The organs of Paris
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Saint Ignace. Tucked away on Rue de Sèvres in the 6th arrondissement, you really need to know the place to find it without hesitation. The entrance is through the lobby of a modern building that gives no hint of the vast nave beyond. The Jesuits built this church between 1855 and 1858, funded by generous donors including Napoleon III. It follows the neo-Gothic trend of the time, much like the nearby Sainte-Clotilde church then under construction. But its layout reflects Jesuit architecture: a single nave to make preaching easier. During the dark days of the Commune, the Jesuits had to scatter, the church closed, and it was rented to a piano dealer (could've been worse!). It stayed shut for 22 years. Not until 1923 was it restored and became the "church for foreigners" before taking the name Saint-Ignace in 1961. In 2017, the church got a full renovation. To bring life to the 52 blind windows in the triforium (blocked by surrounding apartments) Patrick Rimoux designed light glass panels based on texts by Saint Ignatius. They're made of calligraphed, painted, and sandblasted glass sheets, lit by LEDs whose color and intensity adjust to the ambient light, adding warmth to the very spare decor. Texte : Thierry Correard
E5 1862 The instrument was originally built by the Belgian builder Hippolyte Loret and was inaugurated by César Franck in 1862. 1891 But the organ gave no satisfaction, so, the Jesuits asked Cavaillé- Coll to build a new instrument of 31 stops, in the Loret case. The work was completed in 1891. 1924 Following the expulsion of the Jesuits during the law of 1905 and the disaffection of the church, Mutin was commissioned to overhaul the instrument in 1924, without making any changes to the instrument. 1947 During a new overhaul, Danniellot and Salmon replaced the Salicional and the Cornet with a Nasard and a Tierce. I 1977 Haerpfer-Ermann was commissioned to complete a complete restoration with the addition of a back positive with 11 stops. 1998 Maintenance work was carried out by Yves Koenig in collaboration with Philippe Emeriau. The organ was completely dismantled and cleaned, the worn parts replaced. The mechanics were reviewed. The keyboard, the Salicional, the Cornet and all the pieces of Cavaillé-Coll were restored. At the Positif, the Clairon was replaced by a Cromorne. 2012 Yves Koenig & Philippe Emeriau carried out new maintenance work on the traction and installation of a combinator. The organ was completely dismantled and dusted. But the main work was to renew all the bellows of the instrument. Used and obsolete stop draw reels were replaced. 2018 Yves Fossaert replaced all the conducts eaten away by oxidation. Source Pierre Queval speaks about the organ
1862 - Hippolyte Loret (buffet) 1891 - Cavaillé-Coll (1) 1924 - Mutin (6) 1947 - Daniellot & Salmon (6) 1977 - Haerpfer-Ermann (3a) 1998/2012 - Koenig & Emeriau (5) 2012 - Koenig & Emeriau (6) 2018 - Fossaert (6)

III/43 -

mechanical traction (manuals),

lectrical traction (stops)

Stoplist

Photo Dominiek Lust, facebook
Titular organist Simon Cnockaert, Pascal Marsault, Anne- Isabelle de Parcevaux et Pierre Queval. Organistes célèbres ayants illustré l’instrument par le passé : Jacques Berthier, Michel Bonfils, Père Joseph Gelineau. Parish website Videos Pierre Queval I Pierre Queval II Photos Buffet : Jeroen de Haan Console : Thierry Correard
The organs of Paris
ORGANS OF PARIS © 2026 Vincent Hildebrandt
E5 1862 The instrument was originally built by the Belgian builder Hippolyte Loret and was inaugurated by César Franck in 1862. 1891 But the organ gave no satisfaction, so, the Jesuits asked Cavaillé-Coll to build a new instrument of 31 stops, in the Loret case. The work was completed in 1891. 1924 Following the expulsion of the Jesuits during the law of 1905 and the disaffection of the church, Mutin was commissioned to overhaul the instrument in 1924, without making any changes to the instrument. 1947 During a new overhaul, Danniellot and Salmon replaced the Salicional and the Cornet with a Nasard and a Tierce. I 1977 Haerpfer-Ermann was commissioned to complete a complete restoration with the addition of a back positive with 11 stops. 1998 Maintenance work was carried out by Yves Koenig in collaboration with Philippe Emeriau. The organ was completely dismantled and cleaned, the worn parts replaced. The mechanics were reviewed. The keyboard, the Salicional, the Cornet and all the pieces of Cavaillé-Coll were restored. At the Positif, the Clairon was replaced by a Cromorne. 2012 Yves Koenig & Philippe Emeriau carried out new maintenance work on the traction and installation of a combinator. The organ was completely dismantled and dusted. But the main work was to renew all the bellows of the instrument. Used and obsolete stop draw reels were replaced. 2018 Yves Fossaert replaced all the conducts eaten away by oxidation. Source Pierre Queval speaks about the organ
1862 - Hippolyte Loret (buffet) 1891 - Cavaillé-Coll (1) 1924 - Mutin (6) 1947 - Daniellot & Salmon (6) 1977 - Haerpfer-Ermann (3a) 1998/2012 - Koenig & Emeriau (5) 2012 - Koenig & Emeriau (6) 2018 - Fossaert (6)

III/43 -

mechanical traction (manuals),

lectrical traction (stops)

Stoplist

Titular organist Simon Cnockaert, Pascal Marsault, Anne-Isabelle de Parcevaux et Pierre Queval. Organistes célèbres ayants illustré l’instrument par le passé : Jacques Berthier, Michel Bonfils, Père Joseph Gelineau. Parish website Videos Pierre Queval I Pierre Queval II Photos Buffet : Jeroen de Haan Console : Thierry Correard