Saint-Jacques-

du-Haut-Pas

252, rue Saint-Jacques, 75005 Paris

Gallery organ

Choir organ >

D2 1628 The first organ was built by organ builder and resident organist Vincent Coppeau. 1744 Organ builder François Thierry replaced Coppeau’s instrument with a new organ featuring three manual keyboards. However, little is known about its detailed history or specifications. It remained in use until 1792, when the organ was sold. 1792 The city of Paris offered the parish the case from the nearby collegiate church of Saint-Benoît-le-Bétourné (now vanished). Claude-François Clicquot was commissioned to transfer and reconstruct a new instrument (33 stops / 4 manuals) within the historic case. A new gallery was built, and the main case was widened. Certain parts of the case date back to 1586, making Saint-Jacques-du-Haut-Pas partly home to the oldest surviving organ case in Paris. 1969–1971 In 1964, a decision was made to build a new organ in the style of the “Alsatian syntheses,” inspired by the recently inaugurated organ of Saint-Séverin in Paris — designed to meet both the stylistic needs of German music and those of the French classical organ tradition, following the approach initiated long ago by André Silbermann. A full restoration of the organ case — a witness to three centuries of successive modifications — accompanied the rebuilding of the instrument itself. Some of the existing pipework was retained, where it could blend naturally into the new conception of the instrument without compromising its integrity. The new windchests were made by Kern (1969–1971), with mechanical slider chests and pallets. The window-style console was also rebuilt by Alfred Kern. 1987 Alfred Kern & Sons carried out maintenance work and, at the request of resident organist Nicolas Gorenstein, replaced the 4′ Clairon on the Récit (by Merklin) with a new 16′ Douçaine, to create a proper “16′–8′–4′ battery” on that manual. Historic stops Stops dating from the 18th century: • Cornet V ranks (G.O., starting at middle C₃) • Pedal Trompette and Clairon Stops by Merklin: • Positif: Wood pipes of Bourdon 8 • Grand-Orgue: Montre 8, wood basses of Bourdon 16 and Bourdon 8, Double Nasard, Voix humaine • Récit: Trompette • Écho: Hautbois • Pedal: Flutes 16, 8, 4

History of the former organ of Saint-Jacques-du- Haut-Pas 1792–1793 After the organ of Saint-Benoît was assigned to the parish of Saint-Jacques, a suitable gallery was built, making it possible to install the case without major alterations (only a slight widening). Claude-François Clicquot took the opportunity to complete the pedal division. 1803 Maintenance work carried out by Dallery. 1887–1889 The instrument was rebuilt by Merklin. He emptied the Positif and aimed to equip the organ with the brand-new electro-pneumatic “Schmoële & Mols” system, with an ambitious plan to link the main organ and the choir organ. The gallery organ was to have 29 stops and the choir organ 15, both playable either together or separately from a single four-manual console located in the choir. Some of the pipework was reused, but, in keeping with the practices of the time, the wind pressure was increased. 1906–1908 Improvements to this rather unreliable system were entrusted to Gutschenritter. He combined electricity with a tubular system, creating a new type of electro- pneumatic action considered innovative at the time. He lowered the wind pressure and slightly revoiced the instrument, adjusting the stoplist: adding a Flûte douce 4’ on the Grand Orgue, and a Gambe 8’ and Clairon 4’ on the Récit. The gallery organ and the choir organ remained linked: a single four-manual console, placed in the choir behind the altar, allowed both instruments to be played either separately or together. This solution, attractive in theory, did not take into account the significant acoustic delay, which made playing the gallery organ from the choir difficult and risky. To address this, around 1920 the organist Achille Philip had a second console installed on the gallery. Despite a sound initial design, the electrical transmission gradually deteriorated, making the instrument almost unplayable. 1958 Maintenance work carried out by Probst père et fils brought only a temporary improvement to the worn electro-tubular action. Shortly afterwards, the connection with the choir organ was removed, along with the shared console, but by then the instrument had become virtually unplayable.

Titular organist Patrice Holiner Parish website Video Patrice Holiner Photo: Buffet : Jeroen de Haan Eglise : Vincent Hildebrandt

History of the instrument of the former Collegiate Church of Saint-Benoît-le-Bétourné (Paris) 1586–1587 The organ was commissioned from the Flemish builder Jean Langhedul, while the case was entrusted to the cabinetmaker Claude Delaistre. It was a small 4-foot organ with a single manual of 45 keys and a pedalboard coupled to the manual. The instrument was overhauled and enlarged at the beginning of the 17th century by Mathieu Langhedul, son of the original builder, and later by Nicolas Pescheur. 1640 The organ was fitted with a second manual for a rear Positive of 3-foot pitch in the façade. 1655 Enlargement by Guy Jolly, including modifications to the main case. The work he left unfinished was completed by P. Cauchois: reworking of the Grand Orgue with the addition of a 16' Bourdon, installation of a third manual (Écho), and extension of the pedalboard to 29 notes. 1673 A new campaign of work was entrusted to the Thierry brothers (addition of a two-rank Cymbale on a new Positive soundboard, and replacement and relocation of the bellows). 1687 The organ was dismantled when the gallery was rebuilt. When it was reassembled by Ducastel and Bessart, it had grown to four manuals and 31 stops, reaching the classical ideal within the limits of its size. 1767–1784 A major rebuilding project entrusted to Nicolas Somer was interrupted by his death during the work. It was then continued by François-Henri Clicquot in two successive phases: rebuilding of the main soundboard, addition of a fifth manual (Bombarde), changing the Positive façade stop to 8-foot pitch, enlargement of the keyboards, and more. By 1784, the instrument that emerged from Clicquot’s workshop was virtually new, and soon became available following the closure of Saint-Benoît.