demonstrated for us by Vincent Crosnier, Jean Guillou’s assistant. 

Our penultimate day in France began at the Paris Regional Conservatory where those students who didn’t perform in Toulouse played a concert on the school’s Grenzing organ—the same instrument used for the preliminary rounds of the Chartres International Organ Competition. The performers were Richard Gray, Rees Roberts, Abraham Ross, Jillian Gardner, Albert Bellefeuille, Matthew Buller, Donald VerKuilen, and Jay Yau. Following the concert, Sylvie Mallet, the current professor of organ, and Marie-Louise Langlais, professor emerita of organ, were our hosts and joined us for lunch at a small restaurant that was once frequented by the likes of Debussy, Ravel, and Poulenc.

That afternoon, we visited the church of Saint-Roch where Claude-Bénigne Balbastre, Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wely, and Pierre Cochereau are among its most notable titulaires. The instrument, built by Cavaillé-Coll but retaining all the reeds from the previous Clicquot organ, is equally suited to French Classical music as it is to French Romantic music. The magnificent oak case also dates from the original Clicquot organ and contained the only clock we had seen which actually worked! While the music of Lefébure-Wely may not be all that sophisticated, hearing it on this thrilling instrument, in the highly-ornate Baroque church only a short walk from the Paris Opera certainly helped to put the music in context. Our host was the present titulaire, Françoise Levéchin-Gangloff.

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint-Denis was our final stop for the day. This former Benedictine Abbey—the first gothic building in the world—was incredibly powerful in its day and is particularly famous for being the final resting place of the French Kings. This association with French royalty, however, meant that it suffered greatly during the Revolution. One of the most damaging occurrences was the removal of the abbey’s roof (almost certainly so it could be melted down and made into other things), leaving the large and fine eighteenth-century organ open to the elements for twenty years. This organ was eventually removed in the hope that it would be restored one day, but it ended up being poorly stored and was entirely lost. It is quite likely that much of the instrument still exists in pieces throughout the organs of Paris, but we shall never know for certain.

In 1833, the French State decided to have a new organ built for this important church, and the 22-year-old Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, who had just moved from Toulouse to Paris (at the suggestion of Rossini), submitted a proposal that won the contract. The organ was eventually completed in 1841, having been delayed due to the lack of an organ case, which was the responsibility of the church’s architect. The delay, however, worked in Cavaillé-Coll’s favor because it was during this time that he met Charles Barker. Owing to the size of the instrument, the mechanical action was incredibly stiff and heavy, but the new “machine” of Charles Barker changed all this.

The Saint-Denis Cavaillé-Coll, while by no means perfect, was revolutionary in organ building and was the prototype for everything that followed, especially in Cavaillé-Coll’s own work. Not only was it the first instrument to make use of the new Barker machine, it also had the first harmonic flute and trumpet stops. That being said, Cavaillé-Coll never cited the instrument as one of which he was particularly proud.

Pierre Pincemaille has been titulaire at Saint-Denis since 1987 and is one of the greatest improvisers in the world, having studied with the legendary Pierre Cochereau. He improvised for us on the hymn tune Down Ampney, enabling us to hear the many colors of this important instrument.

Our final day in Paris began at Saint-Gervais, where everyone had the opportunity to see and play the 1768 François-Henri Clicquot organ, which retains much pipework from the c. 1680 organ of François Thierry. Here again, while several of us had the opportunity to listen to the organ during Sunday liturgy, now we all had the unique opportunity to experience the masterpiece firsthand.

That afternoon, we reconvened at the Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde—set back almost out of sight except for its two spires, which can be glimpsed on the Paris skyline. A number of great organists have been associated with this famous church: César Franck, Charles Tournemire, and Jean Langlais. Sadly, very little of the organ Franck knew remains, the instrument having been electrified and, beginning with Tournemire, altered tonally to embrace the aesthetics of the new neo-classical movement. Nevertheless, it was interesting to hear the music of Tournemire and Langlais on the instrument for which it was conceived. The original Franck console is now in a museum in Belgium, having been bequeathed by Tournemire to his friend, Flor Peeters. The organ was rebuilt in 1999–2005 by former titulaire, the late Jacques Taddei, with the addition of two new consoles, a 32′ Contra Bombarde, and a Trompette-en-chamade, placed on the floor of the second gallery at the location of the old console.

And so, as our two weeks drew to a close, we arrived at the final church of our visit, Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, where Monsieur and Madame Maurice Duruflé had spent many years working and living in a small apartment just across the street. It felt especially humbling to be so “close” to these two towering figures in the world of organ music, and while we all have our favorites, I’m not sure I can think of anyone who doesn’t adore the music of Monsieur and the playing of Madame.

The church itself is very elegant—not unlike Duruflé’s music—and is home to the only rood screen (a beautiful, stone structure) and the oldest organ case in Paris, dating from 1633. Duruflé was also influenced by the neo-classical movement and this can be heard in the clear and bright sound of the instrument, making it especially good for counterpoint. After a stunning improvisation by Thierry Escaich on “Happy Birthday” (performed in honor of Donald VerKuilen’s 19th birthday), Alcee Chris performed Duruflé’s Toccata from Suite, op. 5, and Nicholas Capozzoli performed Escaich’s Évocation II for the composer.

I shall confess that writing this report has been incredibly difficult. It is almost impossible to express in words all that we experienced and learned on this amazing trip. One could easily write an entire article on just one of these churches and its rich musical and cultural heritage—we visited 31 organs in 13 days! Nevertheless, it is my hope that this overview will inspire further research—the Internet has a wealth of information and recordings of almost all the instruments we visited—and if you are able, go to France to see these masterpieces for yourself. We could not have been more warmly welcomed and it was clear that all those whom we met were very proud of their history and delighted to share it with others. Just be prepared to do LOTS of walking! 

by Kay McAfee

The Eighth Biennial French Organ Music Seminar attracted 60 registrants for a commemoration of the centennial of the death of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. Hearing, playing, and studying the music written for the great instruments of Paris, Rouen, and Toulouse formed the focal point of the two-week schedule. French Classical and modern instruments at Versailles, Chartres, Bordeaux, Cintegabelle, and Albi rounded out the itinerary. Five recitals and three masterclasses by and for participants climaxed the events. The legacy of Cavaillé-Coll's work and influence was made vivid especially for those experiencing the instruments for the first time--from the first large-instrument contract for Saint-Denis (1841), the transitional La Madeleine organ (1845), to the late Saint-Ouen instrument (Rouen, 1890). His respect for the work of predecessors such as Thierry, Dom Bedos and Clicquot is reflected in the preservation of pipework for instruments restored after the damage left behind during the French Revolution. Cavaillé-Coll's close relationship with the premier organist/composers of his generation who were inspired by his instruments was made apparent many times over.

 

Even the finest recordings pale when compared to the experience of being present within the acoustical environments of these magnificent instruments.  The initial experience of hearing the Grande Orgues of Paris played by their artist-curators--the effect of the near-Positiv and distant Récit, the solid depth of bass voices, the reverberation through the vast naves--was moving beyond description.

Prior to and during the seminar, participants studied improvisation and repertoire both privately and in groups with master teachers including Marie-Louise Langlais, Daniel Roth, Susan Landale, Naji Hakim, and Marie-Bernadette Dufourcet. Lectures on the history of each church and its instrument were followed by a demonstration and improvisation by the titulaire organist. Participants also enjoyed hearing a wide variety of examples of French Romantic and Classical literature from one another. Generous playing time was allowed at each venue.

At the Paris Conservatory organ recital hall, Dallas flutist Debra Johnson played a virtuosic new work for flute and piano by Naji Hakim, accompanied by the composer. Marie-Louise Langlais introduced François Espinasse, titulaire organist at Saint-Severin, who conducted the first masterclass which addressed French Classical music. His comments focused on correct registration and the careful and sensitive employment of the French manner. Mme. Langlais gave to the participants an extensive handout on registration and interpretation.

Saint-Roch was the next stop for a recital by David Erwin who played works by Clérambault, Balbastre, and Langlais. Lefébure-Wély, at age 15, assumed the organist position there in 1832. The instrument dates from 1751 with several rebuilds, including one by Cavaillé-Coll 1840-1862.

At Notre-Dame-de-Paris, the group gathered in the organ loft for Philippe Lefebrve's demonstration of the famous Cavaillé-Coll in this most famous of churches. Lefebrve's exciting improvisation began with employment of Clicquot pipework--a Grand Plein Jeu with pedal en chamade. Next, an Adagio with variously the Voix humaine, Doublette, Cromorne, Hautbois, Strings, and double pedal. A Flute Scherzo with Vox Humana countermelody in the pedal was followed by a lively march with Trompette long-note melody in the pedals. The stirring finale was built from Fonds+Reeds+Cornets to full organ with pizzicato pedal sprinkled throughout.

In the loft at La Trinité, titulaire organist Naji Hakim, protégé of Langlais, and Messiaen's chosen successor, told of Guilmant's collaboration with Cavaillé-Coll for the 1871 instrument. Hakim, a charming man, successful composer, and virtuoso organist, spoke with great reverence of his predecessor, Olivier Messiaen. He played two unpublished early Messaien works, Offrande and Prélude, which showed influence of Fauré and Debussy. Amid telling delightful stories and putting off the vacuum-cleaner-wielding sexton, he played portions of his own Sinfonia and a new piece, Chant de Joie. He then assisted participants in trying the organ.

The first participants' recital, open to the public at Saint-Roch, featured nine performers in a program of Clérambault, Boëllmann, Balbastre, Dupré, de Grigny, Widor, Langlais, and Saint-Saëns.

Notre-Dame-des-Champs was Ca-vaillé-Coll's parish church. Today the two-manual mechanical action organ, with Barker machine and Appel lever, is 90% original Cavaillé-Coll pipework. Titulaire organist Marie-Bernadette Dufourcet demonstrated the beautiful Flûte Harmonique and rich Montre of the Grand Orgue division and improvised on Fonds and Anches. She played portions of pieces by seminar director Christina Harmon, herself, her husband Naji Hakim, and René Vierne, who was organist at the church before his death in WWI.

At The American Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (Episcopal), Ned Tipton, organist of the cathedral, explained the varied history of the 1845 Cavaillé-Coll organ and later rebuilds and additions by Mutin, Henry Willis, and others. The west-gallery 1970 neo-Baroque organ, added as an aid to congregational singing, was eventually revoiced and brought into compliance with the chancel instrument. To demonstrate the diversity of the organ, Mr. Tipton played works of Bach, Sowerby, and Duruflé. A masterclass followed, conducted by Lynne Davis, with participants playing works by Franck, Vierne, Dupré, Widor, and Tournemire. Miss Davis' succinct comments focused primarily on tempo, phrasing, articulation, and delineation of form. Following the masterclass, David Wilson, retired professor of music history and early-music ensemble director at Dalhousie University in Halifax, presented a lecture on the French Romantic Organ School.

The historically rich Schola Cantorum, located in what was an English Benedictine monastery, was founded by Guilmant in 1896 for the restoration of Gregorian chant after Solesmes, and for fostering the heritage of the organ in that tradition. A temple of "non-official"  music, it nurtured students such as Debussy, Milhaud and Roussel. Teachers have included Vierne, the Duruflés, Grunenwald, and Langlais. The organ, designed by Guilmant, who played the inaugural recital, is a 1902 three-manual Mutin after Cavaillé-Coll. Mutin worked for Cavaillé-Coll and took over the company after Cavaillé-Coll's death. Participants were treated to a fine recital by Lázló Deák, competition-winner and student of Mme Langlais.  Repertoire included works of Guilmant, Vierne, Duruflé, Grunenwald, Messiaen, Litaize, and Langlais.

Also at the Schola Cantorum, Marie-Louise Langlais conducted a master class on the Franck Choral in E Major and Cantabile, Duruflé Veni Creator Variations, Widor Salve Regina, Langlais Fantasie, and Vierne Prélude from Symphony #1. Besides telling of the rich history of the school's site and heritage and the attributes of the organ, she wove stories and anecdotes of Franck, Sainte-Clotilde, Messiaen, Duruflé, Litaize, and Langlais for performers and audience.

The Sainte-Clotilde Cavaillé-Coll was demonstrated by Jacques Taddei, titulaire organist and current director of the Paris Regional Conservatory. After playing the Franck B-minor Choral he demonstrated the colors of the organ beginning with Grand Plein Jeu (of Baroque influence from Dom Bedos) the Positiv Clarinet (Cromorne) which was moved to the Récit by Tournemire but later moved back to the Positiv, Fonds 8¢ with Oboe, Great and Positiv Trompettes, all reeds together, solo reeds Oboe, Vox Humana, Trompette; and the  Grand Orgue, Récit, and Positiv Harmonique Flûtes. He improvised on two melodies: Amazing Grace and the refrain of  Battle Hymn of the Republic--chosen by Marie-Louise Langlais for all of the Americans present. It is among the "sweetest" of Cavaillé-Coll instruments (1859), reworked by Beuchet-Debièrre in 1933 and 1960 and Barberis in 1983. The console was electrified after WWII. The assertive unenclosed Positiv, forward in the case, contrasts greatly with the recessed Recit, a factor affecting registration of Franck's music on American organs. We would return to Sainte-Clotilde to play the organ and hear an impressive participants' recital of music by Franck, Boëllmann, Tournemire, Dubois, Guilmant, Vierne, and Langlais.

Michel Chapuis was the host at the Palace of Louis XIV at Versailles.  In the royal apartments he demonstrated an 18th-century harpsichord (Blanchet) and chamber organ. The highlight of the visit was his demonstration of the magnificent organ in the chapel. After his presentation, members of the group were able to play briefly.

Philippe Brandeis, titulaire organist at Sacre-Coeur and co-titulaire at Les Invalides, demonstrated the organ at the beautifully resonant chapel at Les Invalides (Church of the Dome). The chapel, built in 1675 by Louis XIV, is now reserved for military events and services and is the seat of the bishop of the military. An organ was finished in 1687 (Thierry) and LeBegue played there for the king. The organ had a checkered history throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, and in 1957 was reconstructed after Sainte-Clotilde, though the present instrument is considered neo-classic with only one stop left of the original. Brandeis played the Duruflé Sicilienne and The World Awaiting the Savior by Dupré.

The noble chestnut trees of the cloister of Saint-Severin welcomed us to the architecturally eclectic church in the heart of the Latin Quarter of Paris. A walk from the West end pillars to the apse ambulatory columns and new stained glass designs is for the eye a short journey from the 13th to the 20th century. François Espinasse, titulaire organist, demonstrated the 1964 Kern (case from the original 1745 instrument) with flutes, cornets, and Basse de Trompette. Assisted by Espinasse and David Erwin, participants played Bach, Couperin, LeBegue, Raison, and deGrigny.

Our next stop, Saint-Sulpice, a mammoth Roman-style church with interior arches and huge paintings, boasts a Cavaillé-Coll of five manuals and 102 stops. Daniel Roth, titulaire organist, presented an excellent history of the organ. Its original Cavaillé-Coll mechanical-action console and preserved pipework are due in large part to the legacy of two organists, Widor and Dupré, whose combined, unbroken tenure there spanned 100 years. Despite protests that he "played too much like a German," Widor was appointed "interim" organist at Saint-Sulpice at age 26 upon the strength of Cavaillé-Coll's recommendation. He stayed for 63 years. Cavaillé-Coll retained the 1781 Clicquot pipework from the instrument which miraculously escaped desecration during the Revolution. Roth played an extended recital including Guilmant First Movement from Sonata #5, Widor Scherzo and a Fugue in A Minor. After demonstrating the Grand Jeu and other combinations, he concluded with an improvisation to demonstrate all the solo colors, strings, flutes, and tutti. Ample opportunity for all to play this great instrument was provided later in the week, with M. Roth assisting on the bench.

François-Henri Houbart, 20 years the titulaire organist at La Madeleine, discussed the considerable visibility of the church and its 1845 Cavaillé-Coll in terms of its history of celebrity organist-composers: Saint-Saëns, Fauré, Nadia Boulanger, Gigout, Dallier, Jeanne Demessieux, and Odile Pierre, and of the state occasions observed there. Many great musicians played the organ, including Frederick Chopin, Clara Schumann, and Anton Rubenstein. The organ was Cavaillé-Coll's second large instrument after Saint-Denis and is reminiscent of the French Classical design, with Plein jeu principals after Dom Bedos. There is no cromorne or cornet. The voix celeste is in the Positiv rather than in the Récit, and the Positiv is placed above the Grand Orgue. Its four-manual console is electrified, and 46 of the original 48 stops are preserved. Houbart demonstrated the organ with a long improvisation, delighting and amusing his audience, on the theme from "Dallas." Afterwards he assisted participants for playing time.

The visit to Chartres, site of renowned international organ competitions on the Danion-Gonzalez reconstructed organ of 1969-71, proved more than just the opportunity to hear and play the organ. This Queen of Gothic Cathedrals stands above all others as witness to and testament of the Age of Faith. Malcolm Miller, who has made a career studying and lecturing on the Chartres Cathedral, gave a guided tour especially for FOMS participants. Its 400 stained-glass windows, unparalleled in beauty, and the 4000+ sculptures which adorn the exterior capture and mesmerize all who journey there. Tourist traffic has failed to destroy its atmosphere and radiance.

 On the northern environs of Paris, titularie organist Pierre Pincemaille was our host at the ancient basilica church of Saint-Denis, the place of coronation and burial for centuries of French kings. It was here where the influential Abbot Suger instructed his architect to open up the apse ambulatory to light and space. The resulting gothic arches and provision for walls of colored glass realized Suger's belief that God can be known through beauty on earth. The nave is wide and "open." The 1841 Cavaillé-Coll instrument, his first in Paris and first to use the Barker lever, was restored in 1987 by Boisseau.

On Sunday morning, participants had opportunity to hear our French hosts improvise and preside from their organ lofts: Lefebvre for hundreds of tourists at the Notre Dame Gregorian Mass, Espinasse at Saint-Severin, Pincemaille at Saint-Denis, Taddei at Sainte-Clotilde, Dufourcet at Notre-Dame-des-Champs, Fréderic Blanc at Notre Dame d'Auteil, and Roth at Saint-Sulpice.

At St-Etienne-du-Mont, Maurice Duruflé's church, titulaire organist Thierry Escaich demonstrated the 1863 Cavaillé-Coll. The four-manual organ of 89 stops has been rebuilt and electrified by Beuchet-Debierre (1956), and rebuilt again by Gonzalez (1975) and Dargassies (1991).

The group traveled to Rouen to hear the spectacular 1890 Cavaillé-Coll organ at the abbey church of Saint-Ouen, a site with a history of bishops dating to the 7th century. The present flamboyant Gothic-style church's cornerstone is dated 1318, and the nave was finished in the 16th century.  Organist George Baker, describing his passion for the instrument, mentioned that it was the last organ which Cavaillé-Coll personally supervised. Widor played the dedication recital in 1890. The four-manual organ has one of the most spectacular of cases, with five figures crowning the towers: the central one is Christ, with King David, Saint Cecilia, and two angels on either side. Marcel Dupré's father Albert was titulaire organist at Saint-Ouen from 1911-1940. The organ was demonstrated first by titulaire organist Marie-Andrée Morriset with trumpeter Michel Morriset, in works of Vierne and Morriset. George Baker and Fréderic Blanc treated the group to a lengthy recital which included music of Vierne, Duruflé, and Widor. Dale Peters, Professor of Organ at the University of North Texas, played the Toccata by Lanquetuit which was dedicated to Albert Dupré.

From Rouen the group arrived late in the afternoon at the Regional Conservatory of Rueill-Malmaison. Professor, organist, and musicologist Susan Landale treated the group to her recollections of Marchal, Messiaen, and Langlais. A student of André Marchal in the 1950s and early 60s, she played several recordings of performances by these master teachers and discussed their relationships with one another through many interesting anecdotes and stories.

The next portion of the seminar itinerary took us to the south of France, first arriving in Bordeaux to visit the 14th-century Gothic Cathedral of Saint-André and its Gonzalez organ of neo-classical design. Our organist-host played the Final from Symphonie II by André Fleury. Bordeaux was the birthplace of Charles Tournemire, who was  organist there at Saint Michel. After playing-time at the cathedral and lunch, the bus drove towards Toulouse through the heart of wine country with a short stop at the picturesque, ancient Roman town of St. Emilion.

Continuing on to Toulouse, traveling through the beautiful countryside, we arrived in this beautiful city ready for the two days of events scheduled there. Most participants were attracted to the south of France because of the promise of experiencing the great organ at Saint-Sernin, but many other delights awaited. Two churches were on the first-day agenda. First, Église de la Duarade ("golden" from the gold mosaics that once decorated the interior), a Roman-style church with rounded arches with varied past of pagan, Moorish, and eventually Christian dominance. The organ, an 1864 Poirer and Lieberknecht, is typically Romantic, including a lovely free reed Euphone. Lefébure-Wély dedicated the instrument. Participants had ample time to play, with the assistance of François Espinasse and Sylvie Mallot, assistant director of FOMS. The choir organ, by Puget, was a jewel of an instrument with its Baroque case. A walk past the Garonne river took us to Église de La   Dalbade, a Gothic interior with familiar brick exterior common in this city and region. The organ of three manuals and 50 stops is an 1888 Puget. Espinasse played Messiaen's Dieu parmi nous. The voix celeste was particularly beautiful and the reeds assertive.

The Basilica of Saint-Sernin, a magnificent Romanesque church with spectacular spire, houses one of the most powerful of Cavaillé-Coll's instruments. Built in 1887-88 and restored in 1996, its three-manual console retains the original mechanical action. The reputation of the 54-stop organ comes partially from the presence of Pedal 32¢ Principal and 32¢ Bombarde, Grand-Orgue 16¢ Montre, 16¢ Bourdon, reeds from Bombarde 16¢ to 2¢ Clairon-doublette, and Trompette and Clarion en chamades 8¢ and 4¢. The Positiv is unenclosed. The fifteen performers for the third participants' recital prepared repertoire by Dupré, Langlais, Widor, Guilmant, Gigout, Boëllmann, Vierne,  and Franck.

The second day in Toulouse commenced at the Musée d'Augustine for a recital on a neo-Baroque organ by Arendt (1981). Housed in what was the impressive Gothic chapel of a monastery, the instrument was built upon recommendation of Xavier Durasse, an advocate for organ restoration in the region, who felt that Toulouse needed a modern instrument of this type. The first event held there was a Bach competition. Tuned in Werckmeister III, the organ has three manuals, 30 stops and a beautiful case with side door-panels.

The Cathedral church of Saint-Etienne houses an organ restored by Cavaillé-Coll in 1849. It was restored again by Puget between the World Wars and by Kern in 1976 to become a neo-Baroque instrument of four manuals with an echo manual. François Espinasse played works of deGrigny, Marchand, and Bach. This organ is placed so high on the wall, with access to the loft so difficult, that one of the titulaire organists there was forced to resign because of acrophobia.

The last day brought visits to three towns: Cintegabelle, Albi, and Lavaur. Tiny, picturesque Cintegabelle boasts a Roman-style church of Moorish influence and a large French-Baroque instrument built by Boulbonne which was moved to the church from a nearby 17th-century monastery. Its magnificent case dominates the building. Of three manuals and 36 stops, the organ has the French pedalboard of short keys. Participants practiced for the fourth recital of the seminar for works by Couperin, Roberday, Dandrieu, d'Aquin, and deGrigny.

In the city of Albi, with its magnificent and imposing cathedral church of Sainte-Cécile, participants visited the fabulous Toulouse-Lautrec museum (he was born in Albi) across from the church and then returned for the fifth participants' recital. The French-Baroque organ by Moucherel was restored to its original voice in 1971-1981 by the firm of Formentelli. The recital, including works by Clérambault, de Grigny, Le Begue, and Corrette, was enjoyed by many ambulating tourists.

Lavaur, a peaceful town with its church of Saint-Étienne, was the last stop of the seminar. Like many places in the region, Lavaur suffered during the Albigensian Crusade in the early 13th century, a legacy of terror and destruction. Today the river Agoût flows peacefully along its edges and beautifully sculpted gardens welcome the visitor to the church. The organ is an 1876 Cavaillé-Coll, whose case resembles La Madeleine in Paris.  Within the quiet surroundings, participants again heard the Romantic sound of Lefébure-Wély, Franck, Chausson, and Tournemire.

Directors Christina Harmon and Marie-Louise Langlais and their associates planned the schedule for maximum use of time, and the seminar fulfilled its purpose as an educational experience and delight for the ear. The gracious hospitality of our hosts included a dinner at the home of Naji and Marie-Bernadette Dufourcet Hakim, a garden reception at the Schola Cantorum prepared by Mme. Langlais and her daughter Caroline, and two group dinners at private rooms in fine restaurants, one of which was for celebration with song and gifts on Mme. Langlais' birthday.

The first French Organ Music Seminar in 1987 attracted six students who spent five days studying with Philippe Lefebvre at Notre Dame in Paris. The eighth tour, with 60 students from age 16 to 75, provided experience of a wide variety of instruments and invaluable personal interaction with fine scholars and teachers.  

Paris Week, July 2-9, 2001

by Kay McAfee

Kay McAfee is professor of organ and music history at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where she also serves as organist for First United Methodist Church.

The ninth biennial seminar attracted 80 participants who assembled in Paris anticipating the first week of playing time on the great instruments, lessons and classes with master teachers, participants' recitals, and the hospitality of our gracious hosts. At the Paris Conservatory, director Christina Harmon introduced co-director Marie-Louise Langlais, who received a warm round of applause. Participants introduced themselves and greeted old friends from previous seminars. Two student scholarship winners were announced: Josh Melson of Cherry Hill, New Jersey and a student at Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana; and Victor Johnson, a student at the University of Texas at Arlington and organist/composer-in-residence at Hamilton Park Baptist Church in Richardson, Texas.

 

The seminar always includes discourses about the instruments, improvisations by resident organists, and playing time for participants at the Schola Cantorum, Notre Dame de Paris, Les Invalides, Saint-Roch, La Madeleine, Sainte-Clotilde, La Trinité, Notre-Dame-des-Champs, Saint-Severin, Saint-Etienne-du-Mont, and Saint-Sulpice. The itinerary this year added visits to Notre Dame d'Auteuil, Saint-Augustin, Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Saint-Eustace, and Dupré's home at Meudon.

Group and private lessons took place throughout the week with instructors Yanka Hekimova (Saint Eustace), Naji Hakim (La Trinité), Françoise Levechin (Saint-Roch), Lynne Davis (American Cathedral), François Espinasse (Saint Severin), Susan Landale (Les Inva-lides), and Marie-Louise Langlais (Sainte-Clotilde).

Participants who had contributed to the student scholarship fund were treated to a lovely wine and cheese reception at the apartment of Daniel and Odile Roth. Roth led everyone to his basement studio which houses a two-manual organ and a grand piano. The walls are filled with posters, memorabilia, and photographs, including those of Schweitzer, Widor, Bach, Franck, and Conrad Bernier. Letters and musical quotes from Kodály, Widor, Schmitt, Messiaen, Guilmant, and Deutilleux overlook the study. Later in the week, Roth, titular organist at Saint-Sulpice, would give the history of the instrument, improvise, and spend nearly six hours assisting participants to play.

Paris Conservatory

At the Conservatory, Jean-Charles Robin, 19-year-old student of Mme. Langlais, improvised on the tune "National Hymn" (God of Our Fathers), given an interesting twist by David Erwin who submitted it. Mme. Langlais solicited literature and performers for the participants' recital at St-Roch.

Saint-Augustin

Saint-Augustin, within short walking distance of the Paris Conservatory, was Gigout's church. He was titulaire there from 1863 until his death in 1925. Assistant organist Didier Matry played Gigout, a Cochereau improvisation, and his own improvisation.

Saint-Roch

Sylvie Mallet, David Erwin, and Mme. Langlais assisted for the recital at St-Roch. Advertised in the Paris weekly publication for arts events, the program attracted a great number of listeners. Eighteen participants played the marvelous four-manual, 53-stop, 1770 Clicquot instrument which was restored and enlarged by Cavaillé-Coll from 1840 to 1862. It boasts reeds which are among the most powerful in Paris. Literature included works by de Grigny, du Mage, François and Louis Couperin, Clérambault, Hakim, Vierne, Honegger, Langlais, Salomé, Widor, Sejan, and Lanquetuit. Performers included Mary Milligan (Denver, Colorado), Yolanda Yang (Irvine, California), Jay MacCubbin (Providence, Rhode Island), Helen Van Abbema Rodgers (Fairhope, Alabama), Shinook Lee (New York City), Josh Melson, Thomas Hanna (West Palm Beach, Florida), Jack W. Jones (Palm Beach, Florida), Esther Wideman (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Kay McAfee (Arkadelphia, Arkansas), Carl Schwartz (Silver Spring, Maryland), Eunice Ford (Huntsville, Alabama), David Erwin (Alexandria, Virginia), John Walko (San Francisco, California), Barbara Reid (Dallas, Texas), Lois Holdridge (Fullerton, California), Angela Kraft Cross (San Francisco), and Randy Runyon (Oxford, Ohio).

La Trinité

Naji Hakim, titular organist at La Trinité, was protégé and designated successor of Messiaen. New seminar participants as well as returning veterans enjoy the devotion of Parisian organists to the heritage of their instruments and the tribute paid their predecessors. None is more enthusiastic than Hakim. Guilmant's heritage at La Trinité includes the story of his horror at returning from America to find his instrument dismantled and destroyed. Cavaillé-Coll rebuilt the organ and today it exists as the instrument best suited for Messiaen's music.

Hakim played the outer movements of Messiaen's Messe de la Pentecôte. He spoke of Messiaen's improvisation and how he freely moved within many styles: Classical, Mendelssohn, Widor. The Livre du Saint Sacrement exploits Messiaen's improvisatory gifts. Hakim played his newest composition, The Last Judgement, which incorporates plainsong melodies: "Dies Irae," "In Paradisum," Alleluia of the Epiphany, and Gloria from Missa de Angelis. He improvised on "The Star Spangled Banner" since this group was there on July 4.

Notre-Dames-des-Champs

Marie-Bernadette Dufourcet, titular organist at Notre-Dame-des-Champs, treated participants to the sound of the 90% original Cavaillé-Coll design and disposition. It contains one of the most beautiful harmonic flutes and rich montres.

Saint-Vincent-de-Paul

At Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, where Léon Boëllmann served as titular organist, Marie-Louise Langlais introduced Pierre Cambourian, the current titulaire, who played the 1849 Cavaillé-Coll choir organ. Its action and stops have remained untouched and it enjoys exquisite balance of foundations, mutations, and reeds. Of three manuals with a short Récit, it has a beautiful harmonic flute, vox humana, and 16' basson on the Récit. The church was designed in the Neo-Classical style, after La Madeleine. The four-manual Cavaillé-Coll Grand Orgue, originally comparable to the La Madeleine organ, is now of Neo-Classical design, refurbished by Gonzalez in 1970, and nothing plays on the fourth manual. It is of 66 stops, although 91 were originally planned. Participants enjoyed generous playing time.

Saint-Louis des Invalides

In the evening the entire group gathered at Église Saint Louis des Invalides to hear informative discussion and playing by Susan Landale, who is one of three organists for the church. The Thierry family built the first instrument, a four-manual organ, from 1679 to 1687. The Clicquot family (who were also in the champagne business) looked after it. Louis XIV's architect, Jules-Hardouin Mansart, designed the case with its gilded sculptures. Some pipework remains from Thierry: the cromorne, fonds, bourdon and doublette in the Grand Orgue, and Positiv nazard and 2'. In 1843 a full-scale restoration was ordered. Three firms submitted proposals: Cavaillé-Coll, Ducroquet, and the winner of the contract, Gadault. Gadault built a third-rate Romantic organ, completely destroying the Classical organ of Thierry. There are, however, very fine reeds in the Swell. The Gadault organ was dedicated in 1853.

In 1942, Bernard Gavoty, a pupil of Dupré and a respected and feared music critic, was appointed organist at Les Invalides. He moved within elegant Parisian circles, and was the right person to collect money for a rebuild of the organ. In 1955, it was decided to engage the Beuchet-Debierre firm, which was instructed to build a Neo-Classical instrument. The console was electrified and the compass of manuals and pedals extended. The chamades were added in 1979.

According to Landale, the principal miscalculation of the Neo-Classical movement was the idea that if there were mixtures one could play Bach. It didn't matter if the mixtures didn't fit well with the foundations. The other problem was cramming a large amount of pipes into a small space (the original case) in order to get more ranks. As a result, the scaling went smaller and the sound was thinner. But to consider the music of Tournemire, Duruflé, Messaien, and Langlais from 1930 to 1970 is to hear music which was influenced by the Neo-Classical sound.

The last overhaul of cleaning and tuning the organ was in 1980. There are plans for another overhaul in 2003 which will include rewiring the organ. The organ contains 61 stops, including cornets on both the Great and Swell.

Ms. Landale discussed Tournemire, his work and his legacy, and played two of the improvisations: Ave Maris Stella and Te Deum. These improvisations had been recorded at Sainte-Clotilde to wax discs in 1913. Duruflé transcribed the improvisations in the 1950s. Besides the two Tournemire improvisations, Ms. Landale played a piece by Petr Eben, who followed Tournemire's lead in the prodigious use of Gregorian chant.

Sainte-Clotilde

The entire group assembled at Sainte-Clotilde to hear Marie-Louise Langlais discuss the organ, to hear participants play, and to enjoy a demonstration and improvisation by Jacques Taddei, titular organist of Sainte-Clotilde and director of the Paris Conservatory. Mme. Langlais met the group outside to talk about the history of the church.

The parish was wealthy and Cavaillé-Coll was engaged to build the organ. The organ is 46 stops, small by Cavaillé-Coll standards. Franck served as organist here from 1859-1890. Pierne served from 1890-1898, Tournemire from 1898-1939, and Langlais from 1945- 1987. Mme. Langlais mentioned that she tried to get Langlais to retire in the mid-1980s, as he really was not able to climb the steps to the loft. He declared that he was determined to "stay one year longer than Tournemire," and he did.

Tournemire was a devotee of Baroque music, both German and Spanish. He tried to transform the Sainte-Clotilde organ to accommodate these styles. In 1933, he enlarged the Positiv by adding mutations and he also directed enlargement of the Swell. This changed the balance of the organ. More changes were made by Langlais in 1962. With Jacques Taddei and Marie-Louise Langlais as consultants, the organ is currently undergoing yet another restoration. The goal is to return it as much as possible to the original Cavaillé-Coll voicing and disposition while maintaining the tonal design for playing also the music of Tournemire and Langlais. The organ builder in charge is Bernard Dargassies, who also has worked at Saint-Augustin, La Madeleine, and Saint-Étienne-du-Mont. Restoration of the original wind pressure, addition of a second motor for the blower, and restoration of the stop action is in process. The organ, and especially the 8' foundation ensemble, sounds more powerful, while the reeds have remained unchanged. At this point, the organ is as close to the original Cavaillé-Coll since the restoration by Tournemire in 1933.

David Erwin played the Franck E Major Choral using exclusively the Franck stops including signature stops of great beauty: vox humana, Swell trompette and hautbois combined, and the solo harmonic flute. Mme. Langlais played part of the Seven Words of Christ by Tournemire, and Angela Kraft Cross played "La Nativité" from the Poèmes Évangéliques by Langlais.

Mme. Langlais introduced Jacques Taddei, who demonstrated the solo and ensemble stops of the organ: 1. Positiv and Grand Orgue flutes in a scherzo; 2. The Récit gamba and celestes with the beautiful Positiv clarinet (really a cromorne); 3. Grand Orgue trumpet with fonds of the Récit; 4. Positiv cromorne with cornet of the Grand Orgue; 5. Ensemble of fonds of the Grand Orgue and Positiv and fonds of the Swell including oboe; 6. Flutes of the Grand Orgue and Récit which have been restored as harmonic flutes; 7. Restored larigot and 1', added by Tournemire in 1913, are now more integrated into the organ. Taddei then improvised on two themes submitted by Mme. Langlais: a Breton folk song and the hymn "If thou but suffer God to guide thee."

For the July 8 Sunday Mass at Sainte-Clotilde, six seminar participants were invited by Mme. Langlais to present musical offerings during the service. Literature included: Improvisation on Ave Maris Stella (Tournemire), Louise Bass (Albuquerque, New Mexico); Grand Jeu (Corrette), John Walko; Choral Dorien (Alain), Jack Jones; "Mon âme cherche un fin paisable" (from Nine Pieces, Langlais), John Walko; "Communion" (from Suite Médiévale, Langlais), Kay McAfee; Variations on a theme of Janequin (Alain), Jill Hunt (Evanston, Illinois); "Final" (from Symphonie I, Vierne), Angela Kraft Cross.

Saint-Sulpice

At Saint-Sulpice, a massive Roman style church with rounded interior arches, tourists are dazzled by the huge paintings in its side-chapels, two of them by Delacroix. The imposing case of the Grand Orgue, designed by the 18th-century architect of the church, Monsieur Chalgrin, matches the enormity and weight of the interior. Organists at Saint-Sulpice have included Guillaume Nivers, Clérambault, Lefébure-Wély, Widor, Dupré, Grunenwald, and presently, Daniel Roth. Clicquot built the first instrument in 1781. That organ was of five manuals: Half-Récit, Half-Echo, Récit, Bombarde, Grand Orgue, and Positiv. In 1835, a proposed restoration by Callinet was begun but was abandoned; 60,000 francs and twenty years later, Cavaillé-Coll undertook the project. At the time there were three organs in the church, the Grand Orgue, a Choir organ, and a smaller instrument owned by the Dauphin. Cavaillé-Coll restored all of them, and the choir organ survives today. The grand orgue is of 102 stops, including the original Clicquot pipework which Cavaillé-Coll carefully preserved. At the completion of the work in 1862, the dedication featured César Franck, Camille Saint-Saëns, Alexandre Guilmant, and Gaylord Schmidt (the titulaire at the time). In 1863 Lefébure-Wély was appointed organist, and when he died six years later, Cavaillé-Coll recommended Widor as titulaire. Because of Widor's youth (26) and the observation that "he plays like a German," many letters of protest were written. However, Widor was named "provisional" organist and remained for 63 years. Further maintenance of the organ occurred in 1903 (Mutin, Cavaillé-Coll's successor) and in 1991 (Renaud).

Neither Widor nor his successor Dupré (1933-1971) allowed any major changes in the pipework at Saint-Sulpice through the Orgelbewegung and neo-classic movements of the 20th century. Widor supervised cleaning of the organ three times and in the 1920s an electric blower was added. Dupré had the organ cleaned and repaired in the 1950s. The unbroken tenure of over 100 years by these two organist-composers effected the presence of a largely unaltered example of Cavaillé-Coll's tonal design.

Notre Dame d'Auteuil

At Notre Dame d'Auteuil in a quiet, upscale neighborhood close to the southwest boundary of Paris, Frédéric Blanc, who was one of the last students of Marie-Madeleine Duruflé, introduced Mme. Duruflé's sister, Elaine Chevalier. She is a member of the parish and head of the new Duruflé Foundation. Blanc, a gifted musician, has been titular organist here for 21⁄2 years. The organ is very special because it is an unaltered 1885 Cavaillé-Coll. Widor and Dallier played the inauguration. Mutin restored the organ in 1912 and again in 1937-38 under the direction of Vierne and with approval from Duruflé and Dupré. An electrified console was added.

The organ was virtually ignored through the Neo-Classical movement and managed to remain untouched, primarily because the organist who preceded Blanc was there for fifty years, and the instrument remained "closed." It is of three manuals and 53 stops with both Récit and Positiv under expression.

Blanc then conducted a session concerning the tradition of improvisation practiced by French organists who study the art from the time they are young children. Improvisation is always a mix of composition and freedom. Control is necessary, with effective use of stop combinations: flutes and fonds, solo stops with celestes, and with a mixture of counterpoint and chordal harmonies. Blanc: "Start simply. Control the harmony according to theoretical principles. A chosen theme should have both melodic and rhythmic interest. In preluding for the service or providing meditation for communion, there should be a plan for the shape of the form." He talked about how ideas come quickly for the good improviser and that those ideas have to be molded quickly. The time spent practicing improvisation will result in the tools for being free with those ideas that come quickly.

Saint-Étienne-du-Mont

Across from the Pantheon and near the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens is located Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, the church where Maurice and Marie-Madeleine Duruflé served for over 50 years. There was an organ here first in 1633 to which François Clicquot contributed. Today only the magnificent case survives along with some of the original Clicquot pipes. Randy Runyon, French professor at Miami of Ohio University, introduced and translated for Vincent Warnier, the talented young winner of the Grand Prix International d'Orgue de Chartres in 1992, who assumed the post of titulaire here upon the death of Mme. Duruflé.

Warnier related the history of the organ, which evolved very differently than other Parisian instruments. In the 19th century, when the romantic and symphonic sound was valued, Cavaillé-Coll was asked to restore the organ, the work for which was completed in 1863. He added many Romantic voices--fonds, harmonic flute, an expressive Récit with voix celeste--and a Barker machine.

In 1930, at age 28, Duruflé was named titlular organist. He arrived to find the organ virtually unplayable, and with Vierne and Dupré, they envisioned a restoration. But WWII intervened. Duruflé had to play a choir organ of only 12 stops for 25 years. In 1955 the organ was finally restored. Duruflé had been Vierne's assistant at Notre-Dame and he very much wanted to recreate that organ here. The 48 ranks became 90, and the new electrified console was placed to the right of the instrument.

Because the original case was small, the pipes were spread out. Above the west entrance doors, pipes are visible with some placed on their sides. The Echo manual is completely to the side of the original case, and gives a sense of mystery to the tonal palette. This is not an historical restoration, but the dynamic range is enormous, with impressionistic colors and an impressive tutti. In 1989, Mme. Duruflé enlisted the Dargassies firm to restore the organ. At that time the console was further modernized, mixtures were revoiced, and fonds and an en chamade were added. Today the organ is an eclectic instrument.

La Madeleine

At La Madeleine, François Henri-Houbart, titular organist for the past 22 years, related the history of the colorful musicians and composers who have served this most civic and visible of Parisian churches. During Lefébure-Wély's era in the early 19th century, the church was considered "an annex of the Opéra Comique," because the music heard was often of the salon and theatrical varieties. When Houbart arrived, the organ was in a poor state of repair. Houbart oversaw a restoration of the windchests, the restoration of the wind pressure as prescribed by Cavaillé-Coll, and the modification of the newer stops so that they integrate well within the original pipework.

The organ (1845-46) is Cavaillé-Coll's second large instrument after Saint-Dénis and Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. This instrument, originally of 48 stops, represents the transition to the Romantic-symphonic ethos of Cavaillé-Coll. The fonds, reeds, and plein jeu provide a Classic foundation (after Dom Bédos). There is no cromorne or cornet. The Récit is the same as Sainte-Clotilde but without the voix celeste. The organ has a large quantity of flutes, especially harmonic flutes, representing Cavaillé-Coll's transition to the orchestral organ. Today the organ has 58 stops, with 46 from the original instrument.

The organ underwent a restoration in 1927 for which Widor played the dedicatory recital. The program included his Suite Latine, which was written for the occasion. The console was electrified in 1971. The heritage of organists include Fessy, Lefébure-Wély, Saint-Saëns, Dubois, Fauré, Dallier, and Demes-sieux. Fauré was first the choir organist and he assisted Saint-Saëns. When Fauré became titulaire, Nadia Bou-langer was his assistant. Clara Schumann, Franz Liszt, and Anton Rubenstein frequented the organ loft.

The choir organ was also built by Cavaillé-Coll. At first it had only one keyboard, but he added another to encompass 20 stops. It was restored in 1997. The bassoon, oboe, and clarion are original stops. Houbart's fine improvisation included demonstration of the Cavaillé-Coll stops, then of the newer stops, then all together. Houbart related that once every three years he plays an all-Lefébure-Wély Mass, which he would do that evening at 6 pm, Sunday at 11 am, and Sunday evening at 6 pm. For participants who wanted to attend, about ten people at a time could visit the organ loft. He mentioned that Lefébure-Wély  wrote a number of excellent anthems and choral music for the Mass, and that Saint-Saëns, who was a detractor, actually admired his improvisations.

Schola Cantorum

At the Schola Cantorum, Mme. Langlais told of the school and its Mutin organ (Mutin took over the firm after Cavaillé-Coll's death). Founded in 1896 by Charles Bordes, Alexandre Guilmant, and Vincent d'Indy, it was established for the study of the restoration of Gregorian chant after Solesmes and to re-introduce the Grand Orgue. The Schola was not as competitive as the Conservatory. A temple of "non-official" music, teachers included Guilmant, Vierne, the Duruflés, Grunenwald, Langlais, Satie, Martin˚u, and Turina. Students included Milhaud, Roussel, and Debussy.

One of Mme. Langlais's students, Verouchka Nikitine, played a fine recital which included Vierne, "Allegro et Cantilene" (Symphonie 3); Widor, "Allegro" (Symphonie 6); Langlais, "Communion" (Suite Médiévale); and Jean-Louis Florentz (b. 1947), two movements from Laudes. Participants enjoyed a light buffet supper prepared by Mme. Langlais and her daughter Caroline.

Participants chose among several churches to attend Sunday morning. The afternoon event was a recital at Notre-Dame-de-Paris which consisted of music of Mendelssohn and Bach. The church was full and pleasantly respectful as the recital proceeded. The organist experienced difficulty with registration changes, and it was somewhat disappointing to hear an all-German recital on this, the largest instrument in Paris. Playing time was allowed after the cathedral closed its doors to the public.

Saint-Étienne, Caen, Chartres

Participants boarded a bus for the 200 kilometer drive through the lovely countryside to Normandy and the city of Caen. Saint-Étienne houses a large Cavaillé-Coll instrument which is a-mong the three finest and largely unaltered organs of the builder. The others are at Saint-Sulpice and at Saint-Ouen in Rouen. Phillip Klais, president of the Klais firm of Bonn, Germany, introduced tonal director Heinz-Gunter Habbig. Habbig studied with the last voicer of the Cavaillé-Coll tradition, and he has made extensive studies of the organs at Saint-Ouen, Saint-Omer, Saint-Sulpice, and Saint-Sernin. Habek has directed several Cavaillé-Coll restorations, and his presentation of this instrument and discussion of the Cavaillé-Coll ethos was filled with reverence for the work of such a master craftsman.

The Abbey Church of Caen was a famous center of art education in the Middle Ages, but there is no record of an organ until the 15th century. In May of 1562, Protestants ransacked the church and ruined the organ. 200 years later, in 1737, the monks engaged a builder in Ouen and that organ's oak case, from 1741, its towers crowned with flower pots, remains today. On February 10, 1745, the organ was completed, a remarkable 18th-century specimen with five manuals and 61 stops. The first three manuals had a compass of 53 notes, a first in France, and the pedal was complete with a 16' and cornet.

The organ was endangered during the French revolution but suffered only neglect. In 1859 there was a restoration, and by 1877 more repairs were needed, and Cavaillé-Coll was asked to give an opinion. It was decided, with approval of Guilmant, that the old case and old façade pipes would be retained, with an addition of 8 stops. New wind chests and blower, new action, and new pipework were built in one year; the manual compass was increased to 56 notes. On March 3, 1885, Guilmant played the dedication recital. Repairs were needed in 1899 and the organ was given excellent care through to 1944. In January of 1975, the Secretary of Culture placed the instrument on the National Register of Historic Monuments. In 1998-99 there was another restoration.

Lynne Davis, a native of Michigan who has lived in France for 30 years, has for five years been Professor of the National Regional Conservatory at Caen. She studied with Marie-Claire Alain, Jean Langlais, and the Duruflés. Her studio of 20-25 students is privileged to practice and take lessons at Saint-Étienne and also to play the choir organ which is a Baroque instrument. After speaking of her immense affection for this great instrument, Ms. Davis played "Nef" and "Rosace" from Byzantine Sketches by Mulet, Cantabile by Franck, and Toccata by Vierne. Participants were then allowed generous playing time.

Part of the group continued on to Chartres to hear assistant organist Laurent Bois play and then all had the opportunity to play the great 1971 Danion-Gonzalez organ of 69 stops.

Participants returned to Paris and prepared to depart for Alsace for the second week of the French Organ Music Seminar.

(A report on the Alsace week will appear in a later issue of The Diapason.)

Helen VanAbbema Rodgers & Cliff Varnon

British Organ Music Seminar

July 25–29, 2013

The ninth British Organ Music Seminar was held for four days in London, beginning on July 25. The seminar began with a train ride to Cambridge to visit the chapel of Emmanuel College, with its three-manual 1988 Kenneth Jones tracker instrument, which used the case and some of the pipework of the original Father Smith instrument of 1688. Colin Walsh, organist laureate of Lincoln Cathedral and a visiting organ teacher at the University of Cambridge, was our host. He conducted a workshop on liturgical improvisation with several reluctant volunteers followed by a session of various British organ works, performed by members of the group.

On July 26, we visited the French Church of Notre Dame de France, where we attended classes all day. The church, which serves a large French population in London, is located near Leicester Square and dates back to 1861. The organ was originally built by August Gern, who had worked with Cavaillé-Coll. It has undergone several rebuilds, most recently by B. C. Shepherd & Son in 1986. Duncan Middleton, the organiste titulaire at the church since 1989, had studied liturgical and concert improvisation in Bordeaux and Lourdes; he led us in the opening session on improvisation. In the next masterclass, participants played British organ works with John Hosking, assistant organist of St. Asaph Cathedral in Wales. In the afternoon session, Dame Gillian Weir conducted an exciting masterclass on French and German works, played by members of our group. Later in the day we attended Evensong at Westminster Abbey, which was sung by a visiting choir from Breda Cathedral in the Netherlands. Following the service, Peter Holder, organ scholar of the Abbey, talked to the group about the history of the organ and gave a demonstration of the stops. The organ was originally built in 1727 by Schrider & Jordan, with several rebuilds by William Hill in the 19th century and most recently by Harrison & Harrison. Afterwards, participants were given the chance to play the instrument. 

We then went across the street to Central Methodist Hall. The organ, with its imposing 32-foot façade, was built by Hill & Son in 1912 and was later rebuilt by Rushworth & Dreaper in 1970. A major rebuild by Harrison & Harrison in 2011 was based on the original Hill scheme. Gerard Brooks, the director of music, is associated with French repertoire and has recorded the complete works of Gigout. His class for the evening was on the organ works of Gigout (other than the well-known Dix Pièces), along with works of Saint-Saëns.

On July 27, we traveled to Peterborough Cathedral to play one of the finest William Hill organs in the country. Built in 1894, Hill, one of the two most celebrated organ builders of the nineteenth century, incorporated the existing pipework in his four-manual organ masterpiece of 86 stops. Its last restoration took place after a fire in 2001. Like other Hill instruments of this period, the organ is set considerably sharper than modern concert pitch. David Humphreys, assistant director of music of the cathedral, gave a brilliant demonstration, after which participants had ample playing time on the instrument. In the afternoon, we traveled to Cambridge for some free time, shopping in the local music store, and having afternoon tea. In the evening we attended Evensong at Ely Cathedral, followed by a demonstration of the organ by assistant organist Jonathan Lilley. The organ was first built in 1685 by Renatus Harris. Elliot and Hill installed a new organ with existing pipework in 1831, with William Hill doing restoration work in 1850. In 1908, Harrison & Harrison built a mostly new organ, using pipework from the previous instruments, with a restoration in 1974–1975 supervised by Arthur Wills, who was then the cathedral organist.

The final day of the seminar was Sunday, so participants attended services at various churches, including St. Paul’s Cathedral. In the afternoon we visited All Soul’s Langham Place, which is a familiar landmark at the end of Regent Street. In 1913, Alfred Hunter installed a new instrument in this church, replacing the original organ built by Bishop in 1824. This Hunter instrument was rebuilt and enlarged by Henry Willis III in 1951, with the most recent restoration by Harrison & Harrison in 1976. Gerard Brooks conducted a masterclass, played by the members of our group. Later in the afternoon, participants could attend recitals at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, or Westminster Cathedral. The seminar ended with a visit to Westminster Cathedral, just down the street from the abbey. It contains the Apse Organ built by T. C. Lewis prior to World War I and the Grand Organ, which is one of the two heroic instruments built by Henry Willis III, the other being the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. Peter Stevens, the assistant master of music, talked about the history of the instrument, gave a fine demonstration of the organ, and assisted participants as they played this magnificent instrument, which made a spectacular end to an eventful seminar.

—Cliff Varnon

French Organ Music Seminar

July 29–August 7, 2013

“If you listen, you will learn.” 

—Thomas LaCôte, La Trinité, Paris

Organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll listened to the sounds in his head before he started building the romantic organ. Louis Robilliard of Lyon told us that if there had been no Cavaillé-Coll, there would be no romantic organ music.

When Widor sat at the Cavaillé-Coll, he listened, and came up with ideas for his symphonies. Vierne and Guilmant listened and did the same. A stunning reminder to the organist: the dream organ came before the compositions. Here’s a dream: to travel back in time, attend a concert at the Palais du Trocadéro, and listen to the now-extinct Cavaillé-Coll as Widor conducts his Third Symphony with Vierne at the organ!

Thanks and appreciation are due to Christina Harmon, Dallas organist, teacher, and composer who led this group of American organists. Through her well-established FOMS program, we are privileged to experience the French tradition. Additional indispensable co-directors this year were Cliff Varnon and Masako Gaskin. All three worked hard to keep this group of organists, organ students, and organ lovers happy and informed. For more information and notice of future events, see www.bfoms.com. 

Participants varied from virtuosos with ever-expanding organ repertoire to lifelong students who treasure their favorite pieces and still look for interpretation ideas from close connections to the source. In addition to masterclasses, there were classes in improvisation and ample opportunities for private lessons. Our youngest organist was 15 and the oldest 83!

How fortunate for this group that there are still essentially unaltered romantic organs in existence that we are able to touch and play. The first on this trip was the Cavaillé-Coll in Lyon at St. Francois de Sales, the Widor family parish, where Charles-Marie was baptized and later first performed Symphony V.

July 29–30: Lyon and Chambéry

The perfect warm-up act to the frenzied pace of Paris was the time spent in Lyon and the Alps, organized by the organist of Chambéry Cathedral, Thibaut Duret, with the help of François Espinasse, professor of organ at the National Conservatory of Lyon. Françoise Webb, the charming French native who spent her youth in Reims, assisted with the preparations and organization. Our first day was spent with Louis Robilliard at the great Cavaillé-Coll organ of Saint-François-de-Sales. Built in 1880, it was restored in 1964 and is still in its original and unaltered state.

Time spent with François Espinasse and Thibaut Duret and two concerts on the marvelous 1847 Augustin Zeiger organ at Chambéry Cathedral allowed each of us a performance turn, followed by a third inspiring performance by our regional host Thibaut Duret. Duret is a brilliant young organist and improviser who studied with François Henry Houbart at Rueil Malmaison and with François Espinasse and Loïc Mallié at the Lyon Conservatoire, where he received a master’s degree in organ. With the Alps as backdrop, we spent Wednesday and Thursday playing the organs in St. Pierre d’Albigny, Manigod, Thônes, Grand Bornand, and Annecy. Each organ had a particular charm, and more information is available about each of them on the FOMS website (www.bfoms.com).

August 2: Dole and Dijon

On Thursday, after a 2½-hour bus ride, we arrived in Dijon. While there we played the much-restored Daublaine-Callinet organ at the Cathèdrale St. Bénigne in Dole and the particular highlight: the untouched, undusted, very much in tune 1754 Karl Riepp organ at the Collégiale Notre Dame de Dole. With a Louis XV oak case, this was the largest organ in provincial France, with 45 stops over four manuals and pedal and a 32′ Montre in the Grand-Orgue. In 1860 the 32′ Montre was moved to the pedal and in a 20th-century renovation it made its way back to the Grand-Orgue, the organ now being five manuals with 73 stops. One room on the way to the organ gallery housed a museum that traced its fascinating history.

August 3: Reims

By Saturday, August 3, we were in Reims, where we played the Cathédral Notre-Dame de Reims organ. Unfortunately, on our way that morning we received a call from Benjamin Steens, our excellent host in Reims, who told us a fire had broken out in the organ of St-Remi (Cattiaux, 2000), where we were to spend the afternoon. A visit to the famous champagne caves helped us to cope with our disappointment at not being able to play at the basilica.

August 4–7: Paris

In Paris we visited the always-amazing organ at St. Sulpice (suffering from the unusual heat of Paris in August), as well as the Cavaillé-Coll of Notre-Dame des Champs, Aristide Cavaillé-Coll’s own parish, built in 1877. This organ was extensively altered by Schwenkedel, although, fortunately, the Barker action was retained. Thanks to Cavaillé-Coll, who was on the building committee for the church, also built in 1877, the acoustics for the organ are some of the best in Paris. 

At Notre-Dame des Champs, we had stimulating masterclasses with Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin, Beatrice Piertot, and Yannick Merlin. In the masterclass with Dupré expert Cauchefer-Choplin, three participants enabled us to delve into segments of the Symphonie-Passion, the composer’s Wanamaker improvisation that he later wrote down after returning to France. Cauchefer-Choplin said Dupré loved the sound of the gambe alone because it was mysterious.

Stimulating duo-organ performances and masterclasses by upcoming organists Beatrice Piertot and Yannick Merlin also took place at this church during the week in Paris. These two brilliant young organists also helped in this year’s planning and gave classes at the beautiful, unaltered Merklin organ at the church of St. Laurent.

Daniel Roth entertained and enlightened us at St-Sulpice with historical anecdotes about the organ and stories of Franck, Widor, and Dupré that organists never tire of hearing. Cavaillé-Coll kept more than 40% of the 1781 Clicquot organ pipework, never intending to make an exclusive change to a romantic organ. In fact, Widor’s colleague Albert Schweitzer said the organ was great for baroque music. Roth clarified that the transition from Baroque to Romantic was abrupt in Germany, whereas in France, it was gradual. To see more of Roth’s mesmerizing history of French organ music and organs, you can find numerous DVDs of Roth’s St-Sulpice lectures and performances on YouTube, all produced by Christina Harmon. Better still, break down and buy the DVDs from the Organ Historical Society! 

It still takes my breath away to sit in the loft with Olivier Latry at Notre Dame during Mass. His playing for four Sunday services allowed all 29 organists and students a chance to be at the organ, complete with a console containing the latest organ technology and design.

Classes and playing time were offered by Thomas LaCôte at La Trinité (the organ of Messiaen), at Sainte-Clotilde with Nicolas Pichon, La Madeleine, with Andy Dewar at the American Cathedral, and at Notre Dame d’Auteil with Frédéric Blanc (living conduit to the music of Duruflé). LaCôte told us Messiaen liked the sound of ice and crystal, 16′ & 2′ (Messe de la Pentecôte). 

Blanc told us that Duruflé was not a man for big chords, but rather the musical line. He favored flutes and celestes. He also told us that the famous story of Duruflé not liking his Toccata was not necessarily true, but that at the time he was very tired and had composed this piece during a very stressful period in his life.

Our last day was spent with Jean-Baptiste Robin in Versailles and included a concert by him on the Clicquot organ (modified by Cavaillé-Coll) at the Versailles Cathedral, a masterclass at the church of Notre Dame des Armées of Versailles, and playing at the Royal Chapel organ of Versailles Palace. The palace organ was originally built by Robert Clicquot in 1710. After severe damage during the French Revolution it was rebuilt as a two-manual organ by Cavaillé-Coll in 1873. In 1936 it was sold to the seminary in Châteaugiron and later to St. Martin Church in Rennes, where a reconstruction was attempted by Victor Gonzalez. In 1995 a completely new instrument was made by the firms of Boisseau and Cattiaux, which not only reconstructed Robert Clicquot’s creation but also reconstructed the additions of Louis-Alexander and Francois-Henry Clicquot as well. This result was amazingly successful and stands today in the Royal Versailles Chapel as a proud tribute to Clicquot’s genius. 

As a protégé of Marie-Claire Alain, Jean-Baptiste Robin gave an intense class on Jehan Alain. Robin told us that after the trauma of World War I, artists turned to the past, and Alain was the first to go to early music, layering it with orientalism and with jazz that had been brought by Americans during the war. Alain was fascinated by the cornet, a sonority he explored extensively. Tutti, or massive sound, is seldom found in Alain’s music. Our day ended with palace organist Robin demonstrating French Classical music on the beautiful chapel organ of the palace. Participants were actually able to play the chapel organ! Robin is one of four titular organists. The others are Michel Bouvard, François Espinasse, and Frédéric Desenclos, with Michel Chapuis serving as honorary titulaire.

To be in France and therefore in the center of the vital and enduring influence of the world’s greatest organ tradition is as fascinating and transforming as ever. The spirits of Widor, Vierne, Messiaen, et al. continue to permeate the sensibilities and ethos of this beautiful part of the world through the brilliant French artists of the present. There is no more amazing experience, or better pilgrimage, for an organist. Teach us to listen, and learn…

—Helen VanAbbema Rodgers

A juxtaposition of great sound and great scenery

Aldo Baggia

Aldo J. Baggia is the retired chairman of the department of modern languages and instructor in French, Spanish, German and Italian at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Iona College and the MA from Middlebury College, and has completed graduate work at Laval and Duke universities. He has studied and traveled extensively in Europe, and has written numerous opera reviews for various publications as well as articles for The Diapason.

France is divided into “départements” that represent the political subdivisions of the country. Much work has been done in the last decade by governmental agencies to have a ready inventory of organs by departments, and although the work has not yet been completed in the entire country, it has progressed very well in the area of the Rhône valley. Quite a bit of information is available, and the inventory of the organs of the department of l’Isère, which encompasses the dioceses of Grenoble and Vienne, is available in book form. The last edition was published in 1996, and it is easy to check out the various instruments and to see what the stylistic trends have been over the years.
L’Isère is one of the most scenic areas in all of France because of the magnificent mountain ranges that come together to form part of the Alps, including the impressive Mont Blanc. And in this area there are some great organs that demonstrate the development that has taken place over the last two centuries. At one point there were practically no organs of any significance in this area, but that is not the case now.

Government ownership

In France, organ maintenance, including rebuilds and restorations, as well as the building of new instruments, oftentimes comes under the aegis of some governmental agency, thereby relieving the pressure on an individual church to provide the total financing for the work. Often it is the municipality that owns the organ of a church, and this applies throughout the country, including Paris, where the city owns a good number of the organs of the various churches. In the book, Les Orgues de Paris, Jacques Chirac, mayor in 1992, notes in the preface that 130 of the 250 organs at that time were owned by the city, making Paris one of the major proprietors of organs in the world.1

This situation has prevailed in France since 1905, the year of rendering final the separation of church and state. In the interest of fairness, a system of ownership that depended on the year of construction of the organ was established. If it preceded 1905, the organ became the property of the municipality; this was also the case if it had been rebuilt after 1906 but included parts of an older organ. In theory everything new after 1906 was to be the property of the parish or some other organization. An older organ could become the property of the parish if it had been bought back at the time of the application of the law of separation of church and state.

The government of the French Republic owns the organs of cathedrals that are considered “immeubles par destination” (buildings by their nature of being cathedrals).2 This explains why the organ of Notre-Dame de Paris is owned by the French state and not the city of Paris. This clearly indicates the desire of the country to document the cultural heritage that is represented by the master organbuilders over the centuries. In effect a great organ is a significant aspect of French culture and worthy of public support. On the other hand, government financing of work is not automatic. A request is made to the commission that oversees such things, and a positive or negative judgment is rendered, depending on the circumstances.

L’Eglise Saint-Louis en l’île Saint-Louis

From the information provided on the website of l’Eglise Saint-Louis en l’île Saint-Louis, one can see a good example of how an organ project develops. In spring 2005, the installation of the new organ (III/51) by the organbuilder Bernard Aubertin took place. L’île Saint-Louis represents a very scenic location inasmuch as it is directly behind l’île de la Cité where Notre-Dame de Paris stands. As far back as 1977 the titulaire, Georges Guillard, expressed an interest in the idea of a new organ for the church because the Mutin organ (III/33) at that time was in an unplayable state. In 1983 the city of Paris became interested in this project, which was supported by L’Association des grandes orgues de Saint-Louis-en-l’île, because the new organ was to be a special instrument suitable for baroque music of North Germany and that of Bach in particular. In 1993 the commission approved the project in principle, but it was only in 1999 that Bernard Aubertin was chosen from eleven organ builders to realize the work. The case is absolutely stunning and makes a statement in its own way. It has a baroque grandeur that is difficult to equal. The construction of this instrument took place over the span of six years at a cost of one million euros. About a dozen members of the Aubertin team dedicated more than 20,000 hours of work to the project. [For a detailed report on this organ, see “A New Aubertin Organ in the German Baroque Style,” by Carolyn Shuster Fournier, The Diapason, March 2006, pp. 22–25.]

Saint-Antoine l’Abbaye

Aubertin did the restoration work on the organ of Saint-Antoine l’Abbaye, which was completed for the most part in 1992. This organ is easily the most famous instrument in the department of l’Isère. Numerous recordings have been made there; it is generally considered to be one of the finest examples of a French classic organ. The restoration was completed in 2001 when Michel Gaillard, an associate of Bernard Aubertin, added the final four stops to bring the total specifications to IV/44.

As of 1996 there were 72 organs in the department of l’Isère, and their ownership was divided between municipalities and parishes, with the emphasis on the municipalities. More than half of the organs extant in the department have been built since 1960. The organ of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Grenoble belongs to the state, but that of the Cathedral of Saint-Maurice in Vienne belongs to the municipality. The church of Saint-Louis in Grenoble has the largest and one of the better-known organs in the department (III/60). This was built by Bartolomeo Formentelli in 1982 and belongs to the municipality. The choir organ (I/6) was built in 1981 by a local builder, Michel Giroud, and its main purpose was for use in the liturgical services while the installation of the large organ was taking place. It is owned by the parish. The acquisition of the Formentelli organ by the church of Saint-Louis is interesting because it is related to the intriguing story of the instrument at Saint-Antoine l’Abbaye, which is within an hour’s drive of Grenoble.

An organ at the Abbey Church goes back to 1491, and the elegant walnut case of five turrets for the Grand-Orgue and Pedal divisions dates from around 1634, but there is no information on the designer or the builder.3 The case for the Positif de dos matches that of the rest of the organ and has three turrets. Bernard Aubertin, who did the restoration work in 1992, believes that the Positif case from 1639 was replaced in 1748 when the Swiss builder, Samson Scherrer, did the work for the new organ.4 The current organ loft was built in 1678, and further work on the instrument was done through 1700. But 1748 was the year that the organ achieved its current character with 40 stops on four manuals and pedal. Scherrer, originally from Saint-Gallen, had established himself in Geneva and had chosen to do much of his work in France between the years of 1746 and 1755. He constructed an organ for the church of Saint-Louis in Grenoble in 1746, and in 1750 built organs for both the Collegiate Church of Saint-André in Grenoble and the Cathedral of Embrun, which is in the nearby department of Hautes-Alpes.

The success of the organ at Saint-Antoine resulted from the stoplist, the mechanical action, the materials used, the positioning of the instrument, and the excellent acoustics of the church. People at the church stated that they had an organ “de huit pieds, sonnant seize, à quatre claviers et deux octaves de pédales, avec un positif en saillie sur la tribune du grand portail” (of eight feet, sounding like sixteen, with four manuals and two octaves in the pedal division, and with a positif that projected from the organ loft of the main portal).5 This was a perfect organ for the works of Couperin, de Grigny, Charpentier, Boyvin, Muffat, Böhm, Lebegue, Titelouze and Sweelinck as well as for the music of the liturgy. It is interesting that the Dom Bedos organ that was restored in 1997 and is currently in the Abbey Church of Sainte-Croix in Bordeaux was built in the same year of 1748.

Not much seemed to happen at Saint-Antoine between 1750 and 1805, and the organ was primarily used for accompaniment during services. The French Revolution did not bring damage to the instrument, but in 1805, by a bizarre set of circumstances, the organ was removed and placed in the church of Saint-Louis in Grenoble. In March 1805 the municipality decided to sell the organ because funds were badly needed to repair the bridges of the gates of Lyon and Romans, which were in danger of collapsing. The town had no money, and therefore it was proposed to sell the organ to the municipality of Vienne, which had expressed an interest in it. But either Saint-Antoine wanted too much or Vienne was offering too little, and the transaction fell through. A number of other communities were interested in the organ for which the municipality of Saint-Antoine l’Abbaye was expressing little need. The church of Saint-Louis in Grenoble had enough influence with the authorities that the Minister of Finance decreed that the organ should be sent to Grenoble posthaste. On November 22, 1805, the people of the town were not permitted access to the church by the army so that workers could complete their dismantling of the organ for its removal to Saint-Louis. The people of Saint-Antoine used the term “enlèvement” to describe the affair, and the word can be translated by “removal,” “abduction,” or “kidnapping.” Ultimately the coup de grâce was that Saint-Antoine received absolutely nothing for the organ.6

This brings us to 1981 when the organ was finally returned to Saint-Antoine. For many years the inhabitants of Saint-Antoine had clamored for the return of the instrument and in 1968, thanks to the efforts of Father Jouffre, a priest at Saint-Antoine, and others in the area, some progress was made. On January 14, 1971, the High Commission for historical monuments (organ section) gave a favorable opinion to the question of returning the case and the older pipes to Saint-Antoine; the transfer of the organ was to be done as soon as the new organ for Grenoble was ready for installation. The old pipework was classified as historic by a decree of April 10, 1974. It was stated that “the Minister of Cultural Affairs and the Environment has classified as Historical Monuments: Isère. Grenoble. Eglise Saint-Louis. The organ coming from the Abbey Church of Saint-Antoine. The old pipework of the instrument: 530 pipes from Joli, XVII century, and Scherrer, XVIII century. Around 300 pipes from Zeiger (1850).”7

The organ was dismantled at Grenoble in January 1981 and arrived at Saint-Antoine on February 7; it had taken 175 years for this to take place. Monsieur Damien, the cabinetmaker at Saint-Antoine, needed seven coats of paint for the restoration of the case. The case was placed in the west gallery at the beginning of 1984, and the façade pipes were cleaned and re-installed in June 1984 by Promonet and Steinman, organbuilders from Rives. Next came the question of giving it back its voice, and that is what was done by Bernard Aubertin.

Organbuilding in the 1990s

The inventory of organs that was published in 1996 traces the work that was done through that year, and one finds that there was only one new instrument built in the 1990s, at l’Eglise Saint-Nicolas in Autrans, a small village in the mountains near Grenoble. There were rebuilds and modifications of organs at a number of churches, and some small instruments were installed in the 1980s in some of the picturesque villages of the department.

There had not been a history of great interest in the organ in this region during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In the area near Grenoble there is the monastery of La Grande Chartreuse that played a great role in the economic development of the department, but the monks never expressed much interest in the organ as part of the liturgy; that is one of the reasons why there were so few organs in the region until the eighteenth century.9 The Chartreux made generous donations to a number of churches in the department, but that involved funds for stained-glass windows, choir stalls or the construction of nineteenth-century grandiose churches such as those at Voiron and Bourgoin-Jallieu. But they never gave funds for organs. Their factory for the production of the famous green and yellow liqueurs is in the city of Voiron, which is very close to Grenoble and which has one of the best-known organs in the department.

Both the organs of Saint-Bruno at Voiron and Saint-Jean-Baptiste at Bourgoin-Jallieu were mentioned in the inventory as major instruments in need of work, and it was regretted that nothing had been done with them up to that time. It was good to find in the fall of 2004 that both of those organs had recently been completely restored. In the case of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, major work had also been done to the interior of the church, and the sound of the instrument at the present time is absolutely magnificent.

Saint-Bruno in Voiron

Let us begin with the instrument at Saint-Bruno in Voiron. The financing of the work that was done from 1999–2002 involved the State, the region of Rhône-Alpes, the Department of l’Isère, and the City of Voiron. This clearly showed how important the organ was in the life of the community from an historical point of view. This organ (IV/41) was originally built for the church of Saint-François de Sales in Lyon in 1838 by the Callinet brothers. In 1864 Cavaillé-Coll replaced the two small manuals (Récit and Echo) with a récit expressif of ten stops as well as adding four new stops and a new console. Through the intercession of François Widor and his famous son, Charles-Marie, the parish acquired a new organ from Cavaillé-Coll in 1879 and put the modified Callinet up for sale. A neo-gothic case that harmonized with the style of the interior of Saint-Bruno, which was constructed in 1864, was built in 1881 when the transfer to the church was made. The actual inauguration took place in 1883, and modifications took place during the following years; in 1973 it was classified as an historic monument. Twenty-nine stops by Callinet and four by Cavaillé-Coll had been retained, but it was evident by that date that the instrument was in a pitiful state, and therefore talk of restoration surfaced. By 1992 a decision was made in favor of work but it was not until 1999 that the contract was given to Daniel Kern of Strasbourg. The crowning point of the work was the return of the organ to the west front gallery in 2002. It was indicated in a church brochure that Kern kept most of the Callinet stops and some stops of Cavaillé-Coll from the Récit expressif.10 Saint-Bruno is of cathedral size and has magnificent acoustics. The sound of the organ is rich, airy, and majestic with no sense of harshness. This is a first-class instrument that is surely worth seeing and hearing.

Saint-Jean-Baptiste at Bourgoin-Jallieu

The organ at Bourgoin-Jallieu is an impressive instrument of some 40 stops on three manuals from the workshop of Joseph Merklin of Lyon in 1880. The church is situated at the Place Carnot in the heart of Bourgoin-Jallieu, which is near Lyon but still in the department of l’Isère. It is a vast structure of cathedral proportions and has been refinished in white in the interior, which gives it an impressive allure. Previously the interior was dark and gloomy. One interesting characteristic of the organ is the borrowing of stops in both the Grand-Orgue and the Positif. This technique of borrowed stops with mechanical action considerably augments the resources and variety of the instrument.11 This organ was made for the French romantic repertoire and makes a most favorable impression, given the excellent acoustics of the church. The restoration work was done by the Manufacture provençale in Carcès (Var), which is directed by the organbuilder Yves Cabourdin, who did the restoration work on the Isnard organ (IV/41) of the famous royal basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine of Saint-Maximin-La-Sainte-Baume in Provence. The latter is considered to be an excellent example of the French classic organ and ranks with that of Saint-Antoine l’Abbaye and the Dom Bedos instrument at Sainte-Croix in Bordeaux as a marvelous venue for baroque repertoire.

Cathedral of Grenoble

The first mention of an organ at the Cathedral of Grenoble goes back to 1426. In the nineteenth century Cavaillé-Coll installed an organ of eight stops there. The instrument was enlarged by different builders over the years, but has not been used since 1990 because of all the construction work being done. There are no services at the cathedral because the entire nave is a building site. Work on the organ will be done eventually, but it is not clear when that will take place.

A Cavaillé-Coll organ of 11 stops was installed in l’Eglise Saint-Marcel in the town of Allevard in 1874. Work by Tschanun and Schwenkedel was done in 1922 and 1965, but the organ now (II/23) has had the benefit of major additions and restorations over the past 30 years at the hands of Xavier Silbermann, who is still listed as the curator of the instrument.12 Silbermann comes from the Strasbourg wing of the family and had his workshop in the Rhône Valley area until his recent retirement. Even so, he has continued to work in tandem with the titulaire, Dr. Henri Perrin, to upgrade the instrument. Monsieur Perrin is a virtuoso organist and pianist and presently dedicates most of his time to composition. Even though this is not a large instrument, the sound is very impressive as it speaks into the nave of the church. It can be used to good effect in the music of Vierne and Widor as well as the music of Bach. Monsieur Perrin demonstrated the organ in a piece of his own, Lamento e Trionfo.

Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, Alpe d’Huez

Very close to Grenoble is the town of Alpe d’Huez, which is known by anyone who follows the Tour de France because of the 21 hairpin curves one must negotiate in leaving the highway at Le Bourg d’Oisans to go to the top of the mountain. The stage to Alpe d’Huez was not used two years ago in the tour, but one could still read the names of different riders on the road in November 2004 as well as noticing the placards in honor of riders at each curve. Most of the names are from the distant past, but there are two curves in honor of Marco Pantani.

Alpe d’Huez is very much a resort town, which means that it is virtually deserted out of season. In 1968 a remarkable church, Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, was built, the tower of which looks like a lighthouse. The architect, Jean Marol, worked with the German organbuilder, Detlef Kleuker, to give the organ (II/24) the form of a hand, “La Main de Dieu.” The celebrated organist and musicologist, Jean Guillou, was instrumental in the design of the organ. In his book, L’Orgue Souvenir et Avenir, Guillou points out that the organ is in the choir of the church, which is in the middle of this church in the round, immediately behind the altar. The pipes of the 16¢ Flûte make up the four fingers, and the thumb contains the case of the Grand-Orgue. The swell box of the Récit is in the palm of the hand. The entire case is made of American beech wood.13

Guillou notes that it was necessary to decide which stops would provide the most sound from the instrument, given that the budget was limited to 24 stops. The specifications of the Grand-Orgue and the Récit give a brilliance, clarity and presence to the ensemble. The Pedal division gives a solid foundation to the ensemble. From Guillou’s point of view, this small organ is ideal. The proof of its quality can be seen in the quantity of concerts, masterclasses and recordings that have been made since its construction. He further mentioned that there have been few works from the baroque era to modern times that have not been played on this organ to the complete satisfaction of musicians.14

Church of Saint-Nicolas, Autrans

In the town of Autrans, a small village in the mountains very near Grenoble, there is the one new organ built in the 1990s in l’Isère. The Church of Saint-Nicolas has an austere stone tower that dates to the twelfth century, and the organ case of oak stands tall against the right wall of the choir. This organ (II/13), built by Dominique Promonet of Rives, owes its existence to the generosity and dedication of the parish priest, Father André Chabrier, who died on February 27, 1995, just a month before the instrument was installed. It is something that he thought about for a long time, and it was his way of saying thanks to the people of the Vercors for all they had given him over the span of 50 years. On the left side of the case there is an inscription which reads “En lui le Souffle de la Vie”—P. A. Chabrier, donateur. (“In it there is the breath of life”—P. A. Chabrier, donor.) And on the right side it is added “Je me tiens debout pour que mon chant / monte au-dessus des paroles.” (I stand erect so that my song will rise above the words.) When asked about why he did not use his funds in a different manner, he said that the organ would be there for everyone and would last for centuries. The all-enclosed case stands impressively against the right wall of the church, and the instrument with its 16¢ Soubasse in the Pedal division produces a resonant and weighty sound to accompany the liturgy.

Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul in Crolles

Saint-Philibert in Saint-Ismier

Two organs by local builders are worthy of mention; they are fairly typical of what one would see in the small villages in the area. The organ at Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul in Crolles was built by Promonet & Steinmann in 1982. The two symmetrical cases in the gallery give the impression that the organ (II/15) is much larger than it really is. It is used for the liturgy and concerts, and the sound is quite impressive because of the good acoustics.16 At l’Eglise Saint-Philibert in Saint-Ismier there is an interesting instrument from the workshop of Michel Giroud, who did the original installation in 1981 and further work in 1993. This organ (II/17) serves the church very well in the liturgy and has the resources that are necessary for concerts. Olivier Vernet was featured in a concert of baroque music in October 2004.
One can easily see that the organ scene in France is a very interesting one and that there are treasures to be found in any of the departments.17

Concours Internationaux de la Ville de Paris

Kenneth Matthews

Kenneth Matthews is Director of Music at Old First Presbyterian Church in San Francisco.

The City of Paris 5th International Organ Competition took place June 1-9, 2004. The Paris Concours d'Orgue, which occurs biannually, has grown in importance each year. One reason for its popularity is no doubt the generous prize money:

Interpretation Competition

1st Grand Prize of the City of Paris: Euros: 9000

2nd Grand Prize, offered by the Academy of Beaux-Arts of the Institut de France: Euros: 6000

3rd Prize: Euros: 2500

Improvisation Competition

1st Grand Prize of the City of Paris (dedicated to the memory of Pierre Cochereau): Euros: 5000

Prize for the best performance of the 6th Concerto for Organ and Orchestra op. 68 of Jean Guillou (commissioned by Musique Nouvelle en Liberté), offered by the Academy of Beaux-Arts of the Institut de France: Euros: 1500

Prize for the meilleur espoir (most promising young artist), offered by SACEM: Euros:1500

Of the 250 organs in Paris, some 130 belong to the City of Paris itself, including many historically important and significant instruments. It was recognition of this great diversity and richness that led to the creation in 1994 of the first Concours d'Orgue, part of the series Concours Internationaux de la Ville de Paris. For the 5th Concours, 57 candidates applied to the recorded pre-selection elimination round, and 39 candidates of 17 nationalities were accepted for the Concours.

One of the principal characteristics of the Paris Concours is that each round of the competition is held on a different organ, the various organs being those most appropriate for the literature being played (for instance, Couperin at the Chapelle Royale, or Franck at Sainte-Clotilde). At the same time, candidates are required to adapt quickly to instruments that are often quite different from each other.

Members of the jury were Michel Chapuis, president, France; José Enrique Ayarra Jarne, Spain; Martin Haselböck, Austria; James Higdon, USA; François-Henri Houbart, France; Leo Krämer, Germany; Roman Perucki, Poland; Ville Urponen, Finland; Yang-Hee Yun, Korea.

For one reason or another, four candidates elected not to attend (one each from Australia, France, USA, and Korea). For the original round 33 interpretation candidates (three of whom were also improvisation candidates) and two more improvisation candidates (for a total of five improvisation candidates) participated, representing 17 countries.

First round of interpretation finals:

Conservatoire supérieur de Paris-CNR

The initial interpretation elimination round was held at the Conservatoire supérieur de Paris-CNR on the rue de Madrid, Tuesday and Wednesday, June 1-2, and consisted of two movements of a Bach trio sonata, and one of the 11 Brahms chorale preludes. The organ at the Conservatoire is a three-manual of 32 stops built by the German builder Gerhard Grenzing working in Spain, and was completed in 1996. At the end of the second day, the jury selected nine candidates of the 33 (listed in order of performance). The playing was all of a high level of excellence, worthy of an international competition (although one or two candidates had an off day). Paolo Oreni (Italy) was the only candidate to play the required Bach and Brahms pieces from memory.

Douglas O'Neill, USA

Yevgenia Semeina, Russia

Kirsten Eberle, Germany

Ekaterina Kofanova, Belarus

Elke Eckerstorfer, Austria

Els Biesemans, Belgium

Ghislain Leroy, France

Henry Fairs, UK

Paolo Oreni, Italy

Second round of interpretation finals / First round of improvisation finals:

Saint-Ferdinand-des-Ternes

The second round of interpretation finals and the first round of improvisation finals began on Friday, June 4, at Saint-Ferdinand-des-Ternes. The church, in a Romano-Byzantine style with cupolas, was designed in the 1930s and completed in 1957. In the 1990s, the choir was redesigned according to Vatican II ideas, and a new organ incorporated in a new organ tribune. Following an international competition, the new organ was built in 1995 by Pascal Quoirin, who also designed the organ tribune. The organ contains 34 stops on three manuals of 56 notes and a pedal of 30 notes. The specification of the organ is described as “suitable for classical or baroque music.”

Candidates for both the second round of interpretation finals and the first round of improvisation finals were required to play two works of J. S. Bach: one of three Leipzig chorales, Schmücke dich, O liebe Seele, BWV 654; Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659; An Wasserflüssen Babylons, BWV 653; and either the “Dorian” Toccata, BWV 538, or Pièce d';Orgue, BWV 572, or ?Fugue in G Major, BWV 577.

The acoustic of the church is somewhat vast, and candidates were challenged in finding appropriate registrations. The chorale preludes were registered differently of course but every registration I heard was thoughtful and interesting. A preferred approach was accompaniment on an 8 ft. principal, with solos on various mutation combinations.

I found the pedal lightweight in effect except when the 16 ft. reed was engaged (which, when it occurred, was during the middle section of the Pièce d'Orgue), and I suppose it is characteristic of this style of instrument. The French seem to have arrived at a common denominator for a “Bach organ,” as evidenced by the organs at the Conservatoire and at Saint-Ferdinand-des-Ternes. It seems rather dated when one compares it to work in this country by such builders as Paul Fritts & Co., Richards, Fowkes & Co., or Taylor & Boody Organbuilders.

La Madeleine

The second round of interpretation finals continued on Saturday, June 5, at 8:00 pm at the Church of the Madeleine, home of Cavaillé-Coll's landmark organ of 1841-46. Containing 48 stops on four manuals and pedal, the organ remained more or less intact until 1971, when the firm of Danion-Gonzalez electrified the action and recast the organ in a neo-classic form. Since 1988, organbuilder Bernard Dargassies has made some changes in order to return more closely to the original sound. Recently, he added a chamade, “a stop planned for but not included in the original organ.”

For this round, candidates selected pieces by two composers from the following list of works:

Marcel Dupré

Prelude and Fugue in F Minor, op. 7;

Symphonie Passion (first movement, Le Monde dans l'attente du Sauveur)

Symphonie Passion (second movement, La Nativité)

Evocation (Final)

Cortège et Litanie

Louis Vierne

2nd Symphonie (1st movement, Allegro)

2nd Symphonie (2nd movement, Choral)

3rd Symphonie (Finale)

4th Symphonie (4th movement, Romance)

4th Symphonie (Finale)

Charles-Marie Widor

5th Symphonie (1st movement, Allegro vivace)

5th Symphonie (2nd movement, Allegro cantabile)

6th Symphonie (1st movement, Allegro)

Symphonie gothique (2nd movement, Andante sostenuto)

Symphonie romane (3rd movement, Cantilène)

From these required pieces, we heard quite a bit of the Dupré Evocation, the Cortège et Litanie, and the first movement of the Widor 5th Symphonie. So some of the less frequently chosen pieces took on a bit of added interest: Els Biesemans's playing of the Dupré La Nativité; Ghislain Leroy';s Dupré F-Minor Prelude & Fugue, and then the last two players, Henry Fairs and Paolo Oreni, who offered contrasting versions of the Andante sostenuto of Widor's Symphonie gothique.

Saint-Étienne-du-Mont

The first improvisation series took place on Sunday, June 6, at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont. Improvisation candidates were given a theme, a response for the Office of Tierce (“Inclina cor meum Deus in tabernacula tua”) and asked to improvise a triptych lasting around fifteen minutes. Saint-Étienne-du-Mont is famous for being the church of the Duruflés and the 1956 Beuchet-Debierre, which Duruflé had built for his tonal ideas. (The organ, rebuilt by Victor Gonzalez in 1975 and then by Bernard Dargassies in 1991, is the fourth largest organ in Paris, with 83 stops on 4 manuals and pedal).

None of the candidates had any problem treating the theme (or at least the head of it, which is what most of them used) for 15 minutes and using a wide variety of registrations and improvisation skills. However, only one of them, Noël Hazebroucq, was able to communicate (to my listening skills, at any rate) the stated requirement of a triptych. It was almost as if the other players were unwilling to quit playing for even a moment in order to clearly delineate sections of their improvisation. I suppose it would be possible to have a triptych where the sections flow into each other (I am thinking of the Adagio and Choral variations of the Duruflé Veni Creator, which are connected without pause; even so, the diminuendo to a single stop, followed by the plainsong statement on principal choruses, serves as a marker between the two sections). As a result, with the other players, it was not possible to say where sections might have been. One player, for instance, began an adagio on flutes, progressed to fonds, played a mf statement of the theme in canon, followed by a slow crescendo to ff reeds, with the plainsong theme in the pedal, followed by a decrescendo to Gemshorn Celeste plus 32' with quick decorated bits of the theme, followed by a crescendo to fonds, then staccato reeds, then a vivace section on swell reeds, followed by a short toccata figure, followed by a chordal full organ statement of the theme.

Hazebroucq, by contrast, began with a scherzo with the theme in canon, followed by a quick outburst on tutti, followed by the original scherzo with theme in canon, again followed by a short outburst on tutti. Section two began with flutes and bits of the theme, colored by high bell effects; followed by fugal bits on fonds and reeds, then an ornamented version of the head of the theme in dialogue on the cromorne and clarinet stops. The third section began with fast statements on the theme, and subsided into bits on the theme on various piano stop combinations.

Following the improvisation round at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, the candidates for the Finale were announced; for interpretation: Els Biesemans, Belgium; Henry Fairs, UK; Ghislain Leroy, France; Paolo Oreni, Italy; and for improvisation: Noël Hazebroucq, France; Robert Houssart, The Netherlands.

Finale

Chapelle Royale du Château de Versailles

The first round of the Finale was held at the Chapelle Royale du Château de Versailles on Monday, June 7, at 2:30 pm. Interpretation candidates were required to play:

François Couperin, extracts from the Messe pour les Paroisses:

Plain Chant du premier Kyrie, en taille

Dialogue sur les trompettes et tierces du Grand Clavier et le bourdon avec le larigot du Positif

4th couplet, Tierce en taille

6th couplet, Offertoire sur les Grands jeux

or

Nicolas de Grigny, extracts from La Messe:

Premier Kyrie en taille, à 5, qui renferme le chant du Kyrie

Cromorne en taille à 2 parties

Trio en dialogue

Dialogue sur les Grands jeux

or

Louis-Nicolas Clérambault, Suite du deuxième ton:

Plein Jeu

Duo

Trio

Basse de cromorne

Flûtes

Récit de nasard

Caprice sur les Grands jeux

The organ case at the Chapelle Royale at Versailles originally contained a Robert Clicquot. This organ was rebuilt in turn by Louis-Alexandre and then François-Henri Clicquot, then by Dallery, Abbey, and Cavaillé-Coll, before being replaced in 1938 by an organ by Gonzalez. It took until the end of the 20th century to recreate the famous Clicquot, work entrusted to the builders Boisseau and Cattiaux. The present specification comprises 37 stops on three manuals and a pedalboard à la française. Its tuning (A=415) refers to the time of Louis XIV, and the temperament is meantone. Some of the most famous of French organists have been named to the Chapelle Royale: Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers, Nicolas Lebègue, Louis Marchand, Jean-François Dandrieu, François Couperin. The current organist is Michel Chapuis.

For the round at Versailles, Biesemans and Oreni played the required Couperin pieces, while Fairs and Leroy played the required de Grigny pieces. (Due to a missed train connection, I had to listen to Ms. Biesemans through the door.) It was interesting hearing the subtle differences between two players, each playing the same literature.

Basilique-Sainte-Clotilde

The second round of the Finale was held at the Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde on Tuesday, June 8: first that for interpretation, then for improvisation on the very famous organ of the basilica, built originally by Cavaillé-Coll for César Franck. At the moment, it seems impossible to consider the sound of the organ at Sainte-Clotilde apart from recent developments there. I was quite surprised to discover that the console of the organ at Sainte-Clotilde had been relocated from one of the most celebrated of organ tribunes to the choir balcony. Also, according to Les Orgues de Paris (Paris: Délégation à l'Action Artistique de la Ville de Paris, [c. 1991]) and descriptions I have seen of the stoplist, the organ at Sainte-Clotilde has 61 stops. The official handbook of the Concours d'Orgue 2004, published under the signature of M. Jacques Taddei (M. Taddei is the current titulaire of Sainte-Clotilde), describes the organ as having 68 stops. It appears that stops are in the process of being added. (One wonders what they are and if they are there yet.) The work is being done by organbuilder Bernard Dargassies.

The Sainte-Clotilde organ sounds different from the neo-classic 1962 Langlais rebuild of the organ. The Récit seems louder, both the Hautbois and the Trompette sounding considerably louder than before. The Hautbois no longer “disappears” beneath the fonds of the organ, as had been the case, robbing the organ of an effect with which generations of organists had been familiar. The volume of the Récit Trompette seems equally upset, more definitively coloring every registration with which it is used. Now the Positif seems frequently louder than the Grand-Orgue, and the movement from Positif to Grand-Orgue is either minimized (fonds) or seems actually inverted (reeds).

Interpretation candidates were required to play:

any one of the three Chorals of César Franck

and one of the following:

Jehan Alain: Scherzo (Suite)

Maurice Duruflé: Scherzo

Jean Langlais: Arabesque sur les flûtes (Suite française)

Olivier Messiaen: Alleluias sereins d';une âme qui désire le ciel (L';Ascension)

Els Biesemans played the second Choral and the Duruflé Scherzo. Henry Fairs played the first Choral and the Messiaen Alleluias sereins. Paolo Oreni played the second Choral and the Messiaen Alleluias sereins. Ghislain Leroy played the third Choral and the Duruflé Scherzo.

The playing was quite good, even if the organ left something to be desired. One wished for more expressive playing in the Franck from virtually all the players (the exception being Oreni, who phrased very musically). Players were less than scrupulous in following the various crescendi and decrescendi, which are so important to Franck's music. It was interesting hearing the paired linkings of the Duruflé and the Messiaen. I regretted not having had the opportunity to hear Jean Langlais's Arabesque sur les flûtes at Sainte-Clotilde.

Next followed the section for improvisation. Candidates were given a literary text for their improvisation at Sainte-Clotilde: verses from the Apocryphal Prayer of Azariah, additions to the book of Daniel between 3:23 and 3:24. The verses were not in strict order and I was only able to note verse numbers, but the following is a close if perhaps not exact English version of the text given to the improvisation candidates:

52 Let the earth bless the Lord: let it sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever

37 Bless the Lord, you angels of the Lord . . .

60 . . . all people on earth . . .

43 . . . all you winds . . .

44 . . . fire and heat . . .

45 . . . winter cold and summer heat . . .

47 . . . nights and days . . .

56 . . . you springs . . .

57 . . . you whales and all that swim in the waters . . .

52 Let the earth bless the Lord: let it sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Noël Hazebroucq and Robert Houssart approached the text from different viewpoints. Hazebroucq, who was first, chose not to approach the text as an opportunity for tone painting, but as the basis for an improvisation with many sections of contrasting effects, linked by a disjunct 4-note motif, closing with a very busy few minutes at the end where all creation seemed to be called to praise. In his improvisation, Houssart seemed to be trying to reflect the various text passages (vivace swell flutes for the angels, ascending and descending chordal passages for the winds, etc).

Saint-Eustache

Wednesday, June 9 found us at Saint-Eustache for the required performances of Jean Guillou's 6th Organ Concerto, opus 68, commissioned by the Concours under the aegis of Musique Nouvelle en Liberté. The administration of the Concours had decided, before the Concours began, to make a cut in the Concerto for Organ and Orchestra (in the interests of time, it was said) of a little less than 200 measures out of a total of 413 measures. Hence, what we heard was a portion of the work Guillou composed. The orchestra was that of the Conservatoire supérieur de Paris-CNR under the direction of Pierre-Michel Durand; the orchestra and M. Durand also participated in the final concert of laureates Wednesday evening, when the organ concerto was heard one more time.

We heard the two improvisation candidates, Hazebroucq and Houssart, perform the concerto first. As improvisation candidates, they were required to insert two (the entire score called for three) cadenzas. These were followed by the four interpretation candidates, who were required to perform a cadenza written by Guillou.

The organ at Saint-Eustache, built by the Dutch firm Van den Heuvel, with 101 stops on five keyboards and a pedalboard, is the third largest in the City of Paris (after Notre-Dame, 112 stops, and Saint-Sulpice, 102 stops). Van den Heuvel may be Dutch, but the plan sonore of the organ is unquestionably French. All candidates played the console placed in the nave, with its electrical transmission.

Again, the playing was of a uniformly high level. What was interesting (albeit somewhat fatiguing) was six sequential hearings of the same piece: each player managed to bring some personal approach to the piece, even though the broad registrational outlines were indicated. Some elected for a slightly smaller, chamber approach (if one can approach 101 stops as any sort of chamber instrument!), while others used the full declamatory powers of the massive tutti with its five 32 ft. stops.

About 4:30 pm we heard the last required performance. Those attending were invited to either remain or return at 8:00 pm for the awarding of the prizes and a concert by the laureates. I suspect most of us elected to retire to various bars and cafés to pass the time.

Awarding of prizes and concert of laureates

Saint-Eustache, 8:00 pm

First, the members of the jury were presented to the audience by Michel Chapuis, the president of the jury. Following the presentation of the jury, the prizes were awarded.

The SACEM prize for meilleur espoir (most promising young artist) was awarded by the jury to the 21-year-old Russian organist Yevgenia Semeina.

The jury also awarded a "Special Mention" to Italian organist Paolo Oreni.

Third prize for interpretation was awarded to 25-year-old Els Biesemans of Belgium. Second prize for interpretation went to 28-year-old Henry Fairs of the United Kingdom. First prize for interpretation was won by 22-year-old Ghislain Leroy of France.

First prize for improvisation (dedicated to Pierre Cochereau) was awarded to 24-year-old Noël Hazebroucq of France.

The jury also awarded a “Special Mention” to Robert Houssart.

The prize for best interpretation of the 6th Concerto for Organ and Orchestra went to Henry Fairs.

Following the awarding of the prizes, we heard a concert of the laureates. Noël Hazebroucq was given two themes for improvisation: the Salve Regina, and Salut à la mère de la miséricorde. Ghislain Leroy played the Duruflé Scherzo, followed by the first movement, allegro vivace, of the Widor 5th Symphonie.

The concert was then to conclude with Henry Fairs and the orchestra of the Conservatoire supérieur de Paris-CNR, under the direction of Pierre-Michel Durand, in the seventh (abbreviated) performance of the day of the Guillou Concerto for Organ and Orchestra.

While the orchestra was assembling for the performance, Jean Guillou, organiste titulaire of Saint-Eustache, took advantage of the opportunity to extend a welcome to Saint-Eustache, and to speak for a moment about the concerto he had been commissioned to write. He said that he had not been asked about the substantial cut the administration had elected to make in his piece. He pointed out that he had fulfilled the terms of the commission regarding the length of the piece. Since something like half of the piece was omitted, he pointed out that it was not the concerto that he had written that we were hearing, but rather a “denatured” (or perhaps “diluted”) version. He did not wish any of the candidates any ill will, but felt compelled to make his objections known.

M. Jacques Taddei, the director of the Concours, attempted to explain the reasons for the modification, but his remarks were met with booing. In spite of this, Henry Fairs, Pierre-Michel Durand, and the orchestra of the Conservatoire supérieur de Paris-CNR presented the seventh (abbreviated) and last performance of the day of the Guillou Concerto for Organ and Orchestra to general acclaim.

So ended nine days of one of the most interesting of competitions (although one not unmarked by strife and controversy), and the opportunity to hear many of the most gifted young organists of the present day.