Versailles

Cathédrale Saint-Louis

4 place Saint Louis, 78000 Versailles

Orgue de choeur OdT>

C3 In 1880, the Cathedral Fabric Council and Aristide Cavaillé- Coll signed a contract for building, transporting, and installing "in the choir of the St-Louis Cathedral Church in Versailles a Great Accompaniment Organ, made to the rules of art and the specifications signed by the builder on March 14, 1879." He also agreed "to build and install an organ case... in oak wood, decorated with polished and burnished display pipes." "Mr. A. Cavaillé-Coll undertakes to take over the current choir organ." This document confirms the full replacement of John Abbey's organ. In 1911, Charles Mutin added a 27-note pedalboard drawing the 16' Bourdon Bass from the Great Organ via pneumatic borrowing. In 1940 and 1947: two interventions by builder Bossier in a neo-classical style, adding mutations to the Great Organ (nasard and tierce) and moving the Full Mixture to the Swell on a posted windchest. In 1978, Adrien Maciet completely readjusted the original mechanics, replaced the too-narrow bench, and installed a new 30-note pedalboard. In 2001, a restoration by Gildas Ménoret from Nantes: back to the Cavaillé-Coll organ (removing the Great Organ mutations, restoring the romantic Full Mixture to the Great Organ). Stoplist: Reed on/off + cancel (from Swell): the clever mechanism still lets you pre-select the stops by rotating the drawstops. The Subbass stop still has no drawstop; on/off is via a toe piston. Source

1880 - Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (1) 1911 - Charles Mutin (6) 1940/47 -Jules Bossier (3b) 1978 - Adrien Maciet (6) 2001 - Gildas Ménoret (5)

II/15 (14) - mechanical traction

Composition

Vidéos Christian Ott Photos Vincent Hildebrandt

Vidéos | Christian Ott

The former choir organ It was built in 1837 by the organ builder John Abbey, based in Versailles (rue de la Chancellerie, near the cathedral and the château). At that time, it had nine stops: six on the Grand Organ—Flute, Bourdon, Prestant, Doublette, Mixture, and Trumpet—and three on the Récit—Open Flute, Prestant, and Oboe. In 1863, the instrument was restored by Cavaillé-Coll, who slightly modified its specification. It was transferred in 1883 to the present cathedral in Tunis and inaugurated in 1884. 6 January 1884 Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord. His Eminence was to travel to Tunis to preside solemnly, but was prevented from doing so by a sudden illness. The Very Reverend Father Deguerry officiated in his place. The ceremony began with the blessing of the great organ and then continued in a solemn and impressive manner. The Scholastic Fathers were present at the services.” (Missionaries of Africa, chronicles and annual reports, 1884-04-00.21-8,3.25) In 1923, the organ was replaced by a large Mutin organ. Thanks to a 1929 article, it can now be established that this instrument did not disappear when the large Mutin organ was installed, but was instead relocated to the Primatial Church of Saint Louis in Carthage (Tunisia): “Thousands of pilgrims attending the Eucharistic Congress must retain in their memories the sight of the white Primatial of Carthage. […] His Lordship wished that the former organ of the pro-cathedral of Tunis should be heard in Carthage for the ceremony of the Congress. This organ, altered, restored, and rejuvenated, will henceforth enhance the solemnity of worship in the Primatial, which until then had only a harmonium.” (Missionnaires d’Afrique, chronicles and annual reports, 1929, 2–14) It is possible that the carved elements of a case that can still be seen today in this now secularized former cathedral of Carthage are what remains of this organ. This is not certain, however; the case may also come from another Tunisian place of worship returned by the clergy to the state at the time of the country’s independence. Thanks to Olivier Geoffroy for this additional information. Read more…

It is difficult to attribute the remains of the organ case visible in the gallery of the former cathedral of Carthage to a specific builder. It bears some resemblance to an Italian-style organ case (perhaps the one from the former church of Notre-Dame du Rosaire in Tunis?), but it is also possible that it could be the façade of the Abbey organ from Versailles Cathedral. Perhaps we will get to the bottom of it one day. (Olivier Geoffroy)