The Recent Revolution in Organ Building Part 15

In addition to these coupling movements there are other accessories, consisting of 36 pneumatic pistons, 6 to each manual, and 12 acting upon the Pedal stops. There are also 6 composition pedals acting upon the "Great" and "Pedal" stops simultaneously, and 4 pedals acting upon the Swell organ pistons. The Swell and Solo organs are each provided with tremulants.

Two large bellows in the bas.e.m.e.nt of the Hall, and blown by two steam engines of 8 h.p. and 1/2 h.p. respectively, supply the wind, which pa.s.ses from the bellows to 14 reservoirs in various positions in the instrument, the pressure varying from 3 1/2 to 22 inches.

ORGAN IN THE CATHEDRAL OF NOTRE-DAME, PARIS, FRANCE.

The ancient organ in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris was built in the reign of Louis XV by Thierry Leselope and the best workmen of his time. In the Eighteenth Century repairs and additions were made by the celebrated Cliquot. Further repairs were made by Dalsey from 1832 to 1838, and in 1863 the French Government confided the complete reconstruction of the instrument to Aristide Cavaille-Coll. He spent five years over the work, and the new organ was solemnly inaugurated on the 6th of March, 1868.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Keyboards, Cathedral Notre Dame, Paris]

It will be noticed that this ill.u.s.tration is not a photograph, but a wood engraving, drawn by hand, and the artist was evidently not a musician--he only shows 38 keys on each manual; there should be 56.

It stands in a gallery over the west door of the Cathedral. It has five manuals of 56 notes each, CC to g|3|, pedal of 30 notes, CCC to F; 86 sounding stops "controlled by 110 registers"; 32 combination pedals, and 6,000 pipes, the longest being 32 feet. The action is Cavaille-Coll's latest improvement on the Barker pneumatic lever. The wind reservoirs contain 35,000 litres of compressed air, fed by 6 pairs of _pompes_ furnishing 600 litres of air per second. Here is the specification:

PEDAL ORGAN (16 STOPS).

FEET. FEET.

Princ.i.p.al-Ba.s.se 32 Quinte 5 2/3 Contre-Ba.s.se 16 Septieme 4 4/7 Grosse Quinte 10 2/3 Centre Bombarde 32 Sous-Ba.s.se 16 Bombarde 16 Flute 8 Trompette 8 Grosse Tierce 6 2/5 Ba.s.son 16 Violoncelle 8 Ba.s.son 8 Octave 4 Clairon 4

FIRST CLAVIER (GRAND CHOEUR), 12 STOPS.

FEET. FEET.

Princ.i.p.al 8 Larigot 1 1/3 Prestant 4 Septieme 1 1/7 Bourdon 8 Piccolo 1 Quinte 2 2/3 Tuba Magna 16 Doublette 2 Trompette 8 Tierce 1 3/5 Clairon 4

SECOND CLAVIER (GBAND ORGUE), 14 STOPS.

FEET. FEET.

Violon-Ba.s.se 16 Octave 4 Montre 8 Doublette 2 Bourdon 16 Fourniture, 2 to 5 ranks Flute Harmonique 8 Cymbale, 2 to 5 ranks Viola de Gambe 8 Ba.s.son 16 Prestant 4 Ba.s.son-Hautbois 8 Bourdon 8 Clairon 4

THIRD CLAVIER (BOMBARDES), 14 STOPS.

FEET. FEET.

Princ.i.p.al-Ba.s.se 16 Quinte 2 2/3 Princ.i.p.al 8 Septieme 2 1/7 Sous-Ba.s.se 16 Doublette 2 Flute Harmonique 8 Cornet, 2 to 5 ranks Grosse Quinte 5 1/3 Bombarde 16 Octave 4 Trompette 8 Grosse Tierce 3 1/5 Clairon 4

FOURTH CLAVIER (POSITIF), 14 STOPS.

FEET. FEET.

Montre 16 Flute Douce 4 Flute Harmonique 8 Doublette 2 Bourdon 16 Piccolo 1 Salcional 8 Plein Jeu, 3 to 6 ranks Prestant 4 Clarinette-Ba.s.se 16 Unda Maris 8 Cromorne 8 Bourdon 8 Clarinette Aigue 4

FIFTH CLAVIER (RECIT EXPRESSIF), 16 STOPS.

FEET. FEET.

Voix Humaine 8 *Prestant 4 *Ba.s.son-Hautbois 8 *Plein Jeu, 4 to 7 ranks *Diapason 8 Quinte 2 2/3 *Flute Harmonique 4 Octavin 2 Voix Celeste 8 Cornet, 3 to 5 ranks *Flute Octav 4 Bombarde 16 Voile de Gambe 8 Trompette 8 Quintaton 16 Clairon 4

The printed specification kindly furnished to us by Dr. William C.

Carl, of New York, who obtained it specially from Mr. Charles Mutin, of Paris, Cavaille-Coll's successor in business, is not clear on the matter of couplers. Apparently all the manuals can be coupled to the Grand Choeur; the Grand Orgne and the Grand Choeur to the Pedals; and each manual has a suboctave coupler on itself. One of the combinations to the Pedal organ is designated, "Effets d'orage"--a thunder stop.

The organ was completely overhauled and renovated by Cavaille-Coll shortly before his death (in 1899) and the stops marked * were inserted in the Swell (Recit Expressif) in place of others. The inauguration announcement states that it is one of the largest and most complete in Europe, and that independently of the perfection of the mechanism it possesses a power and variety of tone hitherto unknown in organ building, and now only realized for the first time. It is undoubtedly Cavaille-Coll's finest work, and a lasting monument to his genius.

ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL ORGAN, LONDON, ENG.

The old organ in St. Paul's Cathedral, London, on which Sir John Goss played, and which had felt the magic touch of Mendelssohn, had 13 stops on the Great, 7 on the Swell, 8 on the Choir and only one on the Pedal.

It stood in a case on the screen between the choir and the nave of the Cathedral. We have noted elsewhere in this book how Willis had this screen removed, and rebuilt the organ on each side in 1872. In 1891 it was rebuilt in its present form as noted below. The writer first saw and heard this organ in 1873, and never failed, on his frequent visits to London in later years, to attend a service in St. Paul's Cathedral, where there are two choral services daily all the year round. No summer vacations here. The effect of the Tuba ringing up into the dome is magnificent. Willis looked upon this organ as his _chef d' oeuvre_, saying "There is nothing like it in the whole world!"

The Great organ is situated on the north side of the chancel. The Swell and Choir organs are on the south side. The Solo organ and one-third of the Pedal organ are under the first arch on the north side of the chancel. The Altar organ, which can be played through the Solo organ keys, is under the second arch on the north side of the chancel.

The remaining two-thirds of the Pedal organ and three Tuba stops occupy the northeast quarter gallery in the dome. The keyboards are on the north side of the chancel, inside the organ case, and can be seen from the "whispering gallery." There are five manuals, CC to c|3|, 61 notes; pedals CCC to g, 32 notes.

PEDAL ORGAN (NORTHEAST GALLERY OF DOME), 10 STOPS

FEET. FEET.

Double Diapason 32 Octave 8 Open Diapason, No. 1 16 Mixture, 3 ranks Open Diapason, No. 2 16 Contra Posaune 32 Violone Open Diapason 16 Bombardon 16 Violoncello 8 Clarion 4

PEDAL ORGAN (UNDER ARCH, NORTH SIDE OF CHANCEL), 8 STOPS

FEET. FEET.

Violone 16 Octave 8 Bourdon 16 Ophicleide 16 Open Diapason 16

CHOIR ORGAN, 11 STOPS

FEET. FEET.

Contra Gamba 16 Flute Harmonique 4 Open Diapason 8 Princ.i.p.al 4 Dulciana 8 Flageolet 2 Violoncello 8 Corno di Ba.s.setto 8 Claribel Flute 8 Cor Anglais 8 Lieblich Gedackt 8

GREAT ORGAN, 16 STOPS

FEET. FEET.

Double Diapason 16 Princ.i.p.al 4 Open Diapason, No. 1 8 Octave Quint 3 Open Diapason, No. 2 8 Super Octave 2 Open Diapason, No. 3 8 Fourniture, 3 ranks Open Diapason, No. 4 8 Mixture, 3 ranks Open Diapason 8 Trombone 16 Quint, metal 6 Tromba 8 Flute Harmonique 4 Clarion 4

SWELL ORGAN, 13 STOPS

FEET. FEET.

Contra Gamba 16 Fifteenth 2 Open Diapason 8 Echo Cornet, 3 ranks Lieblich Gedackt 8 Contra Posaune 16 Salicional 8 Cornopean 8 Vox Angelica 8 Hautbois 8 Princ.i.p.al 4 Clarion 4

SOLO ORGAN (NOT IN SWELL BOX), 3 STOPS

FEET. FEET.

Flute Harmonique 8 Piccolo 2 Concert Flute Harmonique 4

SOLO ORGAN (IN SWELL BOX), 10 STOPS

FEET. FEET.

Open Diapason 8 Tuba 8 Gamba 8 Orchestral Oboe 8 Contra f.a.gotto 16 Corno di Ba.s.setto 8 Contra Posaune 16 Cornopean 8 Cor Anglais 8 Flute 8

ALTAR ORGAN (PLAYED THROUGH SOLO ORGAN KEYS), 5 STOPS