ORGANS OF PARIS © 2026 Vincent Hildebrandt HOME ALL ORGANS
C1
This organ was originally built as a private instrument for
Baron Albert de l’Espée.
Between 1880 and 1898, the baron commissioned three
organs, all from the workshop of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. They
were installed in his residence in Antibes (II/11, slightly
enlarged in 1883), in his music room on the Rue des Champs-
Élysées in Paris (1894, III/ped./41), and in his villa in Biarritz
(IV/ped./70). The first organ no longer survives, while the last
has served since 1919 as the main organ of the Basilica of the
Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre.
On the Paris instrument, the baron would play Wagner at
night—music he had heard earlier that evening at the opera.
Within a year, his neighbors brought a lawsuit against him for
noise disturbance, forcing him to sell the instrument.
The organ was acquired by Count Christian de Bertier de
Sauvigny, who in 1909 donated it to the church of Saint-
Antoine des Quinze-Vingts, completed a few years earlier,
where he also served as organist for many years.
In 1912, he launched a concert series there, inviting leading
Parisian organists such as Widor, Gigout, Vierne, Tournemire,
Bonnet, Dupré, Mulet, and Marchal. This was remarkable, as
organ concerts in Roman Catholic churches were still strictly
forbidden at the time.
Originally, the organ had 41 stops, with—like the instrument
later in Biarritz—a manual compass of 61 keys (C–c4). When it
was installed in its present location, Merklin expanded the
instrument by adding a 32' Soubasse to the pedal, a 16'
Bombarde to the Grand-Orgue, and a 16' Basson to the Récit.
In 1934, Gutschenritter divided the Carillon III on the Positif
into a Nasard 2 2/3', Tierce 1 3/5', and Piccolo 1'.
In 1956, Chéron replaced the Nasard 2 2/3' on the Grand-
Orgue with a Doublette 2' and added a 4' Clairon to the
pedal. Changes were also reportedly made to the mixture
ranks.
In 1983, Jacques Barbéris restored the windchests, the action,
and the Barker machines (Grand-Orgue and Positif), and
reinstated the original mixture composition.
According to older sources, the 4' string stop on the Positif
was originally labeled Viole d’amour; it is also possible that a
16' Clarinette was initially planned for the Récit.
Source: Rene Verwer
1992–2004: Progressive overhaul of the instrument by
Yves Fossaert.
•
general cleaning
•
restoration of the GO and Récit soundboards
•
restoration of one reservoir
•
restoration of the pipework, regulation of the reeds, and
general tuning
•
the pedal Clairon 4′ stop was replaced with a new one,
built in Cavaillé‑Coll style.
This organ was maintained for several years by Maison
Gutschenritter. Could they be the ones who extended the
pedalboard to 32 notes, replaced the Grand Orgue Nasard with a
2′ Doublette, and split the Positif carillon? It’s possible. What we
do know is that the Pédale Clairon 4′ was added by Pierre Chéron
in 1956. It was of mediocre quality and was replaced during Yves
Fossaert’s work.
More info (in French)…
Before the French Revolution, the area that now
makes up the 12th arrondissement belonged to the
parish of Saint‑Paul and then to the
Saint‑Marguerite estate. However, two institutions
had the right to exercise the “care of souls”: the
Cistercian nuns’ abbey of Saint‑Antoine des Champs
and the Quinze‑Vingts hospice, founded by Saint
Louis.
The abbey was suppressed in 1790, and the
monastery was given to Saint‑Anthony’s Hospital in
1795. The new parish of Saint‑Antoine des
Quinze‑Vingts was created on 4 February 1791 and
received the abbey church as its place of worship.
That building was sold as national property in 1798
and later demolished. In the meantime, the chapel of
the Quinze‑Vingts hospice served as the parish
church for about a century, until the present church
was built and completed in 1903. It was dedicated to
Saint Anthony the Great on 11 November 1909.
1894- Cavaillé-Coll (1)
1909 - Gutschenritter (2)
1956 - Pierre Cheron et Philippe Hartmann (6)
1982 - Barbéris (5)
1992/2004 - Fossaert (5)
III/47 - mechanical traction
Stoplist
Titular organist
Eric Lebrun
Parish website
Videos
Eric Lebrun
Audio (Festivo)
Bruno Mathieu
Photos
Organ:
Victor Weller
Church:
Vincent Hildebrandt
The organs of Paris
ORGANS OF PARIS © 2026 Vincent Hildebrandt
C1
This organ was originally built as a private instrument for
Baron Albert de l’Espée.
Between 1880 and 1898, the baron commissioned three
organs, all from the workshop of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. They
were installed in his residence in Antibes (II/11, slightly
enlarged in 1883), in his music room on the Rue des
Champs-Élysées in Paris (1894, III/ped./41), and in his villa in
Biarritz (IV/ped./70). The first organ no longer survives, while
the last has served since 1919 as the main organ of the
Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre.
On the Paris instrument, the baron would play Wagner at
night—music he had heard earlier that evening at the opera.
Within a year, his neighbors brought a lawsuit against him
for noise disturbance, forcing him to sell the instrument.
The organ was acquired by Count Christian de Bertier de
Sauvigny, who in 1909 donated it to the church of Saint-
Antoine des Quinze-Vingts, completed a few years earlier,
where he also served as organist for many years.
In 1912, he launched a concert series there, inviting leading
Parisian organists such as Widor, Gigout, Vierne,
Tournemire, Bonnet, Dupré, Mulet, and Marchal. This was
remarkable, as organ concerts in Roman Catholic churches
were still strictly forbidden at the time.
Originally, the organ had 41 stops, with—like the instrument
later in Biarritz—a manual compass of 61 keys (C–c4). When
it was installed in its present location, Merklin expanded the
instrument by adding a 32' Soubasse to the pedal, a 16'
Bombarde to the Grand-Orgue, and a 16' Basson to the
Récit.
In 1934, Gutschenritter divided the Carillon III on the Positif
into a Nasard 2 2/3', Tierce 1 3/5', and Piccolo 1'.
In 1956, Chéron replaced the Nasard 2 2/3' on the Grand-
Orgue with a Doublette 2' and added a 4' Clairon to the
pedal. Changes were also reportedly made to the mixture
ranks.
In 1983, Jacques Barbéris restored the windchests, the
action, and the Barker machines (Grand-Orgue and Positif),
and reinstated the original mixture composition.
According to older sources, the 4' string stop on the Positif
was originally labeled Viole d’amour; it is also possible that a
16' Clarinette was initially planned for the Récit.
Source: Rene Verwer
1992–2004: Progressive overhaul of the instrument by
Yves Fossaert.
•
general cleaning
•
restoration of the GO and Récit soundboards
•
restoration of one reservoir
•
restoration of the pipework, regulation of the reeds, and
general tuning
•
the pedal Clairon 4′ stop was replaced with a new one,
built in Cavaillé‑Coll style.
This organ was maintained for several years by Maison
Gutschenritter. Could they be the ones who extended the
pedalboard to 32 notes, replaced the Grand Orgue Nasard with
a 2′ Doublette, and split the Positif carillon? It’s possible. What
we do know is that the Pédale Clairon 4′ was added by
Pierre Chéron in 1956. It was of mediocre quality and was
replaced during Yves Fossaert’s work.
More info (in French)…
1894- Cavaillé-Coll (1)
1909 - Gutschenritter (2)
1956 - Pierre Cheron et Philippe Hartmann (6)
1982 - Barbéris (5)
1992/2004 - Fossaert (5)
III/47 - mechanical traction
Stoplist
Titular organist
Eric Lebrun
Parish website
Videos
Eric Lebrun
Audio (Festivo)
Bruno Mathieu
Photos
Organ:
Victor Weller
Church:
Vincent Hildebrandt
